Romans 13:14

The Lord Jesus Christ himself … is said to be the clothing of the saints.

On the ground of continence the priests likewise of the famous Egyptian bull will judge the "infirmity" of Christians. Blush, O flesh, who hast "put on" Christ! Suffice it thee once for all to marry, whereto "from the beginning" thou wast created, whereto by "the end" thou art being recalled! Return at least to the former Adam, if to the last thou canst not!

Those, therefore, who imitate Christ, imitate Him earnestly. For those who have "put on Christ" [Romans 13:14] in truth, express His likeness in their thoughts, and in their whole life, and in all their behaviour: in word, and in deeds, and in patience, and in …

This means that we should imitate Christ in what we do and show him to others in the way we behave.

May I have joy of you in the Lord! Be ye sober. Lay aside, every one of you, all malice and beast-like fury, evil-speaking, calumny, filthy speaking, ribaldry, whispering, arrogance, drunkenness, lust, avarice, vainglory, envy, and everything akin to these. "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." Ye presbyters, be subject to the bishop; ye deacons, to the presbyters; and ye, the people, to the presbyters and the deacons. Let my soul be for theirs who preserve this good order; and may the Lord be with them continually!

"But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ." He no longer speaks of works, but he rouses them to greater things. For when he was speaking of vice, he mentioned the works of it: but when of virtue, he speaks not of works, but of arms, to show that virtue putteth him that is possessed of it into complete safety, and complete brightness. And even here he does not pause, but leading his discourse on to what was greater, a thing far more awestriking; he gives us the Lord Himself for a garment, the King Himself: for he that is clad with Him, hath absolutely all virtue. But in saying, "Put ye on," he bids us be girt about with Him upon every side. As in another place he says, "But if Christ be in you." (Rom. viii. 10.) And again, "That Christ may dwell in the inner man." (Eph. iii. 16, 17.) For He would have our soul to be a dwelling for Himself, and Himself to be laid round about us as a garment, that He may be unto us all things both from within and from without. For He is our fulness; for He is "the fulness of Him that filleth all in all" (Eph. i. 23): and the Way, and the Husband, and the Bridegroom;-for "I have espoused you as a chaste virgin to one husband," (2 Cor. xi. 2): and a root, and drink, and meat, and life;-for he says, "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me;" (Gal. ii. 20) and Apostle, and High-Priest, and Teacher, and Father, and Brother, and Joint-heir, and sharer of the tomb and Cross;-for it says, "We were buried together with Him," and "planted together in the likeness of His Death" (Rom. vi. 4, 5): and a Suppliant;-"For we are ambassadors in Christ's stead" (2 Cor. v. 20): and an "Advocate to the Father;"-for "He also maketh," it says, "intercession for us:" (Rom. viii. 34) and house and inhabitant;-for He says, "He that abideth in Me and I in him" (John xv. 5): and a Friend; for, "Ye are My friends" (John xv. 14): and a Foundation, and Corner-stone. […]

Having stripped from us the garment of sin, He finally adorns us, clothing us no longer in the armor of light, but, what is even more awe-inspiring, making the Master Himself our garment. Whoever is clothed in this garment possesses every virtue. He does not …

Second, he explains how we should put on the armor of light, saying: but put on the Lord Jesus Christ in whom all the virtues were present most abundantly, according to Isaiah: seven women shall take hold of one man (Isa 4:1). We put on …

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ - Herein is contained the whole of our salvation. It is a strong and beautiful expression for the most intimate union with him, and being clothed with all the graces which were in him.

It forbids an anxious encumbering care. Indulging ourselves in an irregular desire. We are not forbidden barely to provide for the body (it is a lamp that must be supplied with oil), but we are forbidden to fulfil the lusts thereof.

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ,....

Christ must be in us before He can be on us. Divine Grace puts Christ within and enables us to put on Christ without. Christ must be in the heart by faith before He can be in the life by holiness. If you need light from a lantern, the first business is to light the candle inside it—and then, as a consequence—the light shines through to be seen of men. When Christ is formed in you, the hope of Glory—do not conceal your love to Him but put Him on in your conduct as the Glory of your hope!

(4) In virtue of "the expulsive power of a new and more powerful affection," the great secret of persevering holiness in all manner of conversation will be found to be "Christ IN US, the hope of glory" (Col 1:27), and Christ ON US, as the character in which alone we shall be able to shine before men (2Co 3:8) (Ro 13:14).

THIS passage is a piece of holy teaching set forth under the parable of rising in the morning and preparing for the work of the day. May the Holy Spirit help me to place it before you in a clear light. It is a great mistake in a man's life when he does not know the times in which he lives and how to act in them—and when he does not know the time as to the day of his own life, so as to apply his heart unto wisdom.

THIS passage is a piece of holy teaching set forth under the parable of rising in the morning and preparing for the work of the day. May the Holy Spirit help me to place it before you in a clear light. It is a great mistake in a man's life when he does not know the times in which he lives and how to act in them—and when he does not know the time as to the day of his own life, so as to apply his heart unto wisdom. The Apostle speaks of his Roman brethren as "knowing the time." What, then, is the time of day with the Christian? It is no longer the dead of the night with us, but, "the night is far spent, the day is at hand." A little while ago the dense darkness of ignorance was about us, but the Gospel has made us light in the Lord. We were asleep in the gloom of sin—like a thick cloud it enveloped all our powers—but God has brought us out of darkness into His marvelous Light. Some of us were plunged in despair, a night without a moon, without a star. We were without hope and feared that our future would be the "blackness of darkness forever." That hopeless gloom is over and we have the Light of God and joy in Christ Jesus. The daystar is shining upon us, the Light of God that lightens the Gentiles cheers our path and we look for a perfect day though it is not, as yet, full day with us. Cloudless brightness is still a thing of desire and expectation. The sun has risen, but it is not noon as yet. For that we look when we shall see the Well-Beloved in His kingdom and wake up in His likeness. "The day is at hand," says the Apostle, and that is a word of good cheer! What, then, is "the time" which Paul would have us know? It is the early morning, it is the dawning of the eternal day. The sun has scattered the thick darkness of Nature's night.

Christ must be in us before He can be on us. Divine Grace puts Christ within and enables us to put on Christ without. Christ must be in the heart by faith before He can be in the life by holiness. If you need light from a lantern, the first business is to light the candle inside it—and then, as a consequence—the light shines through to be seen of men. When Christ is formed in you, the hope of Glory—do not conceal your love to Him but put Him on in your conduct as the Glory of your hope! As you have Christ within as your Savior, the secret of your inner life, so put on Christ to be the beauty of your daily life. Let the external be brightened by the internal and this shall be to you that "armor of light" which all the soldiers of the Lord Jesus are privileged to wear. As Christ is your Food, nourishing the inner man, so put Him on as your garments covering the outer man. "Put you on the Lord Jesus Christ." It is a very wonderful expression. It is most condescending on our Lord's part to allow such an exhortation. Paul speaks the mind of the Holy Spirit and the word is full of meaning. Oh, for Divine Grace to learn its teaching! It is full of very solemn warning to us, for we need a covering thus divinely perfect. Oh, for Grace to practice the command to put it on! The Apostle does not so much say, "Take up the Lord Jesus Christ and bear Him with you," but, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ" and thus wear Him as the garment of your life! A man takes up his staff for a journey or his sword for a battle—but he lays these down again after a while. You are to put on the Lord Jesus as you put on your garments and thus He is to cover you and to become part and parcel of your outward appearance, surrounding your very self as a visible part of your manifest personality.

But put ye on - Compare Gal 3:17. The word rendered “put ye on” is the same used in Rom 13:12, and is commonly employed in reference to “clothing” or “apparel.” The phrase to “put on” a person, which seems a harsh expression in our language, was one not infrequently used by Greek writers, and means to imbibe his principles, to imitate his example, to copy his spirit, to become like him. Thus, in Dionysius Halicarnassus the expression occurs, “having put on or clothed themselves with Tarquin;” i. e., they imitated the example and morals of Tarquin. So Lucian says, “having put on Pythagoras;” having received him as a teacher and guide. So the Greek writers speak of putting on Plato, Socrates, etc. meaning to take them as instructors, to follow them as disciples. (See Schleusner.) Thus, to put on the Lord Jesus means to take him as a pattern and guide, to imitate his example, to obey his precepts, to become like him, etc. In “all” respects the Lord Jesus was unlike what had been specified in the previous verse. He was temperate, chaste, pure, peaceable, and meek; and to “put him on” was to imitate him in these respects; Heb 4:15; Heb 7:26; 1Pe 2:22; Isa 53:9; 1Jn 3:5. And make not provision - The word “provision” here is what is used to denote “provident care,” or preparation for future needs. It means that we should not make it an object to gratify our lusts, or study to do this by laying up anything beforehand with reference to this design. For the flesh - The word “flesh” is used here evidently to denote the corrupt propensities of the body, or those which he had specified in Rom 13:13. To fulfil the lusts thereof - With reference to its corrupt desires. The gratification of the flesh was the main object among the Romans. Living in luxury and licentiousness, they made it their great object of study to multiply and prolong the means of licentious indulgence. […]