Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ – Romans 13:14
A few days ago, a man asked me a question about God and our fight against the forces of darkness. I’m always ready to quote the usual Bible verse about this, that we don’t struggle against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:14), but what I knew about the man made me stop.
He wasn’t a bad person; he just wasn’t committed to obeying the teachings of Christ. I’m not judging him, just stating a fact. When a man isn’t interested in work, lives with his girlfriend at his parents home and doesn’t attend a church, it’s not hard to conclude that the teachings of Christ are not central to his life. So, answering a question about spiritual warfare seemed to be a bit off topic. Instead, I took a different approach.
I noticed he was wearing the jersey of a professional sports team, so I said, “Good and evil are truly at war. But being a Christian doesn’t mean you’ve left the war; it simply means you’ve changed sides.”
He nodded his head at that, so I continued. “The trouble is that many people say they’ve changed sides, but in reality they’re only saying the right words without changing their lives. Sometimes people take a few steps toward Christ but end up in the middle of the road.”
That met with his approval, so I pressed a little further. “For instance,” I said, “you’re wearing the jersey of a professional sports team, but you aren’t really on that team. You don’t have any relationship with the coach or owner, you receive no benefits from the team and can’t claim you’re a team member. All you do is admire the team without joining the club.”
Now I had him hooked, so I continued. “Many people are like that in their walk with Christ. They own the t-shirt but they’ve never joined the team. They claim they’re a contributing member of the Kingdom of God, but in reality they’re just mouthing the words that others like to hear. They’ve not made a commitment to Jesus; they just like to play the part and ask religious questions. So, the question isn’t really about spiritual warfare, it’s about being fully committed to Christ. For unless you’re committed to Him, you don’t really know which side you’re fighting for or fighting against.”
Too many people who claim to be Christians haven’t clothed themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 13:14). Instead, they’ve just put on the t-shirt and like to hang out with other fans and quote some interesting stats. But when you put them in a room of real players, it’s not hard to tell the difference between those who simply bought the shirt and those who know they’ve been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20).
I want to live my life so everyone I encounter can look at my clothes and know I’m a member of the team. I don’t want to look the part, play the part or just pretend to be a part. I want to be a team player. I want the coach to know He can count on me when He puts me in the game.
So, have you joined the team or did you just buy the t-shirt?
Thinking Out Loud 
Good post. Contemporary Christians are not Christ-like. We are not ‘perfect as He is perfect. We are not ‘conformed to His image.’ Like the Pharisees we have perfected the ‘form of godliness’ which cries ‘Lord, Lord’ but denies the power which comes only through being one with the resurrected Christ. We bathe ourselves in Grace….but we refuse participate in ‘resurrection’ living. Seemingly, contemporary Christians are generally…’hearers’ only. We insist that righteousness is imputed rather than being the fruitful outcome of being rooted in the vine. We call God a liar when we contemporary christians say that sin is acceptable to God. We ARE the contemporary Pharisees and Saducess. No different. Such prideful haughtiness was an afront to God in their time…..and remains an affront to God today. The man you mentioned who lives with his girlfriend and does not go to church is no different to the married church member who continues to serve the flesh in the many ways accepted by Christendom. God had little good to say about established religion in His message to the churches in Revelations. He made it clear that all but Smyrna and Philadelphia were damned unless they come to repentance of their ‘churchianity.’ They were not the Body of Christ nor the Bride of Christ. Neither are we. Christ’s true church exists but is ‘few’ amidst the millions of professing Christians. The warm and fuzzy contemporary christianity is far removed from the servant who was murdered as he invited the friends of the king to the king’s banquet. We ARE the friends of the king who would kill the servant, who still ‘kill’ God’s prophets through ridicule, and who has such a log in our own eye that the Light of God cannot reveal inward darkness. The log of sin prevents such illumination. We are NOT compelled to ‘work out our salvation with FEAR AND TREMBLING!!!’ What is there to fear??…when our doctrine insists that Grace is a blanket which covers our darkness…..when we justify our sin by mere ‘belief’ that Jesus is the Son of God and that, yes, He died on that cross. But our doctrine and tradition never brings us to an experience like that of Peter…of divine revelation of the living Christ as the Son of God…and of the PERSONAL and transforming relationship with the powerful resurrected and alive Son of God. That relationship, according to Christ, is the ‘rock’ on which a true church member must rest….the relationship of being one with the Father and Son. And within all that ‘worldliness’ of churchtendom…the true Bride of Christ exists. She is Holy. She is Rightous. She is impowered. She lays hands on the sick and they are healed. She recognizes and casts out demons. She is real. She is quiet. She does not have huge followings. She is humble. She is a servant. She is not adorn herself in costly apparel. She is an outcast. She does not heap to herself when others are without. She bears much fruit of the Spirit. She is NOT a sinner whose continued sin is winked at by God…because she ‘believes’ in Christ….as does Lucifer. No…she REALLY believes in Christ…as in KNOWS Him…personally…intimately…and is His love, power, and healing in the white harvest fields.
Again, good post. It sparked much thought.