“… {A}nd put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Ephesians 4:24; all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible).

My last article looked at Isaiah 11:2–5, which tells us how Christ bore God’s righteousness and faithfulness like a belt. This verse reminds us of the whole armor of God, which includes the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14).

The Bible has many images to describe our relationship with Christ. We are members of His body, much like our limbs and other organs are members of our bodies. We are “in Christ,” and He is in us. The whole armor of God, Ephesians 4:24, and several other passages remind us that we are to “put on” Christ or the “new self” in a sense of “clothing ourselves” with Him. The clothing imagery sometimes speaks of clothing ourselves in Christ or clothing ourselves in righteousness.

“I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,
 My soul will exult in my God;
 For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
 He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
 As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
 And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).

“The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Romans 13:12–14).

This clothing imagery appears throughout Scripture. It is an active, conscious choice that we make. For many of us, one of the first decisions we make every day is what to wear. We make a thoughtful decision on what to wear each day; we do not aimlessly walk out the door wearing whatever we wore to sleep. We usually make a decision based on the day’s activities. Even though I work at home, I ask myself whether I will be in a Zoom or other virtual meeting before picking my shirt for the day. My wardrobe decision will be much different for a lazy Saturday morning than for church on Sunday.

Are we as decisive with our spiritual wardrobe? Do we conscientiously choose to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, or do we just mindlessly go through our day?

Many Christians, myself included, observe Lent. This is a season of prayer and fasting, offering us an opportunity to reflect on our relationship with Christ. This year, I have felt convicted about how easy it is to slip into a neutral gear in my spiritual life. Having focused on the fast itself, it is easy to lose sight of how it points me to Christ.

The focus of Lent should be on Christ, not solely on the fast. This year, I have caught myself getting lazy about one of my fasts. While I have avoided donuts and cakes pretty well, I have not kept my word to God that I would abstain from playing computer games during Lent.

Does God really care that much if I play solitaire on my computer? Probably not: people do far worse things online. However, I have found myself playing games when I could be reading the Bible or devotional books. Sure, I can make excuses: Lent has been particularly challenging the last two years. The pandemic has forced many of us to forego human interaction and social activities—even in-person church events—while also giving up favorite foods or hobbies. The battle is real, and it is intense, but as the “whole armor of God” imagery reminds us—Christians are always at war. You cannot afford to get lazy when the enemy is ready to attack.

Let us avoid complacency. Let us renew our commitment for the next few weeks. Lent is not merely about giving up chocolate, cookies, donuts, video games, etc. It is a time to deepen our focus on Jesus. It is also a war game to prepare ourselves for the real battle: to lay aside the deeds of darkness and the old nature so that we can put on Christ. It is a conscious decision. Fasting in specific areas of our lives during Lent can be a form of practice for facing real battles. It will be easier to battle hardcore sin when we have triumphed over the Boston crème donut.

When all is said and done, we should be clothed in Christ so that His glory is revealed through us. Let that be our goal.

Do you have anything to add or any thoughts that come to mind about clothing yourself in Christ? Share your thoughts or suggestions by clicking the “Leave a comment” link below.

Copyright © 2021 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.