BATTLE READY-TO-WEAR

When I came out of the bedroom this morning, after getting ready for the day, and came in the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee before heading out, I thought nothing of the fact that I was wearing an old pair of shorts, a comfortable shirt, and my running shoes.  Until I realized that it wasn't Saturday yet.  Oops.

While my attire was certainly comfomfortable - and totally appropriate for relaxing at home, or doing office work over the weekend (or going to church, haha!) - I was totally underdressed to be on a construction jobsite, or be in my office in a professional capacity, or attend a formal ceremony, or meet with clients, or do any number of other things that would happen on a normal work day.

Something we all recognize is that there is an appropriate way to clothe ourselves, depending on the situation we are in.  Whether your daily clothing is a military uniform, a suit and tie, a pair of scrubs, blue jeans and workboots, khaki's and a polo shirt, or whatever, you KNOW when you are dressed right, and when you're not.  You wouldn't think of showing up for formation in the same clothes you wear to the beach, or walk in the X-ray room at work in a party dress.  The strange thing is...we often miss the importance of putting on the right "spiritual clothing".  As a result, we often march right out of the house to face the biggest challenges of our lives buck-naked! 

How should we dress then?  The Bible says that our struggles in life are not simply against the things that we can see, but against unseen "spiritual forces of evil".  The Apostle Paul writes: 

"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 6:12-17)

Next time you're getting ready for the day, take a little inventory.  Got the right shoes, shirt, pants, belt, hat and tools for work?  Great!  But know this:  you and I aren't really dressed at all, until we're clothed with the full armor of God.  

So let me ask you, are you just dressed for work?  Or are you dressed for battle?