Clothing Ourselves with the Lord Jesus

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.  –Romans 13:14 (KJV) 

Yesterday evening when Ada and I took our evening walk, I was amazed at just how cold it felt.  The temperature was around 17 degrees, but when the wind blew that number dropped into the single digits.  My mind works in funny ways sometimes, and those freezing temps made me think about what it might be like to climb Mount Everest.  I have never done any mountain climbing and I have no aspirations to do so (Some members of my congregation are breathing a sigh of relief right now), but I am fascinated with Mount Everest, which is the tallest mountain on planet earth.  I have done a great amount of reading on the subject and I have watched several documentaries.  One source states that to date 179 people have died trying to reach the summit.  Another source said that 120 of those who perished remain on the mountain to this day. 

I recall reading about a man who safely reached the summit of the mountain and then decided to take some pictures (All who summit can only stay a brief period before their decent).  He removed his gloves just long enough to take a few photos, less than a minute or two, but that was all it took.  The frostbite on his fingers was so severe that most of them had to later be amputated.  Such are the dangers of this mountain that attracts hundreds of climbers a year.  Anyone who climbs that mountain must be covered at all times.

The Word of God says that we as followers of Christ must put on the Lord Jesus.  This means that we spiritually clothe ourselves with Christ.  Every aspect of who we are, including our attitudes, speech, outlook, works, and talents are to be covered by the Lord.  In this way we are insulated from the attacks of the devil and anything that might throw us off track.  Failure to cover ourselves daily with Christ can have detrimental effects on our witness and our joy in Christ.  Along with this covering ourselves with Christ comes the spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10-18) which we take up daily in order to stand against the evil that is in the world. 

My friends in Christ, be sure to put on the Lord Jesus every day.  Let us clothe ourselves with His grace, goodness, mercy, love, and compassion.  Stand firm and shine forth the light of Christ to a world that desperately needs to hear the Good News of God’s love.