Getting dressed

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."

Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God’s justice protect you like armor. Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Let God’s saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God’s message that comes from the Spirit.

In the face of opposition and misunderstanding, of anger and attack, I get up. I get ready to face the world. I remember who and where I am.

Romans 13 tells me that I can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. I should get out of bed and get dressed, not loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. I need to dress myself in Christ, and be up and about!

Yes, but how?

I clothe myself.

I search in the wardrobe of my soul
for a shirt of compassion.

Its neck is high, as close to my 
wanting-to-be-angry mouth
as it can get.
When I open my lips to retort
the collar tickles my chin
reminding me to speak in tolerance
and mercy.

I put my arms
into sleeves of kindness,
the cuffs
drooping down over my hands,
encouraging me to care.

Around my neck
I hang the heavy necklace of humility
weighing down my pride and arrogance.

I throw a shawl of gentleness
around my shoulders
hoping to keep it on
even when the atmosphere is hot.

I carry a bag of patience
wishing to dole some out to others, too.

And...forgiveness. Forgiveness 
lives in a tiny purse.

But love. 
Love is more important than anything else.
Love is what ties everything completely together.
Love is a coat, covering all.
Love is a basic, all-purpose garment.

May I never be without it.

But life is more than this. More than just clothes. I wear uniform. I am like a soldier in the Lord's army. I am to "Let the truth be like a belt around (my) waist, and let God’s justice protect (me) like armour. (My) desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on (my)feet. Let (my) faith be like a shield, and (I) will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Let God’s saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God’s message that comes from the Spirit."

What is the war? The war is living a God-honouring life in a day-to-day difficult world. The war is responding with grace when I want to respond with ghastliness. The war is unwinnable if I do not put the uniform and armour on.

And so:

Truth is the belt which holds my trousers up, keeps me together. 
The truth that God loves me - and my protagonist - so much that Jesus died because of what I have done.

God's justice is a thick winter coat which protects me from the elements.
I am safe and protected from attack, because God is just and will defend me.

A willingness to speak about God's good news for us is the shoes on my feet, taking me places I want to go, taking me places I don't want to go...
When I accept this gift of new shoes in a new life, I accept the responsibility which comes with wearing them. A responsibility to use words and actions to tell about what God has done.

Faith is an umbrella which protects me from the rain of evil.
Sometimes, I just have to shelter beneath this, I know that God loves me, no matter what happens.

The knowledge that God has saved me - ME! - is a warm woolly hat.
And I pray that this knowledge remains uppermost in my mind, regardless of what I - or others - do.

And spirit-filled messages in my mind and in my mouth fight evil.
So, when I know I am loved and saved and redeemed by grace, I can remain open to God speaking into my heart and mind and share what He gives me with others.