DURABLE FAITH

May 1, 2026

Saturday mornings growing up started early in the kitchen over a bowl of cereal with my mom. She would sip her coffee with extra creamer, while we both poured over our local newspaper’s classified section. All the big garage sales in town listed their best items and we would mark up these listings while plotting our morning route. We loved working our way through the community sales, always on the lookout for that next treasure at a terrific price. Quality, name-brand clothes that we could never afford on my parent’s ministry salary were suddenly available to me, if I could find these hidden gems.

As someone who was very hard on my shoes and clothes, I relied on the handful of nice items I found rummage saleing for my wardrobe. The cheaper, knock-off brands of pants, shirts and shoes we could afford never made it through a school year without breaking down. While some designer brands just charge for a fancy label, we all know the quality of reliable items which are built to last. And as a multi-sport athlete, I needed shoes and gear that performed all season long.

Durability is not only important in clothing, but also in our faith. When Paul describes the Christian life to the church in Ephesus, he compares it to dressing for battle. We wouldn’t go to war wearing something flimsy or cheap. Instead, we’d find the best, bullet-proof armor to protect us when it matters most.

Paul writes, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13).

Standing firm against Satan requires us to put on protection that is durable enough to withstand whatever the enemy throws at us. If we were to take the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, or sword of the Spirit and look on the inside label, it wouldn’t read “Under Armour,” it would read, “Armor of God.”

What makes our armor for living out our Christian faith so durable is the God behind it. As I live out my Christian faith, I need constant reminders that it is not my work, but God’s that leads to endurance and salvation. We are strong “in the Lord” and dependent on “the strength of his might” (Ephesians 6:10), not our own ingenuity or strength.

If I want my faith to last, I must rely on the God of eternal stability.

Quoting from Psalm 102:25-27, the writer of Hebrews explains how Jesus is divine, powerful, and eternally unchanging in chapter one. We see Jesus as the Lord who created the foundations of the earth, is superior to all of creation, and endures eternally, while the universe wears out like a garment:

“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
    and the heavens are the work of Your hands;
they will perish, but You remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment,
like a robe You will roll them up,
    like a garment they will be changed. 
But You are the same,
    and Your years will have no end” (Hebrews 1:10-12).

Unlike a thread worn shirt or torn jeans, Jesus remains strong and durable, keeping us spiritually clothed and protected for all time in His righteousness and strength.

As I searched with my mom for that new sweatshirt or pair of sneakers as a garage-saleing teenager, I never realized the spiritual parallel at work with my early faith. Jesus was inviting me to see the hidden treasure of being clothed by God in ways that surpassed any pair of discount Jordan’s or brand-named jeans.

As I reflect back now, I can confidently celebrate, along with the prophet Isaiah that, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,” (Isaiah 61:10).

My salvation and eternal security were like a supernatural sweatshirt of Christ’s righteousness that I put on back then and it still fits, doesn’t have any holes, and never goes out of style.

The apostle Paul wants us to keep this metaphor fresh in our minds to remember how Christ covers us and changes our identity and purpose. He writes, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:27).

When we wear Christ and our faith in Him daily, people see the evidences of God’s grace on display in our lives. Just as the Holy Spirit produces fruit in the lives of faithful Christians (Galatians 5:22-23), the Spirit also adorns us, like parts of an outfit, pointing others to Jesus.

Paul writes, “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,” (Colossians 3:12).



I like to spend Saturday mornings in the summer with my own children now, rummage saleing in our neighborhood. And when my son finds the perfect jacket, I’ll try to remind him that Jesus is even more durable than a Carhart. Or if my daughter finds a deal on a new t-shirt, I won’t just celebrate with her, but also try to remind her that since Jesus clothes us with His righteousness, we already found the best deal of all!