God's "Outfit of the Day"
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
When I get dressed in the morning (let’s be honest, if I get dressed in the morning), my clothes pretty much stay on my body until I take them off.
My shirt performs its body covering tasks with the same fervor and effectiveness from the moment I put it on until I take it off to put on my pajamas (let’s be honest, if I put on my pajamas).
Sometimes I’m tempted to count on my "breastplate of righteousness" to just stay on and perform its task of safeguarding against the devil until I would decide to take it off.
I mean, why would a belt stop performing belt duties unless I unbuckled it?
I want the moments I have felt strongest in my faith to lock-in indefinitely.
That’s not how faith works. That’s not how a lot of things in life work.
Just like exercise, cleaning, healthy eating, and other things that are for our good, this armor is not intended for one time application.
You can’t look back to your confirmation class or a Bible study and check off your Ephesians 6 armor accumulation checklist for good.
Breastplate? Check.
Feet fitted with readiness? Check.
Belt of truth? Check.
Shield of faith? Check.
Helmet of salvation? Check, check, double check.
I should be good to go now, right?
I’m often tempted to consider my faith in the lens of things I have done in the past to strengthen it. Just because I have been strong in my faith doesn’t mean I will always be strong in my faith.
I think we’re all pretty familiar with the phrase “Take up your cross and follow me.”
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
Daily, it says.
Daily take up your cross.
Don’t pick it up one time, set it down in a good spot and pat yourself on the back for your obedience.
Christ died once for all, but he did not consider that task (however monumental) the end of His work on our behalf, checking out from His relationship with us and then waiting to catch up with us after we pass through the pearly gates.
“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him.”
Consider the benefit of regular exercise, healthy eating, consistent tidying (ok, well, I’m not personally familiar with that last one, but I can imagine).
How much greater is the benefit of consistent, focused, regular dedication to putting on that armor, and prioritizing our faith?
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
The same way a run after a few weeks (Months? Years?) off requires considerably more effort than the consistent and committed runner, a prioritized faith that is given its proper place on our priority list leaves us closer to our heavenly king, and His will for our lives more discernible.
It also keeps us alert and on guard against that prowling lion, the devil, always waiting for a moment of weakness to work his way into our hearts.
Don’t put yourself at risk and complete a one time checklist of tasks for the maintenance of your faith.
Instead, consider the magnitude of what is at stake, the sacrifice made for you, and the joy awaiting you, a purchased and won child of the ever-living, ever-loving Father in heaven.
