How many times growing up were you told to “put on a happy face” or to “put on your big girl (or boy) pants and stop whining” or “put your best foot forward”? There are a multitude of mantras about putting something on that supposedly makes us or our lives better. The most worthwhile and lasting item to put on is Christ.
Romans 13:14 (NASB) “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” In the New Living Translation (NLT), the verse reads as, “Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.”
How do you “put on Christ”? I have realized that as I put on the armor of God, I am actually clothing myself in Christ. The following passage details this:
Ephesians 6:10-17 (NLT) “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor [breastplate] of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Still not clear how this is “putting on Christ”? We will explore each part of the armor of God in the upcoming blog posts. For now, warrior, meditate on the above passage in its totality and commit those pieces of armor to memory. They will serve you well. Stand firm, resist, and stand your ground!
Raising Warriors 