“Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Romans 13:14, NIV)
Nestled among the pages of my Bible is a scripture that seems unusual at first. In Romans 13:14, Paul asks that Christians in Rome “clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ”. At first, this scripture seemed odd to me. How do you “put on” clothing like Jesus? How do you wear God? But to think of this scripture so literally is to miss the point. Today, I want you to read this scripture in a new light. See it as Paul intended. If you understand it rightly, it will strengthen your faith to face your everyday challenges.
Would you think it wise to go around naked in the dead of winter? How long would you last if you walked around in the snow without a shred of clothing? If you did such a thing, wouldn’t people think you were foolish, living dangerously, or downright insane? Of course! Now, think of your faith, your salvation, as something you spiritually clothe yourself with each day. Just as clothing protects you from the elements, so too, your salvation protects you from spiritual attacks and poor choices. Material clothing protects your body from harmful UV rays, from blasts of cold, and from many other natural hazards. Spiritual “clothing” such as your faith and your spiritual gifts don’t protect your natural body from the elements, but they do protect you from the spiritual hazards of everyday living. You would be insane to face a brutal blizzard without layers of clothing as a protection. Why wouldn’t it be just as insane to face spiritual battles each day without layers of spiritual protection?
A number of scriptures in our Bible speak about being “clothed” in spiritual protection. Isaiah told the people of Judah to rejoice in the Lord for God has “clothed us with garments of salvation and arrayed us in a robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). Paul told the Ephesian Christians to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10). How did Paul say to do that? By “putting on the full armor of God” so that you can “stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11). Because you are a faithful child of God, you are adorned with spiritual clothing. You are not spiritually “naked”. You have spiritual protection. You bear the “armor” of God. Your spiritual clothing is not visible to the naked eye. It is not out in the open for all to see. However, Satan is able to see it. Evil forces notice your spiritual protection. They fear your spiritual sword and have a difficult time battling you when you wear your spiritual armor.
When you face spiritual battles, you realize the power of spiritual clothing. You make sure to don your spiritual armor. Martin Luther was quoted as saying that he would not begin a day without prayer. In truth, he exclaimed that without prayer to start his day, the devil would overpower him throughout that day. The first thing many people do when getting up for the day is put on appropriate clothing. So true, the faithful Christian needs to don appropriate spiritual clothing to face the day. On a warm day, you might dress in something light and airy. On a cold day, you may want to don a sweater or heavy jacket. Some days, you may need only light spiritual “clothing”. You might just begin your day with a Bible reading and a short prayer before getting up. On spiritually demanding days, you may find yourself spending an hour or two in prayer, or searching the Bible for a scripture to fortify your soul.
A good friend of mine had a cold that just didn’t seem to go away. For several months, he would get up in the morning and cough multiple times. Throughout the day, he found himself coughing, yet he didn’t have an itch in his throat. He figured it was his body’s way of dealing with the last remnants of a virus. As he went about his day working on the farm, he felt fatigued. Then, came the back pain. For two weeks, he took anti-inflammatories and hobbled around. After two months of these symptoms, he woke up one morning sweating. Then, when he got out of bed to dress, he found himself struggling to breathe. It seemed this virus was getting out of control. With his wife’s encouragement, he took off work to see the doctor.
When the doctor saw my friend, he was sent immediately to the hospital for tests. Though the doctors and nurses initially thought he was having heart problems, they soon found that he had an aneurysm on his aorta. It was so enlarged that they could not operate. If it burst, he would bleed to death internally. He asked, “How long do I have, Doc?” The response he got took his breath away for a few seconds. The doctor replied, “A few hours, a couple of days maybe? It could burst at any moment. It’s terribly enlarged. The aorta can’t take much more.”
Upon hearing these words, my friend’s wife fell apart. She sobbed. Tears stained her makeup and ran down on her pretty dress. She could hardly believe her big, strong farmer husband was going to die in hours or days. What would she do without him? After an emotional hour of tears and preparations at the hospital, the family was called together to be by the bedside of my friend for his final hours.
Though I couldn’t get there in time, I was told later that my friend spent every chance he could get with his Bible and in prayer. When the doctors and nurses were out of the hospital room, my friend would take his wife’s hand and pray. While his wife slept that first night, he spent hours reading his Bible and talking with God. People were shocked at his calm demeanor. I realized that he was putting on his spiritual armor for his final battle in life. Soon, he would face his Lord. He wouldn’t want to be naked when facing His Savior!
In the quiet night after a few days, my friend died. Spiritually dressed and ready to meet Jesus, he took the next step into eternal life.
I would not think of getting up out of bed and facing the world without dressing up for the day. I also would never think of doing God’s work without the appropriate spiritual armor. I often write these meditations early in the morning while I’m readying myself for the day. While doing my own meditations and praying for people like you, I ask the Lord what kinds of armor you or I might need today. Then, I pray for both of us. I study scripture to equip you for your spiritual challenges. Through these meditations, I help you hone your armor for your spiritual battles.
Is today going to be one of those days when you might need a little more spiritual armor? Do you sense a spiritual temptation? Is there a spiritual war brewing nearby? God has given you spiritual clothing and spiritual armor. Don’t you dare think of going into battle without it! Put it on each and every day when you wake up. Some nights, it might be safer if you just sleep in it as well!
Would you think it wise to go around naked in the dead of winter? How long would you last if you walked around in the snow without a shred of clothing? If you did such a thing, wouldn’t people think you were foolish, living dangerously, or downright insane? Of course! Now, think of your faith, your salvation, as something you spiritually clothe yourself with each day. Just as clothing protects you from the elements, so too, your salvation protects you from spiritual attacks and poor choices. Material clothing protects your body from harmful UV rays, from blasts of cold, and from many other natural hazards. Spiritual “clothing” such as your faith and your spiritual gifts don’t protect your natural body from the elements, but they do protect you from the spiritual hazards of everyday living. You would be insane to face a brutal blizzard without layers of clothing as a protection. Why wouldn’t it be just as insane to face spiritual battles each day without layers of spiritual protection?
A number of scriptures in our Bible speak about being “clothed” in spiritual protection. Isaiah told the people of Judah to rejoice in the Lord for God has “clothed us with garments of salvation and arrayed us in a robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). Paul told the Ephesian Christians to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10). How did Paul say to do that? By “putting on the full armor of God” so that you can “stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11). Because you are a faithful child of God, you are adorned with spiritual clothing. You are not spiritually “naked”. You have spiritual protection. You bear the “armor” of God. Your spiritual clothing is not visible to the naked eye. It is not out in the open for all to see. However, Satan is able to see it. Evil forces notice your spiritual protection. They fear your spiritual sword and have a difficult time battling you when you wear your spiritual armor.
When you face spiritual battles, you realize the power of spiritual clothing. You make sure to don your spiritual armor. Martin Luther was quoted as saying that he would not begin a day without prayer. In truth, he exclaimed that without prayer to start his day, the devil would overpower him throughout that day. The first thing many people do when getting up for the day is put on appropriate clothing. So true, the faithful Christian needs to don appropriate spiritual clothing to face the day. On a warm day, you might dress in something light and airy. On a cold day, you may want to don a sweater or heavy jacket. Some days, you may need only light spiritual “clothing”. You might just begin your day with a Bible reading and a short prayer before getting up. On spiritually demanding days, you may find yourself spending an hour or two in prayer, or searching the Bible for a scripture to fortify your soul.
A good friend of mine had a cold that just didn’t seem to go away. For several months, he would get up in the morning and cough multiple times. Throughout the day, he found himself coughing, yet he didn’t have an itch in his throat. He figured it was his body’s way of dealing with the last remnants of a virus. As he went about his day working on the farm, he felt fatigued. Then, came the back pain. For two weeks, he took anti-inflammatories and hobbled around. After two months of these symptoms, he woke up one morning sweating. Then, when he got out of bed to dress, he found himself struggling to breathe. It seemed this virus was getting out of control. With his wife’s encouragement, he took off work to see the doctor.
When the doctor saw my friend, he was sent immediately to the hospital for tests. Though the doctors and nurses initially thought he was having heart problems, they soon found that he had an aneurysm on his aorta. It was so enlarged that they could not operate. If it burst, he would bleed to death internally. He asked, “How long do I have, Doc?” The response he got took his breath away for a few seconds. The doctor replied, “A few hours, a couple of days maybe? It could burst at any moment. It’s terribly enlarged. The aorta can’t take much more.”
Upon hearing these words, my friend’s wife fell apart. She sobbed. Tears stained her makeup and ran down on her pretty dress. She could hardly believe her big, strong farmer husband was going to die in hours or days. What would she do without him? After an emotional hour of tears and preparations at the hospital, the family was called together to be by the bedside of my friend for his final hours.
Though I couldn’t get there in time, I was told later that my friend spent every chance he could get with his Bible and in prayer. When the doctors and nurses were out of the hospital room, my friend would take his wife’s hand and pray. While his wife slept that first night, he spent hours reading his Bible and talking with God. People were shocked at his calm demeanor. I realized that he was putting on his spiritual armor for his final battle in life. Soon, he would face his Lord. He wouldn’t want to be naked when facing His Savior!
In the quiet night after a few days, my friend died. Spiritually dressed and ready to meet Jesus, he took the next step into eternal life.
I would not think of getting up out of bed and facing the world without dressing up for the day. I also would never think of doing God’s work without the appropriate spiritual armor. I often write these meditations early in the morning while I’m readying myself for the day. While doing my own meditations and praying for people like you, I ask the Lord what kinds of armor you or I might need today. Then, I pray for both of us. I study scripture to equip you for your spiritual challenges. Through these meditations, I help you hone your armor for your spiritual battles.
Is today going to be one of those days when you might need a little more spiritual armor? Do you sense a spiritual temptation? Is there a spiritual war brewing nearby? God has given you spiritual clothing and spiritual armor. Don’t you dare think of going into battle without it! Put it on each and every day when you wake up. Some nights, it might be safer if you just sleep in it as well!