But within the constraints of fashion we're all different. We feel more comfortable in different styles and we prefer different colors. Some of us prefer to always look smart while others prefer to always look more relaxed. Some of us are unable to throw clothes away no matter how old they are, while others are always buying new clothes or new shoes. Although most of us take some notice of fashion, we tend to some extent to declare our character by the clothes we wear. And we also wear clothes for protection. Thus our winter wardrobe is very different from our summer wardrobe.
Some clothes are worn to designate a particular profession. Priests wear robes. Police and firefighters wear particular uniforms. Doctors wear white coats and nurses often have blue striped dresses. Thus it's often easy to tell at a glance what somebody does for a living.
It's also often possible to tell what group someone relates to by the clothes that they wear. School children wear school uniform, but teenagers out of school wear their own particular uniform to such an extent that it's often difficult to tell them apart. And you can spot the jet set and the horsey set and so on without much difficulty.
What sort of clothes do Christians wear? According to the perceptions of the outside world, probably twinset and pearls and sensible shoes. Or for men, corduroys and cardigans with leather patches on the elbows, because we're all seen not as individuals but as boring do-gooders.
Saint Paul thought of Christian clothing very differently. The whole of the letter to the Ephesians is concerned with Christian conduct, and in those verses which were read to us today from the final chapter, he spells out how we can achieve the high ideals of Christian conduct which he has set before us.
He refers to us as soldiers needing God's armour to protect us from the difficulties and temptations of life. He talks about spiritual forces of evil which may be difficult to spot or identify but which work against us, often in hidden ways. And so St Paul tells us to protect ourselves with the breastplate of righteousness and the belt of truth. As shoes for our feet we're told to put on whatever will make us ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. And we must take with us the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.
What exactly are all these things? Paul tells us that the sword of the spirit is the word of God, but he doesn't spell out just what these other clothes are, although he does give us some hints.
In years past, everybody knew something about the word of God because they learned passages of scripture in school as children. They had scripture embedded in their minds and were able to draw on it in times of need. This no longer happens, so it's very important for us to regularly read the Bible so that we become steeped in the word of God. Then it becomes a resource for us when we really need it. It's amazing how often a verse of the Bible will spring into mind just when you need it. But that can only happen if you become steeped in the Bible, so a regular time of Bible reading each day is important.
It's no accident that Paul has linked the breastplate of righteousness with the belt of truth, for righteousness and truth go together. If we aren't truthful we will never be right with God, and we will never live in the right way. Truthfulness is not simply avoiding telling lies, but requires a deep integrity of character, the sort of integrity which Jesus showed when he accepted crucifixion rather than denying God. It's an integrity which must be present in every area of life, from our handling of money and the tax we pay, down to our honesty with each other.
Faith is the deep conviction that God exists, that God cares about human beings and that God was clearly seen in the person of Jesus Christ. Faith is the trust and the belief that whatever happens in life, God is there and God is on our side. That sort of faith doesn't prevent bad things happening to us, but it does enable us to get through them because we know that God will never let us go.
The helmet of salvation is the realization and acceptance that Jesus Christ is the way to health and happiness. By following the path of love, courage and integrity that Jesus showed us, we too will find long lasting happiness and the eternal life which God has waiting for all of us. The word "salvation" implies both protection and health. Jesus protects us from the assaults of evil whatever form they may take, and brings us a real, shining health of soul which often becomes a shining health of body and mind too.
People who have lives full of integrity and faith and love and who are steeped in the word of God, can't help but bring peace wherever they go. They wear the shoes that make them ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. Just to be in their presence brings a feeling of deep peace and deep healing. Jesus was that sort of person.
And when all this is right - the integrity and courage and love and faith and knowledge of God's word - then we behave as Christians in the ways in which Saint Paul has told us throughout this letter to the Ephesians. And when we do that we may not be fashionable, but we will be wearing very powerful clothes indeed.
I wonder whether people can tell what group you belong to by the clothes you wear? Can they tell that you belong to Jesus?
