Is your Attitude Appropriate for a Dress Code which Requires Full Armor?

This morning, I caught sight of my granddaughter dressed up in an angel costume. Her dress was sparkling white, and her halo was positioned just right, but something was amiss. She was throwing a fit. Her scowling face was buried in her hands. She wore the outfit, and was cute as could be, but fell short of angelic. Her attitude was the problem.

The Attitude makes the Outfit

Is your Outfit Appropriate for a Dress Code which requires Full Armor? The Attitude Beneath…

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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.”

Ephesians 6:11-13 (emphasis mine)

Wow! This has been an eye-opening series! Thank you all for coming along for the ride.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

Proverbs 27:17

I sincerely want to thank everyone who took part by commenting and discussing the dress code which makes up the full armor of God. Hopefully we grew together. I know I learned from you!

• Fellowship: a friendly relationship marked by ready communication and mutual understanding
• Conversation: an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue
• Collaboration: the work and activity of a number of persons who individually contribute toward the efficiency of the whole

To conclude this series, I want to appreciate and highlight a few reader comments. which expanded my perception and comprehension of the Full Armor of God.

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I pretty much owe the premise of this wrap-up post to input from my incredible sister-in-Christ over at God Still Speaks. She pointed out how grateful she is to have a casual dress code for work, as she is self-employed. She is comfortable before she puts on the full armor of God. She prompted me to think about how important it is to have a proper foundation.

What do we wear under our armor? Our attitudes and motives! If we don’t allow God to be the Master of those, how can we expect His outerwear to be comfortable? My granddaughter drove the point home today, displaying what a bad attitude does to a shiny outfit. It dulls the whole thing!

I had to increase my full armor gratitude meter when Betty Draper from Wise Hearted reminded me that we didn’t pay a single cent for this outfit. Jesus paid it all! We’re protected by a breastplate of righteousness and a helmet of salvation which we could never purchase for ourselves. We could work our whole lives to earn just these two pieces and we’d still fall vastly short. What a gift – free to us, but so costly to our Savior!

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Gary Fultz noted that God’s full armor always fits. What an incredibly miraculous truth, right? Sometimes our faith is puny, and sometimes it goes through seasons of growth. But our shields are always sufficient. Oh, and the truth onto which we latch can be so shortsighted, but our belts always buckle well around our waists. Do you know why? Because it is based on the perfection of Jesus – the size of His merit, not ours.

Looking ahead with resolve, Hope, from Patiently Hopeful, called her armor a precious gift and said she wanted to be mindful to wear it constantly. It made me ponder my cell phone. I don’t go anywhere without it, not even to the other room. You have probably developed the same habit. Why? Because it has everything we need – our shopping and to-do lists, the time, the weather, Google, our maps and GPS, our step-counters…

But are those things more important than our armor? If we don’t go anywhere without our phones, how much more should we make sure to always have our feet fitted with readiness to share the gospel and our swords, which are the words of God?

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If you are not connected with the above bloggers, I highly recommend a visit to their sites. You will be encouraged and strengthened in your walk with God through what they have to say. Prayerfully, you are already gleaning from their insights, as I have shared what I’ve learned from their pearls of wisdom.

How is your battle-preparedness right now? Is your Belt of Truth securely buckled? Is your Breastplate of Righteousness in place? Are your Feet Fitted with Readiness to share the Gospel? Have you taken up your Shield of Faith? Have you accepted your Helmet of Salvation? Do you have the Sword of the Spirit ready in hand? Have you assumed a Posture of Prayer? Is it all resting on an Attitude which has been grounded and founded upon Christ Jesus? Is your outfit appropriate for a dress code which requires full armor?

Thanks again for journeying through this series with me on Monday nights! It is always such a blessing to me when you all visit the back porch. I appreciate the fellowship, conversation and collaboration with you. Whether you are just stopping by for the first time or you have been a regular for months, you are valued and always welcome!