The phrase “put on Christ” in Romans 13:14 refers to fully embracing and living out the new life we have in Jesus Christ. In this verse, Paul instructs believers to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Let’s break this down further:
Context of Romans 13:14
To properly understand this verse, we first need to look at the broader context of the Book of Romans. The first several chapters focus on the theology of salvation – how we are justified by faith in Christ (Romans 3-5). Chapters 6-8 describe the new life believers have through their union with Christ. Chapters 9-11 deal with issues related to Israel. Then in chapters 12-16, Paul moves to practical instructions for Christian living.
Romans 13 specifically focuses on living as citizens of God’s kingdom. Verses 1-7 instruct believers to submit to governing authorities. Then verses 8-10 command loving our neighbor as the fulfillment of God’s law. Verse 11 says “know the time” and wake from spiritual slumber because “salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.” This leads into the exhortation of verse 14 to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
So this verse comes in the context of living out our new status as children of God’s kingdom. Paul says because we know the time of Christ’s return, we should live accordingly in holiness and obedience.
Meaning of “Put On”
The phrase “put on” refers to clothing oneself or being clothed in something. Paul uses this metaphor of changing clothes to describe the ongoing transformation of our identity in Christ.
Earlier in Romans 13:12, he says “let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” The image is taking off dirty clothes and putting on clean, new ones. Similarly, Colossians 3:10 says believers “have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Ephesians 4:24 also speaks of putting “on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
So putting on Christ means being clothed or covered by His righteousness, goodness, and holiness. It’s taking off our old sinful habits and putting on new godly attitudes and actions. Our outward behavior should match our new inward identity in Christ.
Meaning of “Put On Christ”
Specifically, to “put on Christ” means we should strive to be like Him in every thought, word, and deed. As Galatians 3:27 explains, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” When we put our faith in Christ, we are united with Him spiritually and take on His character. As Romans 8:29 says, God predestined us “to be conformed to the image of his Son.”
Putting on Christ flows from our new life in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Our old self centered in sin is gone, and our new self is alive in Christ. So we now have the power, desire, and responsibility to live accordingly.
More specifically, putting on Christ means:
– Seeking Christ as our greatest treasure (Philippians 3:8)
– Trusting in His finished work, not our own efforts (Galatians 2:20)
– Setting our minds on Christ and His priorities (Colossians 3:1-2)
– Speaking and acting as His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20)
– Imitating His compassion and willingness to serve (Philippians 2:5-8)
– Pursuing holiness and purity like Him (1 Peter 1:15-16)
– Obeying God’s commands as Christ did (John 15:10)
– Sharing the gospel and making disciples (Matthew 28:19-20)
As we put on Christ, His character is increasingly formed in us. The Holy Spirit transforms us to be more like Jesus day by day. Our goal is to fully reflect Christ in all areas of life.
Contrast with the Flesh
In Romans 13:14, putting on Christ is directly contrasted with making “no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” The flesh represents the remnants of our old sinful nature that still wage war against our regenerated spirit (Romans 7:14-25, Galatians 5:16-17).
While we have victory in Christ over sin’s dominion (Romans 6:14), we still battle its temptations. So we must actively fight against carnal desires by fixing our eyes on Christ. The more we indulge the flesh, the harder it is to put on Christ. As Romans 8:13 explains, “if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Putting on Christ means replacing fleshly attitudes like greed, pride, lust, and selfishness with spiritual qualities like self-control, humility, purity, and selflessness (Galatians 5:16-26). We must nurture our new life in Christ and starve our old sinful appetites.
A Lifelong Process
This daily process of putting on Christ continues throughout our Christian walk. We will never reach perfection or full maturity this side of eternity (Philippians 3:12-14). But Scripture calls us to continually grow in godliness by fixing our eyes on Jesus. As 2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”
Sanctification comes through the work of the Spirit renewing our minds and producing His fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). Our responsibility is to walk in step with the Spirit through spiritual disciplines like Bible study, prayer, fellowship, and fasting (Galatians 5:25). Putting on Christ brings freedom from sin’s grip as we substitution its lies with God’s truth and find our satisfaction in Him alone.
A Community Effort
This process of being clothed in Christ’s character also takes place in the context of Christian community. As Colossians 3:12-15 describes, we are to put on godly virtues such as compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love. And we are to let Christ’s peace rule in our relationships with one another.
Becoming like Jesus cannot happen in isolation. As we saw in Romans 13, putting on Christ includes loving our neighbor and fulfilling God’s law (Romans 13:8-10). We must live out Christ’s transforming work in how we interact with others and build His kingdom together.
An Eschatological Hope
Finally, the command to “put on Christ” in Romans 13:14 comes in the context of Christ’s imminent return (Romans 13:11-12). Paul says the night is far gone and the day is near, so we must wake from spiritual slumber. Peter also tied putting on Christ’s virtues with waiting eagerly for Christ’s return (2 Peter 3:11-14).
This means our sanctification is moving toward an ultimate glorification. At Christ’s second coming, we will finally be made perfect, free from all sin’s presence and influence. As 1 John 3:2-3 tells us, “when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”
So putting on Christ includes an eager longing for His return when our sanctification will reach completion. We fix our hope on sharing Christ’s perfect righteousness for eternity.
Key Principles
In summary, here are some key principles for what it means to “put on Christ” according to Romans 13:14:
– It involves fully embracing Christ’s character as our new identity and way of living.
– We must increasingly put off sinful attitudes and actions while putting on godly virtues.
– This happens as we fix our minds on Christ and walk in step with the Spirit.
– Becoming like Jesus is both personal and communal, private and public.
– Growing in godliness is a lifelong process that will only be completed at Christ’s return.
– Putting on Christ means longing for the day when we will share fully in His righteousness.
As believers, we have the incredible privilege of reflecting Christ to the world around us. By His grace and Spirit, we can put on His character more each day until we see Him face to face. Just as Paul exhorted the Romans, may we heed this daily call to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” in every area of life.