One of the things I ask my son almost every night before he goes to bed is “do you know what you’re wearing tomorrow?” Riley is not a morning person like his old man, and we have found that anything we can do the night before to make the next morning a little smoother is worth doing. Of course, this time of year, it’s a good idea to check and see what the weather is going to be like before you decide what you will wear; chilly mornings and warm afternoons call for layers, right? Also, if it’s raining, those white Yeezy knock-offs probably aren’t a good idea.
What about you? Do you dress according to the weather? According to where you are going, what you’re doing, or who you’re meeting? It can be a bit tricky trying to balance all the considerations sometimes. The Word of God tells us, though, to “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil . . . that you may be able to withstand in the evil day.” Spiritually speaking, heavy weather could happen at any time, so we are commanded to dress for it. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness; on our feet, the preparation of the gospel of peace, carrying the shield of faith, wearing the helmet of salvation, and wielding the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. This is our pro-tection, our armament. But how do we put it on? I believe we don the armor of God in prayer.
Speak it out loud, and thank Him for each piece. “Father, thank You for Truth, and knowledge of the Truth that sets me free. Thank You for pro-tecting my mind today from fear and doubt with Your salvation. Thank You for guarding my heart with YOUR righteousness. Thank You, Lord, for setting me on a path to preach the gospel of peace today. Thank You for the shield of faith; no weapon formed against me shall prosper. Thank You for your word, and for bringing it to my remembrance today so that I may speak it with authority.” In this month of Thanksgiving, it is good to remember that the prayer of faith should always be accompanied by thanksgiving to God, who never fails to keep a promise. The very com-mand to put on the armor is all the assurance we need that the armor is always available to us.
Interestingly, we are not told how often to put it on. I always connect this to what Jesus said in the model prayer: “Give us THIS DAY our daily bread… ” Start each day by donning the full armor of God; it will serve as a great reminder that God has got your back. As far as that goes, speak it over yourself before you go to bed; claim the sweet sleep that is the portion of the believer, and declare that even your dreams belong to Him. How often do we put on the armor of God? “Never take it off” is a good answer. It is indeed comfortable enough to sleep in.
With you in Christ,
