“I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in Me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Periodically, I wonder what exactly does it mean to “Abide in Christ”? How can we abide in Him? In the book of Ephesians, we receive from the Apostle Paul exactly what it means to abide. He speaks of putting on the whole armor of God. Thus, we are encouraged to dress ourselves correctly for the facing of every situation, every day. So here are a few thoughts:
- Put on the helmet of salvation. God wants to guard our thinking regarding salvation and thinking about those we know and love who are unsaved.
- Put on the breastplate of righteousness. Our emotions go all over the place and God wants to guard those emotions in order that we can show healthy concern for others in a powerful Christ-like way.
- As shoes for your feet, put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. The Lord wants to guide our feet to the places where we can have the greatest impact for the cause of Christ. God, please guide our walk.
- Stand therefore and fasten the belt of truth around your waist. The Lord wants to produce truth in us so that we will speak and produce truth in others. Not to speak or produce human wisdom, but to rely on the Holy Spirit to produce Godly wisdom.
- Take up the shield of faith. Evil is always advancing towards us. We see it everywhere and God can and will protect us from immorality when we accept and hold up the shield of faith.
- Grab the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. There is great power in the Word of God, His Bible. We need to eat it, chew on it, swallow it, and allow His word to strengthen us. Feed yourself daily on the Word of God.
- Pray in the Spirit at all times. God loves to talk with us and listen as we speak with Him. Learning the great joy of continually communicating with the God of Creation, a friend who is closer than a brother, our Heavenly Father, the Savior of our own soul, the Provider of every good and perfect gift, and the list goes on.
I have a long way to go, and you may as well, but may we together learn the joy of Abiding in Christ.