What Should I Wear Today??

Have you ever searched through your closet and/or dresser to find a certain piece of clothing that seems to have disappeared just on the day you want to wear it? Or you open up your closet that is full of various clothes and you immediately declare, "I've got nothing to wear!". Then there's that ever-famous question, "what am I going to wear today??". Clothing is obviously essential, but what about your spiritual clothing? Is it just as important? Let's take a look...

The Bible tells us in the book of Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 10, to put on the full armor of God. What type of armor, you might ask. Well, we have the helmet of salvation for one thing. What's so important about wearing a helmet? It protects your head...your mind. Salvation protects your head too. When the enemy comes at you, trying to tell you lies that you're unworthy, unimportant, unsaved, you need to have your salvation on to protect you from believing those lies. A song sung by Christian music artist Carmen, says this "When satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future". His future is defeat and punishment. But you must have that protection, you must know that you are saved and can stand on God's promises and His Word, in order to resist the attack satan makes on your mind.

Now we come to the breastplate of righteousness. The purpose of the breastplate is to protect your vital organs...mainly your heart. Does righteousness protect your heart? Sure! Righteousness cannot be obtained without the grace and sacrifice of Christ Jesus. Then you have to truly give God control of your weaknesses and struggles. You have to make a conscious effort to live according to God's laws, according to purity and love. If your heart is pure and sincere, it will be protected from the evil that exists around you and comes at you everyday seeking to destroy you. God will be in control and you will be safe.

The belt of truth is another extremely important article of clothing. Okay, I know that often a belt is worn for fashion reasons alone, BUT, it's true purpose is to hold everything together in one place. Truth will hold everything together, and lies and cheating are the two quickest ways to break up something or keep it from being held in place. Without truth everything is a mess...chaos. There are no absolutes, there is no foundation...nothing to keep things together and running smoothly. Truth is something that cannot be compromised, for when it is, the result is always disorder and confusion.

Next we have the "boots" of the gospel of peace. Shoes protect your feet and they also allow you to go places that you would not usually go if you didn't have them on. You wouldn't go hiking without shoes...it just wouldn't be very wise. Hiking boots or tennis-shoes give you the satisfaction and assurance that your feet will be okay while you are hiking. The gospel of peace gives you that assurance and freedom to go and share the good news of Christ's grace with others. If you didn't know anything about that grace (if you didn't have your "boots" on) you wouldn't be able to go and share it with others. It gives you a sense of readiness, a desire to go and tell the world about the good news you've found in the gospel of peace.

The shield of faith backs up all your other armor. When you lack in a specific area, if you have faith and give God control in that situation, you will be taken care of. A shield can be moved around to protect any part of the body when in battle. Faith is the key to salvation. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6) So, wherever you are struggling, whatever you are lacking in, have faith and turn the situation over to God. Believe that he will work it out for your good (Romans 8:28) even if you can't see the good. Now here's the catch, to have faith you must actually BELIEVE. It's an action. Don't be surprised when God answers you; don't ask for God's help and then find an alternative plan because you don't really believe he can or will help you. You can't just have faith, you must USE it. What's the good of having a shield if you aren't going to use it??

The sword of the Spirit is the offensive weapon we are given for use in battle. The Bible (God's Word) is compared to a double-edged sword. That's pretty sharp! The more we read, study, and memorize God's Word, the more powerful it becomes in battle. Someone who is trained to fight with the sword becomes more skillful and better at fighting the longer he works with it. He becomes familliar with how to use it and becomes more confidant as he practices. Each word that we can quote from the Bible is a blow to the enemy. He can't attack you or even stand against you when you quote God's promises and commands. He has to leave when you have such a powerful weapon as the sword of the Spirit.

So now, when you wake up in the morning and ask yourself, "What should I wear today?" don't forget to also put on the armor of God. Physical clothing is essential, but spiritual clothing is even more important. And guess what, God's armor doesn't ever go out of style either! :)
~HK


Return To Main Page