June 2

Christian Living

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. — Gal 2:20 BSB

The essence of true faith is believing that Christ literally lives within us. We must not just look to Him as our Mediator, Advocate, and Example, but understand that He is living in us. He is our Life, the wellspring of our being. The Apostle Paul constantly reaffirmed this truth in his life, and it would be good for us to remind ourselves daily: “Christ is in me; I will make space for Him to dwell.”

We must deny ourselves so that the life of Christ can be evident in and through us, and our standing in Him becomes a reality in our everyday actions. When we face temptation, we must remember that we now live in a new world—one where those temptations have no authority. We are no longer under the rule of the enemy but have passed into the realm of the Risen Christ. Those who are tempted should trust this and declare it boldly, relying on the Holy Spirit to make their faith a living experience.

Ephesians 6:13-17 describes the armor of a Christian; Colossians 3:12-14 outlines the spiritual clothing we wear underneath that armor. Each day, we must ensure we are dressed properly. If we lose our temper or speak unkindly, it may mean we forgot to put on the belt of love. If we fall into pride, greed, envy, or jealousy, the solution isn’t just to try harder to resist those things, but to clothe ourselves in the opposite virtues. It’s not enough to avoid wrong actions; we are called to actively do what is right. When we fail in the moment of need, it’s often because we neglected to put on some aspect of Christ that would have prepared us. Let’s make it a habit to pray each day: “Lord Jesus, wrap Yourself around me so that I may go out equipped to meet life’s demands.” In Christ, we find our foundation; with Him, we find our safety.

Prayer

Set my heart on fire with love for You. Then, obeying Your commands will not feel like a burden. For the one who loves, nothing is too hard or impossible, because love is stronger than death. Amen.