Jesus is your life, your armor

Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. This verse starts out with “But” so we have a contrasting conjunction. In the previous verses, Paul had called them to wake up, get out of bed, take off their ugly raggedy pajamas which were the deeds of darkness, and put on the armor of light. He called them to behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. That’s how they weren’t to behave, and in this verse we learn exactly what Paul had in mind as to how they were to behave. They were to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh. Let’s dive into this. To put on Christ, is to put on His life. It is to identify ourselves with Him. Let’s remember what Paul taught them in Rom. 6. When Jesus died, we died. Our fleshly life, all our efforts in our own strength without Jesus, to be righteous and bear fruit for God died with Him. When He breathed His last breath that old man died. When Jesus breathed his first breath in the tomb, our life in Christ was born. His purpose became our purpose. His worldview became our worldview. His beliefs about God and man became ours. His love is our love. He is I AM. We are who He is. That’s the truth that Paul taught the Roman believers to dress themselves in every morning when they get out of bed. When they are dressed in the armor of light, they will make no provision for the flesh because their hearts’ desire is to treasure Jesus and glorify God by living to love with Him. Jesus indicated this truth when He told His disciples that the god of this world was coming, but he had nothing in Him. Jesus was dressed in the righteousness and purpose of His Father. He came to live to love with His Father, and with that as the prevailing inclination of His heart, Satan had no trigger to pull. That is what Paul was saying to his readers and that I am encouraging you with today. If the prevailing inclination in your heart is to glorify God by living out of the life of Jesus and trusting and loving with Him, the flesh has no provision, no fuel. When we live to love with Jesus, our desire is for Him more than anything Satan, the world, or the flesh has to offer. His love is enough and His love will satisfy my soul more than life itself. It won’t work for you to have your work pants on but still be wearing your pajama top. One who does that has gotten up and then gone back to bed. He’s not really awake, sober-minded, and dressed and geared up for action. So dear brother or sister, because of the mercies of God which you have received, I urge you to offer yourself to God as a living, holy sacrifice, acceptable to Him by putting on the life of Jesus Christ as your armor today. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com