What to put on?

What to "put on" is a frequent question, especially for women. 

When we attend the University of South Alabama football games I always "put on" the appropriate clothes.  Since our seats are usually in the sun I make sure my clothes are cool enough.  My shirt is almost always red,  not crimson like the most famous Alabama team, but apple red.  I like it if my shirt has the Jaguar logo on it as well. 

I would not wear that outfit to the symphony.  Since I rarely have opportunities to dress up, I like to do so when we go to the symphony.  The dresses and heels I wear there would be quite out of place at the football game.

When I go to work I don't "put on" either of those outfits.  I put on wine colored scrubs.  By hospital policy the wine pants designate that I am a nurse.  The wine shirt designates that I work in a unit instead of on a floor (where they wear white shirts.)

Each time I am "putting on" something which is distinctive for me. The Apostle Paul told the Romans to ". . .put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof," (Romans 13:14).

He told the Galatians, "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ," (Galatians 3:27).

And to the Ephesians he said,  "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness," (Ephesians 4:24).

He told the Colossians, "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:" (Colossians 3:10).

Just as I have put on my scrubs for work -- which shows outwardly the inward preparation and credentialing of a nurse -- we who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ have "put Him on" and we have "put on" the new man He has created in us.

 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new," (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The struggle comes not in what He is -- He is unchanging and perfect.  It is believing that what He has given us to "put on" is the appropriate attire for the moment.  We must believe we are wearing a dress and heels to the symphony, scrubs to work, and a t-shirt and jeans to the ball game.  

We must believe that we are properly equipped for this moment, and in fact, any moment.  The new man He has created in us is "created in righteousness and true holiness."  The Lord Jesus is Himself the One named "Faithful and True."  Therefore we can have great assurance that we have everything in Him we need to face any moment, any trial, any struggle, any temptation.  He alone is abundantly sufficient.

Let us remember our Lord has left us properly dressed for any situation.

"And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, 

clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." 

Revelation 19:8