Dress Properly

 When I was young I learned that certain sports required certain uniforms. Basketball uniforms wouldn't work on a football player, and visa versa.  Baseball uniforms wouldn't work on a swimmer and visa versa. The given sport had its own requirements for that game specific uniform.

And so it is with those of us who follow Jesus.  We need to be dressed properly for the journey.  In Ephesians 6:10-18, the apostle Paul gives us the proper equipment.  He says there are seven discipleship specific issues required in following Jesus.  They are: Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Faith, Salvation, God's Word, and Prayer.  Enter into the spiritual arena where the battle for your life is fought, without the proper clothing, is to assure yourself of failure.

The battle facing followers of Jesus, says Paul, "is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).  Don't take this spiritual war seriously and you make a grave mistake.

We are called to "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might" so that we "will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil" (Eph. 6:10-11).  The way to "stand firm" is to live in Truth and Righteousness and Peace and Faith and Salvation and God's Word and Prayer. 

A good dose of humility wouldn't hurt either.  James says, "Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you" (Jam. 4:10).  This is a God-thing in which we are involved and we do well to live in such a way that God is allowed to be God in us.  Jesus has won the victory for us at the cross; now it is up to us to take that victory, cover our lives in it, and stand firm.