by David Scott Robertson
Are you a well-dressed Christian? Do you dress properly before going out into the world? Have you “put on” the right outfit before leaving the house dressed as as disciple of Christ?
What you wear as a believer in Jesus does make a difference. It makes a HUGE difference in your effectiveness as a Christian.
Now don’t worry, I’m not going to meddle in your business about dress length for ladies and length of hair for men. I’m fishing for a deeper truth than preference. In my view, to be a “well-dressed Christian” you must follow the Bible’s dress code for believers found in Ephesians 6:10-17:
[11] “Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. [12] For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
[13] Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. [14] Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. [15] For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. [16] In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. [17] Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (New Living Translation).
The armor of God is so important that we must “put it on” every day of our lives. This may sound silly, but my daily habit after I take a shower each morning is to verbally (yes, I say it out loud) to put on the full armor of God as specified in the passage of scripture above.
I especially love the “helmet of salvation”. I envision this helmet to be a full-face helmet like the ones the Knights of the Round Table might have worn. You know, the kind that covers the entire head so that you cannot see who is wearing it.
As I put on my helmet, I say words to this effect: “I put on the helmet of salvation to guard my mind in Christ Jesus today, to shield me from the stormy blast of sexual lust and sin, to keep my mind in perfect peace, and to prevent me from fearing man which is a snare.
Thank you for the helmet covering my ears – to prevent me from hearing faith-crushing words that can discourage me, especially words from my own mouth.
Thank you for the helmet covering my eyes – help me, Lord, to make a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a woman or gaze at things I should not be meditating on.
Thank you for the helmet covering my mouth – set a guard over my mouth and keep watch over the door of my lips.”
And from that point, I put on the rest of the armor of God piece by piece as is described in Ephesians. Then and only then do I consider myself dressed for the day; dressed for the work of a Christian; dressed for battle.
Are you of a mind to take some advice today?
How about each morning, when you put on your blue jeans, your shirt, your make up, whatever you do to get ready for work, school, or life – try putting on the full armor of God at that time when you’re getting ready. Commit to memory the passage in Ephesians describing what God has made available to you for your own protection as you walk out each day into spiritual warfare with the devil.
And finally, once you have adorned yourself with the full armor of God, don’t neglect to do what the Apostle Paul admonishes us to do once we have “suited up”:
“Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18 NLT).
When you’ve done all that, now you are a well-dressed Christian!
DSR
8/11/03