Put On Christ Like You'd Put On a Coat—Romans 13:14
"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh." (Romans 13:14)
I love the picture Paul paints here. Clothing yourself with Christ. Like something you deliberately put on each morning. And here's a truth that should change how you see yourself: "as he is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17). The moment you were born again, God placed something inside you that is genuinely like Christ. So Paul says wear that. Live from it. And quit feeding the cravings of your old nature.
Now, a lot of people think the way to beat sin is to grit your teeth and battle that old nature into submission over and over. But look closer. That nature was already defeated at the cross. You've been "freed" from it, once and for all (Romans 6:6-7). So when it tries to sneak back in and pull your strings, the move isn't white-knuckle willpower. The move is to put on Christ and simply refuse to give those old desires any room to operate.
Romans 8 shows how this actually works day to day. "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:5-6). It comes down to where your attention lives. Feed the Spirit inside you instead of the flesh, and you'll start to look and live like Jesus without forcing it. Paul goes on: "if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans 8:13-14).
So what does Christ actually look like when He shows up in a life? Galatians spells it out: "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-25). That fruit is already planted in you. Live in step with the Spirit and it starts to grow on its own. You don't have to manufacture patience or squeeze out kindness. You just stay close to the One who produces it.
That's the freedom Paul's pointing to. "Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature... But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law" (Galatians 5:16-18). You were never meant to strive your way into holiness. You were meant to let the Holy Spirit do the changing while you simply keep in step. So each morning, put Him on. Live as His representative in a watching world, and let Him make you into the person He always saw when He looked at you.
A Few Honest Questions:
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What are you feeding more these days, the Spirit inside you or the cravings of the flesh?
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Where have you been white-knuckling your way through, when God is offering you a different way?
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Which fruit of the Spirit do you most want to see grow in your life this season?
