What are you putting on daily as a follower of Christ? What aren't you putting on?
Walking in the Spirit and putting on the Lord are action words. It means we have something to do as a follower of Christ, and complacency or passivity cannot take hold. We cannot sit around doing nothing and expect to see things change. Galatians instructs us to, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16), and in Romans, it says, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Rom. 13:14).
When we "put on the whole armor of God, that (we) may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:11), we are able to stand against the enemy. Spiritual warfare attacks come at us often, and as we put on the things necessary to walk in our kingdom inheritance, such attacks must cease. They cannot penetrate us if we are walking in righteousness and putting on the weapons and characteristics the Bible speaks about.
Putting on the characteristics of Christ is putting on our new man and being renewed according to Him.
"That you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph. 4:24).
"And have embraced the new nature, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created it" (Col. 3:10).
Putting on the new man means renewing our minds to that of Christ Jesus (Eph. 4:23) and internalizing the fact that we are made in His image (Gen. 9:6). Again, renewing our inner man is an action. It is something we have to do, something we are privileged to do. We don't have to remain the same. We choose to be the same when we don't desire to put our faith to action.
We don't always walk in all these characteristics. Otherwise, the Bible would not instruct us to put them on. Our walk with God is continually changing. We should be striving (in a good way) to become these things the Bible speaks of.
In Colossians, it further instructs us to put on additional characteristics. "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering" (Col. 3:12). We would like to say many of these are fruits of the Spirit we walk in. The truth of the matter is, we haven't been perfected yet. The good news is that we can continually work toward and aim to walk in humility, longsuffering and kindness, among other character qualities.
I love what verse 14 says: "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection" (Col. 3:14). Put on love, which is the bond of perfection. Put on love. Think about that for a moment. Why should we have to put on love? The truth of the matter is, we don't always display and exude love.
Ask yourself, do you always put other people first? Are you all about them or all about you? Is everything you say and do in love and service to God and people? Putting on love is the bond of perfection. If we all put it on daily, the world truly would be a better place. What can you do to impact your corner of the world by putting on love?
Putting on Christ's characteristics and the above-mentioned things are like putting on our clothes. We shouldn't want to leave home without them. When we clothe ourselves in the spiritual realm by putting on love, Christ, humility, meekness, longsuffering, and the armor of God, we are dressing ourselves against attacks of the spiritual realm. When we are dressed and armed, clothed and have put on the characteristics of Christ, we just cloaked ourselves in Jesus' love and Jesus' characteristics, and the devil can't touch what belongs to Jesus.
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