Good morning! Have you ever been told that you need to dress for the occasion? When I was in college, I went with my girlfriend (who is now my beautiful wife) to a wedding in the state of Indiana. We took a road trip with a couple of her friends and went to celebrate another friends wedding!
I brought a suit thinking that everyone would be dressed up for the occasion, and boy was I wrong! All the other men were in a pair of their best jeans with a flannel shirt on top. I was so jealous – that is exactly what I would have wanted to wear.
Having gone through that experience, I always make sure I ask someone else what they are wearing before going to an event so that I don’t stick out like a sore thumb.
But it’s not just for formal events that we need to dress for the occasion. When I played soccer, there were certain things I had to wear that were checked before every game. Shin guards, plastic molded cleats (no metal cleats), and the proper uniform that matched your team. In addition, you were not allowed to wear any kind of jewelry. If you did not meet any of those requirements, you couldn’t play in the game.
And yet even another scenario where it’s important to dress properly is at work. When I used to work outside I would have to be ready for all types of weather. I had rain gear for the wet weather days; hard hat liner and cold weather gear for the freezing temperatures; and sunglasses, sunscreen, and short sleeves for the extremely hot and humid days.
I remember one specific day so vividly in my mind’s eye. It was snowing, near whiteout conditions, and the strand (aerial cable lines) had icicles hanging down from it. I leaned my ladder on the strand and started climbing. When I was belted off at the top of the ladder with my face being pelted by the snow, I remember saying to myself – what in the world am I doing up here?
There are many other instances where it is important to dress properly, but the one I want to focus on the most today is found in the Bible. Yes, the Bible gives us instruction on how to dress for everyday life. In fact, this is so important that you should not leave your house today until you have clothed yourself in the following outfit.
“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.
Ephesians 6:13-17
This is the way we need to dress daily in order to stand firm in our relationship with Jesus and fight off the challenges and temptations of each day!
- Belt of Truth – God’s truth helps us to discern between right and wrong; and helps to provide practical guidance for every situation.
- Breastplate of Righteousness – Living our lives with integrity and according to God’s Word helps to protect our heart and soul!
- Feet Fitted with Gospel of Peace – This symbolizes the inner peace that we have come to experience through accepting the Good News of the Gospel. Additionally, we are reminded to always be a carrier of God’s peace to the chaos around us!
- Shield of Faith – This is a defensive tool we can use that reinforces our trust and confidence in knowing that there is nothing impossible for God.
- Helmet of Salvation – This piece helps protect our minds from the doubts and fears that try to infiltrate our lives. Salvation is a present reality that provides a hope for the future!
- Sword of the Spirit – This is the Word of God. Our weapon for battle that we can use to defeat the attacks of the enemy.
If you choose to put on the armor of God every day, He will use each piece to bring us closer to Him and grow through each adversity that tries to rise against us! We continue to see how God provides what we need in order to live victorious lives that are committed to Him! Make sure you dress for the occasion today by putting on the full armor of God!
Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder today of how You have given us tools to protect each part of our bodies. You care about us so much and are with us each step of the way. Help us to dress for the day by considering the full armor of God. Help us to lean on You to get us through each difficult moment and thank You for the blessings! In Jesus Name – AMEN!
Be Transformed 