Dress for success

If I were to peep inside your wardrobe for just a moment, I wonder what I would find and what I might learn about you?
I might determine that you are an organised person – maybe you have all your white shirts hanging together and all your clothes colour co-ordinated! A section for blue, a section for black and so on- or is it organised chaos?! Maybe I might detect if you are conservative in your choice of clothes or a follower of fashion trends. Maybe I might discern if your personality is extrovert or introvert according to the raiments revealed in your closet. Maybe I might discover if you are a hoarder- is your wardrobe full of outdated outfits, which remain on the peg in the forlorn hope that one day this fashion might return?!
Your clothing can tell me a great deal about you.

Let's think for a moment about how we can –dress for success.

The Bible is very concerned with how you are clothed. And there are various vestments we need to put on. Let’s consider some of them.

The robe of righteousness


Isaiah 61:10 says- I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness…

This robe of righteousness represents repentance and redemption. It signifies salvation. The Bible clearly teaches –There is no-one righteous, not even one…
So no-one is fit to wear this robe of righteousness. Though many try to weave their own righteousness on the loom of good works or religious ritual, it is in vain.
Listen to how Isaiah put it in chapter 64:6 – All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…
So in God’s sight, instead of being adorned in this fitting robe, we are attired in filthy rags. Also in Isaiah chapter 59 he writes – But your iniquities have separated you from your God, your sins have hidden His face from you, so that he will not hear… and he goes on to tell them –Their cobwebs are useless for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make…

Do you remember in the story of the rich young ruler? The disciples asked Jesus –Who then can be saved? And He said –With man this impossible. He doesn’t say improbable. He doesn’t say unlikely. He doesn’t say it will be tough. He says it is impossible. No chance. No way. No loopholes. Impossible. It is impossible to swim the Pacific. It is impossible to go to the moon holding onto the string of a kite. It is impossible to wear this robe of righteousness through our own righteous acts. With man this is impossible -but with God all things are possible…

But thank God for Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
2 Corinthians 5:21 says – God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God…

And so we can put on this robe of righteousness through faith in Jesus our Saviour. Or to use the Biblical words – The righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe…
Are you wearing that robe of righteousness today? Can you truthfully say – I delight greatly in my Lord, my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness? If so, you are blessed in so many ways. In fact the Bible says – Blessings crown the head of the righteous. Paul not only wore the robe of righteousness, but was able to say as he neared the end of his earthly life – Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for His appearing.

The garments of godliness


These are outlined for us in Paul’s letters. For example in Colossians 3:12 he tells us – Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…

God has tailored beautiful clothes for us to put on -Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…Then verse 14 says – and over all these virtues put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity… So love could be called the overall, the final garment which secures the others.

In Romans Paul tells us – So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light. Let us behave decently as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, nor in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature…

So we are to put on the armour of light as God’s children. We have been told in the Bible – You were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light- for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth…So if we are children of light, luminaries for the Lord, we will display these characteristics of light and be clothed in the armour of light.

Paul told the Ephesians – You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness... The garments of godliness…
The mantle of might

Isaiah chapter 52 and verse 1 says- Clothe yourself with strength - we need that mantle of might.

It says in the New Testament -Be clothed with power from on high.

A father took his son to another denomination one Sunday. In his usual church the children took part as much as possible and normally joined in saying the Lord’s Prayer. The order of service was a little bit different in this strange church but the lad could still identify with the Lord’s Prayer. At the appropriate time he stood on the pew and as loud as he could began to recite the words – Our Father…But in this particular church they stopped after Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil… but the little boy then went on still loudly saying – Thine is the kingdom, the power… on his own and then realised that he was the only one speaking. He turned to his daddy and said- Daddy there’s no power and glory in this church!

How we need God’s power in our lives! Jesus once said – You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God…

The Bible tells us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might…
It tells us – God is your refuge and strength…
If your strength is sapped today, and you are wondering how to maintain the pace throughout the race, God’s Word says – He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint…
The psalmist said – The Lord is my Strength and my shield. Paul said – I can do all things through Christ(the Anointed One and His Anointing) who strengthens me… The Bible says – If anyone serves he should do it with the strength God provides. The source of strength is God and how do we get it – those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. That word renew literally means to take off old clothing and put on new- we exchange our weakness for his strength. We put on the mantle of might.

The raiments of resistance


Ephesians chapter 6 tells us all about these raiments of resistance – it tells us -to put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…

James tells us to – Resist the devil and he will flee from you…but we need those raiments of resistance.

Peter warned Christians – Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…again we need those raiments of resistance.

Put on the full armour of God – notice it is not sufficient to wear some of the armour. All of the armour is needed if we are going to be able to stand for Christ and withstand the evil one. You will also notice as we read through it that no armour is provided for the back as no provision is made for retreat. I don’t know if you have ever studied the emblems emblazoned on the Australian coat of arms. Pictured on it are two creatures – an emu, a large bird which cannot fly, and a kangaroo. Apparently they were chosen for this honour by the Australians because of one common characteristic – neither can move backwards! If the emu, with its big three toed feet even tries to go backward, it falls over. And the kangaroo is prevented from going backwards by its long tail. As a result, they can only go forwards, thus portrayed the spirit of Australia. Likewise God makes no provision for retreat.

What does it actually say? We need to – stand firm with the belt of truth buckled round your waist…Since satan is a liar, we are to oppose him with the truth. As Christians we must love truth and live truth. Paul had said in his previous chapter – each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour…He had said –Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Tighten your belts! The belt of truth.

Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place…
This vest is vital!
It protects the heart, and when satan comes with his accusations and slander and tries to tell you that you are of no value to God or look at your past, this breastplate of righteousness reminds you that through faith in Christ we have His righteousness imputed to us. We have received forgiveness for all our sins. We are no longer bound to what we were in the past, but we are brand new creatures in Christ Jesus.

So I want my actions controlled by the girdle of truth and my heart covered with the breastplate righteousness. I also need my feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace… verse 15.
I know shoes have become a major fashion item nowadays but their main purpose is still is to protect the feet and help us stand firm and not falter.
Paul said to the Corinthians – Stand firm. Let nothing move you…

How you stand pretty well determines how you will fight. If a fighter loses his footing, he may lose the battle. So we need a solid standing, a sure foundation which is found only in the Gospel of peace. What was it Jude said – To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy- to the only God our Saviour be glory…

Next we need the shield of faith – because OUR enemy is an arsonist – Take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one…
We cannot stop the devil from throwing his darts of doubt and worry and fear and despair, but we can keep them from starting a fire by instantly looking to Christ by faith.

We need also the helmet of salvation.
Satan surely attacks our minds. Paul told us that we are to have a heavenly mind – Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things…He said – Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…
We are to have a heavenly mindWe are to have a healthy mind -He even outlined what we should think about – whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things...
And we are to have a humble mind – Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem another better than themselves.
But to have a heavenly healthy, humble mind we need protected with that helmet of salvation.

And we needThe sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, we’re told.

When Jesus was in the wilderness you remember how He repelled every attack and parried every thrust of the devil’s insinuations with the Word of God – It is written, it is written, it is written. When our adversary attacks us today with his deceit and distortion, we too must say – it is written and take our stand on the Word of God.

There is no reason to be a defeated Christian if we wear these raiments of resistance. Everything we need to be victorious is provided for in Jesus Christ… the raiments of resistance.

The garb of glory


Revelation 3:5 says – He who overcomes will, like them,be dressed in white.
Revelation 7:13 – These in white robes – who are they, and where did they come from? The answer given was – These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb…
The garb of glory…They are clothed with His purity and stand justified in the sight of God because they have placed their trust in the blood of Christ and have by faith obtained perfect righteousness in Him.

So consider-
Let’s dress for success!

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Last updated Sept.2006