"But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation." (1 Thessalonians 5:8 ESV)
True. Faith is something to put on or, as also stated in Ephesians 6, to take up. But certainly God never intended for us to wear faith like an accessory.
Faith is not a cross around the neck, a bumper sticker, or a status label. Faith is something to intentionaly put on as a piece of armor, which is an essential protective garment. Faith is something we need to wrap ourselves up in the moment our feet leave the warmth of our bed sheets and hit the cold floor. Faith is something we would want to wear when difficulties destroy the peacefulness of our lives, when tragedies paralyze us, when confusion conquers contentment, and when joy turns to mourning. Faith ought to be the uniform we wear on the battlegrounds of spiritual warfare, which is happening daily both in and around us. Faith is not an accessory of being a Christian. Faith is the necessary act of being a Christian.
"Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out." (Ephesians 6:13-18 MSG)
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