When you meet someone for the first time, one of the first things you notice is how that person is dressed. Before a word is spoken, clothing can tell you something about the person standing in front of you.

The Bible uses that same picture to describe the Christian life.

Paul wrote, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” Romans 13:14.

Think about those words for a moment: put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

We put on clothes every morning before we step out the door. We choose what others are going to see. Paul tells believers that spiritually, Christ is the One we are to put on.

So here is a question worth asking: When people see you, what are you wearing?

Are you wearing anger? Pride? Bitterness? Impatience? Selfishness? Or are people beginning to see Christ?

Galatians 3:27 says, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

Christ is not something we put on Sunday morning and take off when church is over. He is not a religious uniform we wear when other Christians are watching. Putting on Christ means that His character should increasingly become visible in the way we live.

Paul develops this picture even further in Colossians. He first tells believers what must come off.

“Do not lie to one another, since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” Colossians 3:9–10.

You cannot keep putting the old clothes back on and expect people to see Christ.

Then Paul tells us what the new clothing looks like.

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12.

There is our wardrobe.

Compassion. Kindness. Humility. Gentleness. Patience.

Paul continues, “Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” Colossians 3:14.

If we say we have put on Christ while continually treating people with arrogance, cruelty, impatience, or bitterness, something does not match. The clothes do not fit the profession.

Ephesians gives us the same picture. Paul tells believers, “that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,” and then says, “and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” Ephesians 4:22, 24.

Putting on Christ does not mean pretending to be better than we are. It means allowing Him to change what we are.

There is another important part of Romans 13:14 that we should not overlook. Paul does not merely say, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” He adds, “and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

When we put on Christ, we stop preparing a comfortable place for the old life.

We cannot dress ourselves in Christ while keeping sin hanging in the closet for later.

John makes the matter very practical: “The one who says that he remains in Him ought, himself also, walk just as He walked.” 1 John 2:6.

That is what putting on Christ looks like.

It is Christ becoming visible in our words, our attitudes, our choices, our treatment of people, and the way we respond when life does not go our way.

Tomorrow morning, you will probably look in the mirror before you leave the house and make sure your clothes look right.

Maybe we should also ask a far more important question before we walk out the door:

What am I wearing today?

Put on Christ.