September 24, 2024 -- Colossians 3:12-17 -- What Christians wear under their armour

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:12-17 ESV

No doubt the simple verb put on will immediately bring to mind the famous saying of Paul in Ephesians 6, putting on the whole armour of God. What do you wear under the armour? Imagine just putting on a breastplate with nothing under it to protect against the metal and edges? In the time these verses were written soldiers wore linen underclothing and padding. In the past, whenever I read Ephesians 6 about armour I just imagined the armour going on over ordinary clothing. But today’s reading makes me wonder. Does Paul suggest before the armour, there is the clothing of righteousness that in peace time allows people to live in community?

As a Christian, like all the non-Christians, you put on clothes every day. What you wear identifies you. A store employee has an outfit, a surgeon wears scrubs, a flagman has bright orange and so on. A Christian dresses himself in a compassionate heart. That is a choice as one who belongs to Jesus. Kindness—which is enduring nonsense with patience towards others; and patience which is long-suffering and not retaliating against those who torment you. Bearing with one another is recognizing the idiosyncrasies and flaws and still living in communality, even as others live in community with you despite your flaws and weird habits. Spend time on your own and reflect on the various items of clothing, like forgiveness, which I haven't time to comment on today.

As a new creation in Jesus Christ we confess, with all other sin addicts “I admit that I am powerless over (name the sin) and it is controlling my life.” What changes is that we are no longer dressing ourselves in our addictions and the attendant behaviours. We are choosing to get dressed in the clothing of Jesus Christ and His perfections. It takes practice.

Eugene Peterson, the man who translated the Bible into the modern English version known as “The Message” spoke of following Jesus as “a long obedience in the same direction”. That implies we are stepping back from old, sinful patterns and wicked ways and are learning to walk, following in the footsteps of our King. We are being strengthened by the Holy Spirit to put on the clothing that allows us to live in true community. Some of us young with stinky diapers, others with incredible energy running this way and that, still others more mature and able to assist the little ones or help the elderly. As those walking a long obedience in the same direction, we notice the little wrong steps and cumulative small mis-directive actions that used to lead us back into sinful patterns. In view of Christ, and in community with fellow Christians, instructed by the word and by prayer, we put on the new, holy clothing of Jesus’ perfections so that when we are summoned to the battlefield we are already dressed in the appropriate padding of His righteousness and our ears are attentive to His instruction.

O GOD, You have revealed Your purpose for mankind in Him Who is King of Righteousness and Prince of Peace; inspire the hearts of all men to follow after justice, and hasten the time when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they war any more; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Divine Service Book for The Armed Forces, For Peace Times, page 31

https://youtu.be/qr8QoQKmXfk?si=u8U1_1i7uv3xnQ_f “Let the Words of My Mouth”

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