“Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, your holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake yourself from the dust and arise. Be seated, o Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. ” – Isaiah 52: 1-2
” Besides this, you know the time, the hour has come for you to wake from your sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is gone, the day is at hand. So then, let us cast off works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and make no provisions for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” – Roman 13:11-14
In the Morning…
I woke up this morning, like usual, to get up and spend time in the Word before the kids woke up. This morning’s reading compelled me to write and encourage others to wake up and seek the Lord while he can still be found. I think it’s no surprise that our world has changed drastically over the last four years. We all know that things will never be the same. In fact, there has been a steady decline in morality and a steady increase in lawlessness all around us.
I have noticed in my own spirit that I have become more apathetic and desensitized to all the catastrophes around the world, whether that be wars, rumors of wars, famines, natural disasters, and the many different economic barriers that are arising between nations.
This morning, as I read the verses above, the Lord gave me an overwhelming feeling to pray to wake up and “put on” strength, as in the verse in Isaiah. The verses in Romans, it say to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”. This is where we must be reminded to seek Him while it is still day.
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ
“…put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires”. The phrase put on Christ means to figuratively clothe oneself with the Lord Jesus Christ to reveal the glory of God to the world.
Paul was talking about putting on spiritual clothing. Those who clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus are believers who do not focus on gratifying the desires of the sinful nature. In the following verses, Paul encouraged the saints to “wake from sleep” and “cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”
Paul describes a vivid picture of moving into the new life in Christ as trading the darkness of night for the light of day. As believers, we must not only wake up and throw off our night clothes but also get dressed in the appropriate outfit for the new day. Our “old clothes” were the deeds of darkness, but the proper new daytime attire for the solder of Christ is God’s armor of light (Ephesians 6:11–18).
The expression put on Christ occurs again in Galatians 3:27 “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ”. As in Romans 13 , putting on Christ here speaks of having clothed oneself with the new nature ; believers are taught “to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” Ephesians 4:24.
Not Just for the New Believer
This is not just a call for the new believer. As one who has walked with the Lord, this is a call to “remember the deeds you have done at first and do them.” Rev. 2:14
The Lord Jesus wants us to be awake and be found faithful do the will of God. Praying, seeking, delighting in His word, sharing him with friends, family, and neighbors, and anticipating His return.
My dear sisters, I am praying you will also see the call to wake up and be clothed with the power and strength of your Savior. He wants to use His church. He says, “Be ready. I will come at an hour you do not know.” Let’s be determined to be ready with our oil lamps and extra oil for when our bridegroom comes.
Maranatha,
Kaity
