BUT
PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: all endusasthe (2PAMM) ton kurion
iesoun christon:
(Gal 3:27; Eph 4:24-note;
Col 3:10-note;
Col 3:11-note;
Col 3:12-note)
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ as
a man puts on a garment, and stop living a life in which your first
thought is to gratify the desires of Christless human nature. (Barclay,
W: The Daily Study Bible Series, Rev. ed. Philadelphia: The
Westminster Press)
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
don’t let any thought in your head that would lead to a sinful
desire—not just to the gratification of the sinful desire, but even
the desire itself. (John Piper's paraphrase)
"THE CLOTHES MAKE THE
MAN"
This is what the world says, but
in this verse Paul has a similar thought in the spiritual realm.
But (235)
(alla) is an adversative conjunction indicating contrast, difference,
or limitation but, however, yet, nevertheless, at least. Paul now
introduces the contrary position every believer should assume in order
to facilitate a walk worthy of the calling to which we have each been
called (eg, "ambassadors of Christ" whom the lost world is watching).
The Lord Jesus Christ --
William Newell notes that...
The full title of our Lord Jesus Christ
awakes, almost startles us, here: Jesus is His personal name (Mt 1:21); as
Christ, the anointed One, He does His saving work; as Lord, He is over all
things. The full title was announced by Peter at Pentecost: "God hath made Him
both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified." (Acts 2:36) All true believers have put
on Christ (Gal 3:27) for He is their life (Col 3:4-note); and the Corinthians were told
that-Jesus Christ was in them (2Co 13:5). It is striking that the first use of
our Lord's full title is by Peter in Acts 11:17, in connection with the gift of
the Holy Spirit in the upper room: "The gift God gave unto us, when we believed
on the Lord Jesus Christ." They had before believed on Jesus, as the Jewish
Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God: but evidently when He had ascended into
glory, God led them to a surrendering of earthly hopes, and an appropriating of
their Lord, in His now exalted and glorified character, as the Lord Jesus
Christ, in a phase of faith never know before. It is this Christ Paul commands
us to put on-the Lord Jesus Christ! Not as our righteousness are we to "put Him
on": for He is Himself the righteousness of all believers. But it is as to our
walk and warfare that we put Him on. We are to be panoplied with Christ! (Romans:
Verse by Verse)
Put on
(1746)
(enduo
from en = in + dúo = to sink, go in or under, to put
on) (Click for an in depth word study of
enduo) means to put on as a garment or to
cause to get into a garment. Clearly Paul's use is figurative and signifies not
that which is merely external but a habitual association and identification with
Christ.
Enduo
means more than just “put on the character of the Lord Jesus Christ”. The New
English Bible conveys the idea rendering this verse...
“Let Christ Jesus himself be the armor that
you wear” (NEB).
John Wesley writes that in this phrase
"put on the Lord Jesus Christ"
is contained the whole of our salvation. It
is a strong and beautiful expression for the most intimate union with Him, and
being clothed with all the graces which were in Him. The apostle does not say,
Put on purity and sobriety, peacefulness and benevolence; but he says all this
and a thousand times more at once, in saying, Put on Christ. (Wesley, John:
Wesley's Notes)
To be sure, there is a sense in which this
takes place in our spiritual baptism into Christ, when we are first identified
with Him and are in Him (Gal. 3:27; cf. Ro 6:3-note). But in
another sense it is the daily task of believers who are progressively being
sanctified by the Spirit, Who empowers us to put off the filthy, dirty flesh clothes
and put on the new clothing of Christ Jesus our Lord. (cf. see Ephesians 4:22-note,
Eph 4:23-note;
Eph 4:24-note; see
Col 3:12-note).
Enduo
is in the aorist tense, middle voice, imperative mood (aorist
imperative). A command in the
aorist
tense conveys the sense of "Do it now & do it
effectively" and can even indicate a sense of urgency. The
middle
voice is
reflexive which means the
subject initiates the action and participates in the results or effects of that
actions. The middle voice can be translated "You yourself put Christ on!"
We are to clothe ourselves
with Christ. Let this be a complete appropriation of all that He is, which means
a total renunciation of all that we are.
S Lewis Johnson explains that...
The apostle's words, of course, were
addressed to those who were already believers, for Christ must be in us before
He can be on us. The words, "put ye on," are
aorist tense and refer to a
definite, positive act. And the name used of our Lord here suggests various
aspects of His person and work. He is the Lord and all the faculties belong to
Him, and He is Jesus, the saver and sanctifier and preserver from sin, and He is
Christ, the Messiah, the prophet who teaches, the priest who has offered the
offering by which we enter the veil of divine communion, and the king under
whose sway is everything. The clothes of the works of darkness are to be put
off, and the clothes of the Lord Himself are to be put on, and these are the
clothes that really do make the man. The details are spelled out in Colossians
3:12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 (see notes
Colossians 3:12;
3:13;
3:14;
3:15;
3:16;
3:17).
The negative action concludes the chapter. The tense of the verb here is
instructive. It is a present middle, and it refers to continual action of not
stirring up the remainders of the flesh that abide in all believers (cf. Ro
7:1-Ro 8:39).
To be clothed with Christ conveys the thought
that when others look at us (our words, actions, deeds), they see Christ in us
the hope of glory (Col 1:27b-note) rather than us. Below are thoughts from a variety of sources
on what it means to "put on" Christ.
Edward Mote phrased it this way in the final
stanza of his famous hymn, "The
Solid Rock "
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
F B Meyer in Our Daily Walk in a
devotional entitled "Beautiful Garments" writes...
"Awake, awake; put on thy strength; put on
thy beautiful garments."-- Isaiah 52:1.
"It is high time to awake out of sleep: let
us cast off the works of darkness; let us put on the armour of light."--
Ro 13:11, 12.
PUT ON strength. We have not to purchase it, or generate it by prayers and
resolutions, but simply to put it on. As we awake in the early morning hour, and
have to pass out into the arena of life, which has so often witnessed failure
and defeat, let us put on the strength and might of the living Christ. He waits
to strengthen us with all power , according to the riches of His glory
(Eph 3:16-note). Do not simply pray to be kept and helped, but put on the whole armour
of God.
"The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?"
(Ps 27:1-Spurgeon's
note)
Put on beautiful garments. The emblem of the life of the Christian soul is that
of the bridegroom or the bride (Rev 19:7-note) decked with jewels; or a garden filled
with beautiful flowers (Isaiah 61:10,11). We are not only to do right things, but we
must do them beautifully; not only to speak the truth, but to speak it in love
(Eph 4:15-note); not only to give to those who need our help, but to do it graciously
and joyously. We must cultivate the bloom of the soul, which is made up of
compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, generosity (see Col 3:12-note). The beauty of
the Lord our God must be upon us.
We cannot weave these beautiful robes, or fashion them out of our own nature,
but they are all prepared for us in Christ, who is "made unto us Wisdom, and
Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption." (1Cor 1:30) Let us wake up out of
sleep (Eph 5:12-note), put off the works of darkness (Ro 13:13), and put on the Lord
Jesus Christ, Who is the armour of Light. (Ro 13:14)
PRAYER - Lord of Power and Love! I come, trusting in Thine almighty strength, and
Thine infinite goodness, to beg from Thee what is wanting in myself; even that
grace which shall help me such to be, and such to do, as Thou wouldst have me. I
will trust Thee, in Whom is everlasting strength. Be Thou my Helper, to carry me
on beyond my own strength, and to make all that I think, and speak, and do,
acceptable in Thy sight, through Jesus Christ. AMEN.
Calvin
says of the metaphor of to "put on":
This metaphor is commonly used in Scripture
with respect to what tends to adorn or to deform man; both of which may be seen
in his clothing: for a filthy and torn garment dishonors a man; but what is
becoming and clean recommends him... To put on Christ means our being
surrounded and protected in every part by the virtue of His Spirit, and thus
rendered fit for the performance of every duty of holiness. For the image of
God, which is the only ornament of the soul, is thus renewed in us.
F L Godet writes that...
To lay aside what belongs to the night of
worldly life, is only the first part of the preparation to which we are called
by the rising of the great day. Our concern must be, besides, to put on the
dispositions which are in keeping with so holy and brilliant a light.
What is
this new equipment which we must haste to substitute for the old? Paul indicates
it in the expression: to put on Jesus Christ. He certainly speaks of Christ here
not as our righteousness, but as our sanctification, 1Cor 1:30. The toilet of
the believer, if one may venture so to speak, in view of the approaching
salvation, consists solely in putting on Christ, in appropriating by habitual
communion with Him all His sentiments and all His manner of acting. He thus
becomes for His redeemed ones Himself the robe for the marriage-feast. The
Christian will be unable to stand before Him except in so far as he is “found in
Him” (Php 3:9-note).
Adam Clarke has these interesting insights:
The ancient Jews frequently use the phrase putting on the
Shekinah (see
Shekinah glory cloud), or Divine majesty, to signify the soul’s
being clothed with immortality, and rendered fit for glory. To be
clothed with a person is a Greek phrase, signifying to assume the
interests of another - to enter into his views, to imitate him, and be
wholly on his side.
Eusebius, in his life of Constantine, says the
same of his sons, they put on their father - they seemed to enter into
his spirit and views, and to imitate him in all things. The mode of
speech itself is taken from the custom of stage players: they assumed
the name and garments of the person whose character they were to act,
and endeavored as closely as possible to imitate him in their spirit,
words, and actions." (cf 1Cor 4:16, 11:1, 1Th 1:6-note,
He 6:12-note)
Some
More Thoughts About What It Means To...
Put on Christ
As alluded to above, putting on
Christ is similar to the command to be continually filled with the Spirit (of
Christ) (Eph 5:18-note),
walking in His Spirit (Gal 5:16-note;
Gal 5:17-note),
led by His Spirit (Gal 5:18-note
see Ro 8:14-note). Do it
every time the Spirit shows (see Ro 8:13-note,
Col 3:5-note) you that are
tempted to begin to ''put
on'' the world's filthy garments...beginning to make provision for the deceitful
lusts of your flesh which cry out "go ahead...you'll enjoy it...no one will get
hurt...you can always confess it".
You need to act in obedience to the Spirit's
voice & in His power. If it is a thought, you need to take it captive (2Co 10:5-note) and replace it with thoughts that are true
and honorable
and right, etc
(see Phil 4:8-note).
If it is the image of a woman you need to pluck out your eye and cut off your
hand (figuratively but still clearly conveying the seriousness of this matter)
(see Mt 5:28-note;Mt
5:29-note;
Mt 5:30-note,
cp Job 31:1, Ps 101:3). You need to set your mind on the things above
(see Col 3:1-note;
Col 3:2-note).
You need to remember that the night is
almost over and you will soon see Him face to face at which time you will become
like Him (1Jn 2:28, 3:3,2Co 7:1-note)
and will also give an accounting to Him to be recompensed by Him (2Co 5:9, 10,
see Ro 14:10-note;
Ro 14:11-note;
Ro 14:12-note,
Acts 10:42, Rev 22:12-note,
1Co 4:5, Ga 6:7,8, Ro 2:5-note;
Ro 2:6-note;
Ro 2:7-
note;
Ro 2:8-note;
Ro 2:9-note;
Ro 2:10-note,
cp just recompense - Isa 3:10,11; Jer 17:9,10, 32:19; Ps 62:12, Re 22:12-note;
Mt 16:27 1Pe 1:17-note)
You need to remember that
discipline for godliness is profitable for this life and for the life to come (1Ti
4:7-note;1Ti
4:8-note,
see 2Pe 1:8-note;
2Pe 1:10-note).
You need to remember that you are not your
own but have been bought with a price (His precious blood - 1Peter 1:18-note;
1Pe1:19-note) and for a purpose (to glorify God in
your body) (1Cor 6:19, 20, 7:23 cp not
your own but you belong to God - Acts 20:28, Titus 2:14-note,
Ex 15:16; 19:5,6; Dt 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; 1Pe 2:9-note;
Rev 5:9-note).
Hide yourself in the
cleft of the Rock...He who takes refuge will be
given refuge (Pr 30:5, 6) Compare parallel ideas of the Spirit clothing OT
saints for empowerment for service (see Judges 6:34-note
cp Jdg 3:10, 13:25, 14:19, 15:14, 1Sa 10:6, 11:6, 16:14, 1Ch 12:18, 2Ch
24:20, Ps 51:11).
Ray Stedman
gives this helpful illustration:
When I get up in the morning I put on my clothes, intending them to be
part of me all day, to go where I go and do what I do. They cover me
and make me presentable to others. That is the purpose of clothes. In
the same way, the apostle is saying to us, “Put on Jesus Christ when
you get up in the morning. Make him a part of your life that day.
Intend that he go with you everywhere you go, and that he act through
you in everything you do. Call upon his resources. Live your life IN
CHRIST. (see full message
Romans 13:8-14 The Night
Is Nearly Over)
We must constantly be subject
to His Lordship, accepting His moral standards, living in constant
fellowship with Him, and depending upon His strength.
Cranfield
explains that...
To put on the
Lord Jesus Christ means here to embrace again and again, in faith and
confidence, in grateful loyalty and obedience, Him to whom we already
belong, and (in Chrysostom’s words) ‘never to be forsaken of Him, and
His always being seen in us through our holiness, through our
gentleness’. It means to follow Him in the way of discipleship and to
strive to let our lives be molded according to the pattern of the
humility of His earthly life. It means so trusting in Him and relying
wholly upon the status of righteousness before God which is ours in
Him, that we cannot help but live to please Him. It means being
‘defended on every side by the power of His Spirit, and thus rendered
fit to discharge all the duties of holiness’. (Cranfield,
C. E. B Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. Vol 1: Ro
1-8.;
Volume 2: Romans 9-16)
Hodge writes that put
on the Lord Jesus Christ...
means to be in close union with
Him, so that He, and not we, may appear (cf Gal 3:27) (Hodge,
Charles: Commentary on Romans. Ages Classic Commentaries)
James Denny explains
that...
The Christian puts on the Lord
Jesus Christ...in baptism (cp Gal 3:27), as the solemn deliberate act
in which he identifies himself, by faith, with Christ in His death and
resurrection (Ro 6:3). But the Christian life is not exhausted in this
act, which is rather the starting-point for a putting on of Christ in
the ethical sense, a "clothing of the soul in the moral disposition
and habits of Christ" (Gifford); or as the Apostle himself puts it in
Ro 6:11, a reckoning of ourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God
in Christ Jesus. Every time we perform an ethical act of this kind we
put on the Lord Jesus Christ more fully. But the principle of all such
acts is the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us (Ro 6-8), and it is the
essential antagonism of the spirit to the flesh which determines the
form of the last words (and make no provision for the flesh in regard
to its lusts). (Expositor's Greek Testament)
Albert Barnes
Comp. Galatians 3:27. The word
rendered "put ye on" is the same as used in Romans 13:12, and is
commonly employed in references to clothing or apparel. The phrase to
put on a person, which seems a harsh expression in our language, was
one not unfrequently used by Greek writers; and means, to imbibe his
principles, to imitate his example, to copy his spirit, to become like
him. Thus in Dionysius Halicarnassus the expression occurs, "having
put on or clothed themselves with Tarquin;" i.e. they imitated the
example and morals of Tarquin. So Lucian says, "having put on
Pythagoras;" having received him as a teacher and guide. So the Greek
writers speak of putting on Plato, Socrates, etc., meaning to take
them as instructers, to follow them as disciples. (See Schleusner.)
Thus, to put on the Lord Jesus means, to take him as a pattern and
guide, to imitate his example, to obey his precepts, to become like
him, etc. In all respects the Lord Jesus was unlike what had been
specified in the previous verse. He was temperate, chaste, pure,
peaceable, and meek; and to put him on was to imitate him in these
respects. Hebrews 4:15; 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22; Isaiah 53:9; 1 John 3:5.
Guzik
Putting on Christ is a strong and
vivid metaphor. It means more than put on the character of the Lord
Jesus Christ, signifying rather Let Jesus Christ Himself be the armor
that you wear." (Morris) Yet, we are still called to make no provision
for the flesh. We have a work to do in walking properly, as in the day
- it isn't as if Jesus does it for us as we sit back; instead, He does
it through us as we willingly and actively partner with Him.
John Piper
Clothe yourselves with Christ. Arm
yourselves with Christ. Never be without the covering of Christ. Let
your friendship with Christ be as close as the shirt you wear. That is
what I said last week was the key to loving and fulfilling the law.
And that is the same final answer this week: Receiving Christ daily
and fully is the key to love.
Robert Haldane explains
it this way...
Having given a specimen of the
things that are unbecoming the Christian who walks in the day, the
Apostle now shows, summarily, what the conduct is which he enjoins on
us to exemplify. Believers were in themselves wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked; like Joshua, clothed with filthy
garments; but when they come to Christ, He says, “Take away the
filthy garments from him: behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass
from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” They are
then clothed with the garments of salvation, and covered with the robe
of righteousness, Isaiah 61:10; and being thus justified, those whom
the Apostle addressed had put on Christ. But here it is their progress
in sanctification he has in view. In the twelfth verse he had exhorted
them to put on the armor of light; now he is enjoining the duty of
perfect conformity to His holy image, bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ; who gave us an example that we
should follow His steps, who did no sin, neither was guile found in
His mouth. Thus we are to cleave to Him with purpose of heart, and, as
the Apostle elsewhere exhorts, that as we have received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so we should walk in Him. (Haldane,
R. An Exposition on the Epistle to the Roman. Ages Classic
Commentaries)
Warren Wiersbe describes what it means to put on the Lord Jesus this way:
To "put on" the Lord Jesus Christ means to become more like Him, to receive by
faith all that He is for our daily living. We grow on the basis of the food we
eat. This is why God warns us not to make provisions for the flesh. If we feed
the flesh, we will fail; but if we feed the inner man the nourishing things of
the Spirit, we will succeed. In other words, a Christian citizen ought to be the
best citizen. Christians may not always agree on politics or parties, but they
can all agree on their attitude toward human government. (Wiersbe,
W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor)
New Bible Commentary describes putting on the Lord Jesus this way:
we are to surround ourselves with the Lord
Jesus Christ in such a way that all we do is done through Him and for Him, and
we are not even to give thought to any of those sinful desires that stem from
this fallen & sinful world. (New
Bible Commentary. IVP)
W E Vine writes that putting on the
Lord Jesus Christ...
is contrasted with the conduct described in
the preceding verse; it also recalls Ro 13:12. The believer is so to apprehend
the true meaning of the union with Christ into which he entered when he put on
Christ (Gal. 3:27, cf. Ro 6:3-note),
that Christ becomes the element in which he lives, the moral raiment which
displays His character. (Vine,
W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson
)
The KJV Bible Commentary writes
that...
Paul urges his Christian converts to put on
Christian virtues in the same manner that they would put on their clothes (Col
3:12-ntoe).
When they had put on the new man (Eph 4:24-note)
they had in fact been baptized into Christ and had put on Christ (Gal 3:27). Putting on Christ means
to allow Him to envelop us so that when others view us they see His
righteousness. He therefore not only lives in us and through us, but on us as
well. When that is the case, we need not take thought of satisfying our bodily
lusts or carnal desires, but our prime concern will be to live in honor to the
Lord. When Christ is on us and in us, we will not feed our fleshly desires but
will feed a soul striving to be more like Him, and much more so realizing our
subjection to the timetable of God. (Dobson,
E G, Charles Feinberg, E Hindson, Woodrow Kroll, H L. Wilmington: KJV Bible
Commentary: Nelson)
Hendriksen notes that...
Paul is, as it were, saying, “Having laid
aside the garment of sin, now deck yourselves more and more with the robe of
Christ’s righteousness, so that whenever Satan reminds you of your sinfulness,
you immediately remind him and yourselves of your new standing with God.
“Become more and more spiritually united with
Christ, so that he will be the Light of your light, the Life of your life, the
Joy of your joy, and the Strength of your strength.”
The person who, by virtue of the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, does this is
able to sing
Jesus is all the world to me.…—Will L.
Thompson
Such a person must make no provision for the satisfaction of the urges of his
sinful human nature. To be sure, there will be these temptations, for the
believer remains a sinner even when he becomes a saint (see notes
Romans 7:14ff).
But if he is truly a child of God he must and will learn more and more to
control and subdue these enticements in the realm of Pleasure (inordinate
craving for the satisfaction of physical appetites), Power (lust to shine and be
dominant), and Possessions (uncontrolled yearning for material possessions and
for the prestige that accompanies them). With Christ as his Sovereign Lord, the
victory is assured! (Hendriksen,
W., & Kistemaker, S. J. New Testament Commentary Set, 12 Volumes. Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House)
College Press NIV Commentary says
Paul exhorts Christians to "put on Christ,"
implying a reference to something not yet completed. Thus it is generally agreed
that he must be using this metaphor in a sense different from
Gal 3:27, i.e., that here he is talking about
sanctification rather than justification, which is what we would expect in this
context. Thus "putting on Christ" is here equivalent to being transformed by the
renewing of our minds (see Romans 12:2-note).
It is the same as putting on "the new self," which is the process of the
recreation of the image of God within us (Eph 4:24;-note;
see Colossians 3:10-note). Thus to clothe ourselves with Christ in this sense
means to gird ourselves outwardly and inwardly with the same holy character
exhibited by the sinless Christ during his earthly sojourn. As Lard says, "Let
your whole exterior life, as seen by the world, be but a reproduction of the
temper and conduct of Christ" (Cottrell,
Jack: Romans - College Press NIV Commentary)
Believer's Bible Commentary says putting on the Lord Jesus:
means
that we should adopt His whole lifestyle, live as He lived, accept Him as our
Guide and Example. (MacDonald,
W., & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
Charles Wesley says
It is a strong and beautiful expression for
the most intimate union with him, and being clothed with all the graces which
were in him. The apostle does not say, Put on purity and sobriety, peacefulness
and benevolence; but he says all this and a thousand times more at once, in
saying, Put on Christ.
Lawrence Richards says
We’re to slip into Jesus, and wear Him
everywhere we go. We’re to look like Him. Walk like Him. Talk like Him. Act like
Him. In fact, we’re to be Jesus to others. What a challenge. To wear Jesus so
well that no one will notice the difference. To be in Him. And to let Him be
fully in me. (Richards,
L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency)
Matthew Henry:
Put on Christ, this includes all.
Put on the righteousness of Christ for justification; be found in Him (Php
3:9-note)
as a man is found in his clothes; put on the priestly garments of the elder
brother, that in them you may obtain the blessing. Put on the spirit and grace
of Christ for sanctification; put on the new man (Eph 4:24-note);
get the habit of grace confirmed, the acts of it quickened.’’
Jesus Christ is the best clothing for
Christians to adorn themselves with, to arm themselves with; it is decent,
distinguishing, dignifying, and defending. Without Christ, we are naked,
deformed; all other things are filthy rages, fig-leaves, a sorry shelter. God
has provided us coats of skins—large, strong, warm, and durable. By baptism we
have in profession put on Christ, Gal. 3:27. Let us do it in truth and
sincerity. Put Him on as Lord to rule you, as Jesus to save you, and in both as
Christ, anointed and appointed by the Father to this ruling saving work.
KJV Commentary:
Paul
urges his Christian converts to put on Christian virtues in the same manner that
they would put on their clothes (Col 3:12-note).
When they had "put on the new man"
(Eph 4:24;-note)
they had in fact been baptized into Christ and had "put on Christ" (Gal
3:27). Putting on Christ means to allow Him to
envelop us so that when others view us they see His righteousness. He therefore
not only lives in us and through us, but on us as well. When that is the case,
we need not take thought of satisfying our bodily lusts or carnal desires, but
our prime concern will be to live in honor to the Lord. When Christ is on us and
in us, we will not feed our fleshly desires but will feed a soul striving to be
more like Him, and much more so realizing our subjection to the timetable of
God.
(Dobson,
E G, Charles Feinberg, E Hindson, Woodrow Kroll, H L. Wilmington: KJV Bible
Commentary: Nelson)
Adam
Clarke: (To Put on Christ is to)
receive his doctrine, copy His
example, and seek the things which belong to another life; for the Gentiles
thought of little else than making provision for the flesh or body, to gratify
its animal desires and propensities."
John Calvin:
"Now to put on
Christ, means here to be on every side fortified by the power of his Spirit, and
be thereby prepared to discharge all the duties of holiness; for thus is the
image of God renewed in us, which is the only true ornament of the soul."
Beet says: (Put on Christ)
as men put on clothing, which, though
distinct from them, yet when put on becomes almost a part of them. Paul bids us
enter into union with Christ so close that He will become the close environment
in which we live and move. Since union with Christ enables us to do God’s work
even in face of enemies, to put on Christ is (see Romans 13:12-note)
to put on the weapons of the light.
Evangelical Commentary:
"Suitable as attire and
deportment for the Christian in this inaugurated day are the armor of light (v.
12), which reflects Christ who is "the light of the world" and "the light of
life" (Jn 8:12; cf. Mt 5:14-note,
Mt 5:15-note,
Mt 5:16-note;
for the image of armor cf. 2Cor 6:7; 10:4-note; Eph 6:11-note,
Eph 6:13-note;
1Thes 5:8-note);
decent behavior (v13)—behaving honorably by living a Christ-like life (compare
the positive meaning here of
schema with the negative
in (see Ro 12:2-note)
of being "schematized" to the age); clothing "yourselves with the Lord Jesus
Christ" (v14). Believers have already clothed themselves with Christ by being
baptized into him (Gal 3:27,
Ro 6:1; 6:2; 6:3; 6:4; 6:5; 6:6;
see notes
Ro 6:1;
6:2;
6:3;
6:4;
6:5;
6:6;
see
Col 2:12-note), which signals their
new essence in Christ; but they must express this in practice (existentially) as
they stand into each new moment of decision. Thus Paul commands them not to
follow the uncovenanted practices of "orgies, drunkenness, sexual immorality,
debauchery, dissension, jealousy," which are destructively centered on the
rebellious self. Christians must choose not to follow the urgings of their old
sinful nature or essence that is doomed, but to follow Christ who has given them
a new nature of hope. In so doing the transformed mind proves the will of God
(see note
Romans 12:2)."
(Evangelical
Commentary on the Bible Baker)
Bishop Moule beautifully says:
"Put on, clothe, and arm
yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, the living Sum and true Meaning
of all that can arm the soul. It is by living our life in the flesh by faith in
the Son of God (see Galatians 2:20-note),
that is, to say, in effect, by personally making use of the crucified and living
Savior, Lord, Deliverer, our Peace and Power, amidst all the dark hosts of evil
can do against us.
Full in the face of the
realities of sin—of Roman sin, in Nero’s day—St. Paul has
written down across them all, this spell, this Name: ‘Put ye on
the Lord Jesus Christ.’ Take first a steady look, he seems to
say, at your sore need, in the light of God; but then at once
look off, look here. Take your iniquities at the worst; this can
subdue them. Take your surroundings at the worst, —this can
emancipate you from their power (John 8:31,32,35, 36). It is the
‘Lord Jesus Christ’ and the ‘putting on’ of Him. We can ‘put Him
on’ as Lord, surrendering ourselves to His absolute, while most
benignant, sovereignty and will, —deep secret of repose. (Mt
11:28, 29, 30, Acts 3:19) We can put Him on as ‘Jesus,
‘clasping the truth that He, our human Brother, yet Divine, saves His people
from their sins. We can put Him on as ‘Christ’ our Head, anointed without
measure by the eternal Spirit, and still sending of that same Spirit into His
happy members, —so that we are indeed one with Him and receive into our whole
being the resources of His life."
William Newell notes that...
There is an instructive passage in Colossians
Three, giving light on this command to "put on." In Col
(see
note) there, the Holy
Spirit says through Paul, "Ye died." (It is an aorist tense, asserting a fact.)
The believer now shares Christ's risen life, and is told (as we have repeatedly
seen) that he is "alive from the dead, " a new creation. In the ninth verse of
the same chapter, we have the words, "Ye have put off the old man"; and in verse
10, "Ye have put on the new man"! Then, in 5 and 8 (Col 3:5; 3:6; 3:7;
3:8 see notes
Col 3:5;
3:6;
3:7;
3:8),
"put to death, "" put away, " your "members which are in the earth: fornication,
uncleanness, passion; anger, wrath, malice, " and all such things. It is in and
by the fact that we died with Christ that we have "put off the old man": as is
said in Col 2:11
(see
note), also, concerning our
participation in "the circumcision of Christ" (His cutting off in death), we put
off "the body of the flesh."
Then, (and not until our realization by faith
of this federal death with Christ), are we ready in confidence to "put away" all
those things that belong to our former manner of life, the old things) and to
"put on, as God's elect, holy and beloved (of Him.), a heart of compassion,
kindness, humility, meekness" (Colossians 3:12ff-see
notes).
"Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ" is, therefore, our path, not only prescribed,
but gloriously attainable. For we are in Him! and that federal "new man which
hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth" (Eph 4:24-note) belongs now
to us. Even as "the
old man"
belonged by natural birth to us in the First Adam, so does the "new
man" belong to us who are in
Christ, the Last Adam! (Romans:
Verse by Verse)
Kent Hughes adds:
"Paul emphasizes that it is “the Lord Jesus Christ” that we put on. We bow to his
Lordship. He is King of all or he is not King at all. This is where we gain the
capacity to love. Loving others as we love ourselves comes from the
negative—putting off the deeds of darkness, and the positive—putting on the Lord
Jesus Christ day by day. Even as clothes are a daily need, so is the putting on
of Christ as we walk out the door to wherever we are bound.
One other point here: our ability to love vertically and horizontally comes from
God’s love to us. (1Jn 4:19) His agape love reaches down to us in Christ, it is
poured out in our hearts by His Spirit (see Ro 5:5
note), and we return it back ("pay back
the debt") to God and to those around us. (Hughes,
R. K. Romans: Righteousness from heaven. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, Ill.:
Crossway Books)
His great love is the source and
motivation of our love.
This principle was dramatically illustrated on the human
level in the life of Kathryn Lawes described below: When Louis Lawes became warden of Sing
Sing Prison in 1920, the inmates existed in wretched conditions. This led him to
introduce humanitarian reforms. He gave much of the credit to his wife, Kathryn,
however, who always treated the prisoners as human beings. She would often take
her three children and sit with the gangsters, the murderers, and the racketeers
while they played basketball and baseball. Then in 1937, Kathryn was killed in a
car accident. The next day her body lay in a casket in a house about a quarter
of a mile from the institution. When the acting warden found hundreds of
prisoners crowded around the main entrance, he knew what they wanted. Opening
the gate, he said, “Men, I’m going to trust you. You can go to the house.”
F B Meyer (Our Daily
Walk, January 1) writes that...
WE CAN all start afresh! However far we have
ascended, there is something higher; and however far we have fallen,
it is always possible to make a fresh start. We need to take our place
in the School of Christ and be taught by Him (Eph 4:20-
note,
Eph 4:21-note).
"The old man" which we must "put
off" is clearly our former manner of life. If we have not put it
entirely away, let us do so now by an immediate act of faith in the
living Spirit. It does not take long for a beggar to put off his rags
and take instead a new suit of clothes, and it need not take a moment
longer to put away habits and thoughts, ways of speech and life which
are unworthy of the children of God. Do it now, and look up to the
Holy Spirit to keep renewing you in the spirit of your mind.
But more than this, let us "put
on the new man," which is the life of Jesus Christ, that ideal
which is in the likeness of God, and which the Lord created for us by
His blessed life and death and resurrection. But to enable us to live
this life we need the daily help of the Holy Spirit. He entered our
hearts at the moment of regeneration, and has been with us ever since.
We may not have realised His entry, but we believe it because of the
assurance of
1Co 6:19; see Romans
8:9-note; Eph 3:16-note. For my
part, I like to begin every day, before lifting my head from the
pillow, by saying, "Thou art within, O Spirit of Christ, though I feel
Thee not."
If the Holy Spirit be ungrieved He
will witness to our sonship; He will enthrone Christ as King of our
life; will keep the self-life in the place of death; will give us a
hunger for the things of God; He will give power in witness-bearing.
In order to have a strong and blessed Christian experience, the one
thing is to see that we do not grieve the Spirit. I do not think that
we can grieve Him away, but we may greatly limit and restrain His
gracious work by insincerity of speech, the nursing of an unforgiving
spirit, any kind of over-reaching or fraudulent dealing, impurity of
speech, or failure in love. We may be bound, so as not to be able to
move our arms, by a number of cotton threads, quite as tightly as by a
strong rope-thong. Let us take care not to grieve Him by such
inconsistencies.
PRAYER:
Fulfil in me, O God, those desires
of goodness which Thou hast created in my heart, and perfect the work
of faith, that Jesus Christ may be glorified in me. AMEN.
In Our Daily Homily F B Meyer
writes...
This verse is ever memorable from
its association with the life of Augustine, who says:
“Thus was I sick and tormented in
mind, bitterly accusing myself, and rolling and turning about in my
chain, till it might be wholly broken.”
At length, rushing into the garden,
groaning in spirit,
“all my bones were crying out,
soul-sick was I and grievously tormented. I said to myself, ‘Be it
done now; be it done now.’ And a voice said, ‘Why standest thou in
thyself, and so standest not? Cast thyself upon Him. Fear not; He will
not withdraw Himself, to let thee fall. He will receive, and will heal
thee. Stop thine ears against those unclean members of thine, which
are upon the earth, that they may be mortified.’”
Then arose a mighty tempest,
bringing a heavy downpour of tears.
“I cast myself under a certain
fig-tree, and gave vent to my tears, and the floods of mine eyes brake
forth. Why not now? Why not this hour make an end of my uncleanness?
And, lo! from the neighboring house I heard a voice as of a boy or
girl, I know not which, singing and oft repeating, ‘Take and read;
take and read!’ Checking the torrent of my tears, I arose,
interpreting it to be a Divine command to open the Book and read the
first chapter I could find. I seized; I opened, and in silence read
the
passage
on which mine eyes fell: ‘Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in
chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to
fulfill the lusts thereof.’ No further would I read; nor was there
need, for instantly all my heart was flooded with a light of peace,
all the sadness of doubt melted away!”
No count was taken; no guards posted. Yet not
one man was missing that night. Love for one who had loved them made them
dependable."
AND
MAKE NO PROVISION: kai tes sarkos pronoian me poieisthe (PAM) eis
epithumias: (Ps
101:3, Job 31:1) (Ro 8:12-note,
Ro 8:13-note;
Gal 5:16-note,
Gal 5:17-note,
Gal 5:24-note;
Col 3:5-note,
Col 3:6-note,
Col 3:7-note,
Col 3:8-note;
1Pe 2:11-note;
1Jn 2:15, 16, 17)
"make no provision for the flesh to arouse its
desires." (NET Bible)
"don't make plans" (TLB)
Make (4160)
(poieo) means to do or to undertake something that brings about an event,
state, or condition.
In this verse Paul uses the
present imperative and the
Greek negative ("me") implies that the process is
already going on. Paul is saying therefore in essence
Stop making plans in your mind as to how you
can sin and 'get away with it' (cp Nu 32:23, Pr 28:13, Pr 5:22-
see notes).
Never forget that our hearts are more deceitful than all else
and are desperately
sick (Jer 17:9).
Sin
cannot be
pampered, cajoled or negotiated with
(cf Ge 3:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Ge 4:5, 6, 7, 8).
Sin
corrupts and kills (see Ro 6:23-note) and so must be
mortified.
Therefore
consider (aorist
imperative
= do it now! Do it effectively!) the members
of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and
greed, which amounts to idolatry. (see Col 3:5-notes)
; see related verses on how to control our thoughts and how we as men can avoid
ruining our marriage and life - commentary notes on
Proverbs 5:1-14;
Proverbs 5:15-23;
Proverbs 6:20-35;
Proverbs 7:1-27;
Guarding your heart -
Proverbs 4:23)
There can be no compromise or there will be corruption
and death.
Kill
Sin
or it will kill you! (see 2Pe 1:4-note, Gal 6:8).
Do not plan for
Sin.
Do not even give
Sin
a welcome. Don't offer
Sin
an opportunity. Kick
Sin
off your doorstep before it has a chance to enter your house, the temple of the
Holy Spirit!
SIN
IS LIKE
A BOA CONSTRICTOR!
Are you tolerating
"pet" sins? If you are, then you need to remember the fate of the
man with the "pet boa constrictor" (Do a Google search - use the
following search terms and keep the parenthesis sign as written >>
"pet boa" killed). After 15 years of living with his owner, one day
the "pet boa" would not let its "owner" out of its grip resulting in the
owner's tragic death. Wild animals remain wild and so does
Sin.
Do not be deceived (Stop being deceived)!
Entanglement by the Cords of one's
own Sin - Not long after a wealthy contractor had finished building the
Tombs prison in New York, he was found guilty of forgery and sentenced to
several years in the prison he had built! As he was escorted into a cell of
his own making, the contractor said, “I never dreamed when I built this
prison that I would be an inmate one day.” (cp Nu 32:23)
Sin will take you further
than you ever wanted to stray!
Cost you more than you ever dreamed you would pay!
Keep you longer than you ever thought you would stay!
We make provision for the flesh when we buy
things that are associated with temptation, when we make it easy for ourselves
to sin, when we give a higher priority to the physical than to the spiritual. We
should not indulge the flesh even a little. Rather, we should "give
no chances to the flesh to have its fling".
William Newell writes regarding make
no provision for the flesh that...
The word "provision" here is literally
"forethought." It denotes the attitude of mind we used to have toward the flesh,
as secretly expecting to gratify it, if not immediately, yet at some time. It is
the opposite of the spirit of Gal 5:24-note; it is Saul sparing Agag (Ed note:
see 1Sa 15:9, 10, 11, 22, 23 where this "provision" resulted in the LORD tearing the Kingdom
of Israel from Saul! A steep price to pay for making provision for his flesh!)
To fulfil its desires-The flesh has endless lusts and desires, -all
clamoring for indulgence. Besides the lower lusts, and our natural self-sparing
slothfulness, there are all the forms of self-pleasing: self-esteem,
"sensitiveness, " love of praise, man-fearing, fleshly amiability, flattery of
others for selfish ends, pride, "dignity, " impatience of non-recognition by
others, sheer empty conceit, and a thousand other "desires of the flesh, " for
which no provision is to be made. Often we can, if we will, see beforehand and
shun circumstances that would give the flesh an advantage to indulge itself. But
it is only by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ as the positive attitude of the
soul, that we shall find ourselves able and willing to refuse any provision for
the flesh. (Romans:
Verse by Verse)
><>><>><>
Light And Darkness -
Kathleen Matson and her family have moved to
Tokyo for 3 years. Because less than 1 percent of the citizens of Japan believe
in Jesus Christ, she said that the nation can be considered unreached with the
gospel.
"As we make our home in Tokyo," she wrote, "I am especially challenged by
Romans 13:12
(note) 'The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off
the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.' I need to be a
light in the midst of a great darkness. My life needs to be a shining example to
those who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ."
Kathleen continued, "The task seems overwhelming. . . . How can I possibly do
it? How can I 'owe no one anything except to love one another'? (Romans 13:8-note). I can't
do it alone. It is only by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ (Ro 13:14) that I can
meet this urgent need."
The darkness of unbelief is not only to be found in faraway places like Irian
Jaya or Tokyo or Tibet. The streets of St. Louis or Miami or New York or Toronto
are darkened by unbelief as well.
Wherever we are, our witnessing becomes most
effective when accompanied with godly living. May we be lights in the
darkness--pointing our world to the Source of our light, the Lord Jesus Christ.
--D C Egner
(Copyright
RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights
reserved)
Dim not, little candle,
Show Jesus through me!
Glow brightly till others
The Light clearly see! --Adams
The smallest light is seen in the darkest
night.
><>><>><>
Leave The Dog At Home - A hunter once purchased a dog to help him
hunt pheasants. But he discovered that the dog was interested only in chasing
rabbits. So instead of hunting pheasants, he spent his time doing what his dog
preferred. Finally the hunter decided he had better leave the dog at home.
This reminds me of the apostle Paul's words in Romans 7. He wrote,
"For what I will to do, that I do not
practice; but what I hate, that I do" (see Ro 7:15-note).
Paul was speaking of the conflict between his
old sinful tendencies and the new nature he received when he was born again. If
we don't take temptation seriously, we'll be like the man in today's story.
We'll find ourselves doing what we don't want to do and failing to do what we
know we should.
The hunter solved his problem by taking decisive action. He equipped himself for
pheasant hunting and went out without the distracting dog. That's what we must
do in our spiritual life. As we prepare for each day, let's choose to obey the
injunction, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh,
to fulfill its lusts" (Ro 13:14).
When we yield to Christ, rely on His strength, and put Him first, we'll be able
to reject the evil impulses that arise within us. That's how we "leave the dog
at home." --R W De Haan
(Copyright
RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights
reserved)
For Further Study -
Why is it so hard to do what is right?
According to Romans 8:1-17 (see
notes beginning with Romans 8:1), where do we get
the help we need to live in a way that pleases Christ?
If your Christian life is a drag,
Worldly
weights may be keeping you down.
><>><>><>
J Vernon McGee writes:
Oh, how many believers are making every
PROVISION for the flesh but are making NO PROVISION to go into His PRESENCE. My
friend, I beg you to put Christ first in your life and to get out the Word of
God. This is all-important. (Ps 119:2 ,9, 10, 11, 38, 133 - see topic
Memorizing His Word, Ps 1:1, 2, 3-see
notes; see topics
Discussion of Biblical Meditation
and
Primer of Biblical Meditation) (McGee,
J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
Bible Knowledge Commentary adds:
For a Christian to plan out specific ways to
gratify his sinful nature is wrong and out of bounds. (Walvoord,
J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible knowledge
commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books).
John Calvin on making
"no provision for the flesh"...
"As long as
we carry about us our flesh, we cannot cast away every care for it; for though
our conversation is in heaven, we yet sojourn on earth. The things then which
belong to the body must be taken care of, but not otherwise than as they are
helps to us in our pilgrimage (see 1 Pe 2:11-note),
and not that they may make us to forget our (heavenly) country (Hebrews 11:16-note).
Even heathens have said, that a few things suffice nature, but that the
appetites of men are insatiable. Every one then who wishes to satisfy the
desires of the flesh, must necessarily not only fall into, but be immerged in a
vast and deep gulf. Paul, setting a bridle on our desires, reminds us, that the
cause of all intemperance is, that no one is content with a moderate or lawful
use of things: he has therefore laid down this rule, — that we are to provide
for the wants of our flesh, but not to indulge its lusts. It is in this way that
we shall use this world without abusing it."
Provision
(4307)
(pronoia
from
pronoeo = observe in
advance, to know or perceive ahead or beforehand, to foresee
derived from pro =
before
+
noeo = to
perceive with the mind, know, comprehend) literally means "a
thought one has beforehand", a planning ahead, a "premeditation".
Pronoia conveys the basic idea of
planning something out ahead of time, giving it
forethought or carrying out thoughtful planning to meet a need. The idea is to think about something ahead of time, with the
implication that one can then respond appropriately (eg think about committing a
sin and even being so deceived that you think that you can get away with it!)
Don’t make any plans that open the door for
sin’s entry. Don't say I'll have some pornography laying around my house to
prove I can withstand the temptation. Note the ways you subtly make
provision for these hindrances (Romans 13:14): the computer games, the hidden
alcohol or candy, the television, the videos, the pull-tab stop on the way home,
the magazines, the novels.
Luke records the only other NT use of
pronoia in Acts...
Acts 24:2 (ESV) And when he (Paul) had been
summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: "Since through you we enjoy
much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms
are being made for this nation
Pronoia is a name for the Delphic
Athene (Latin Athena = Greek goddess of wisdom) as the goddess of clever
forethought!
The English word "provision" is from the Latin word providere which means
literally to
"see ahead".
Provision then
refers to
"measures taken beforehand, either for security, defense or attack,
or for the supply of wants...[provision is the] act of making previous
preparation"). Provision refers to a measure taken beforehand to meet a
need (or a greed, specifically a lust to gratify the old fallen flesh!).
NIDNTT has the following note on this
word group...
The verb pronoeo (from pro and noeo,
observe, notice) means initially to observe in advance, notice beforehand,
foresee (e.g. Hom. Il. 18, 526, of a deception). But in most cases it has the
meaning of to care, to see to it that, make provision for, attend to (e.g. Xen.
Cyr. 8, 1, 1, caring for children). With the noun pronoia, attested since
Aeschylus (Ag. 648), much as with the verb, the temporal meaning of foresight or
foreknowledge is rare. The predominant meaning is foresight in the sense of
forethought, intention, care, providence... The noun pronoia (Ro 13:14) also
means concern, solicitude, provision. In this case it refers to the body
(flesh). In Acts 24:3 (Ed note: the only other NT use of pronoia) the advocate Tertullus praises the provisions of Felix. (Brown,
Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan)
Most sinful behavior results from wrong ideas and lustful desires
we allow to linger in our minds (Ja 1:14, 15).
The longer one allows these wrong ideas and lustful desires to linger, the more
forethought (provision) we are making for the insidious, deceptive fallen flesh
nature to bring them into fruition!
Don't fill your mind with plans
for your sin. Instead, fill your mind with " [Philippians 4:8-note] thoughts"
(see
note), thoughts of Christ
in Whom are hidden all the riches of wisdom and knowledge (see Col 2:3-note) and in Whom
we are complete (see Colossians 2:10-note)... possessing all His precious and magnificent promises.
The Amplified Version says
"make no provision for [indulging] the flesh
[put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature] to
[gratify its] desires (lusts)"
Newell commenting on making no
provision for the flesh
The word "provision" here is literally "forethought." It denotes
the attitude of mind we used to have toward the flesh, as secretly
expecting to gratify it, if not immediately, yet at some time. It is the
opposite of the spirit of Galatians 5:24-note;
it is Saul sparing Agag. (Romans 13)
Paul's command to make no provision is another reason Scripture
memorization is so valuable...His Word hidden in our hearts will keep young men (and old men
and women) from
sin (Ps 119:9-, Ps 119:10-, Ps 119:11-). One of the most effective ways for a Christian to oppose the
desires of the FLESH ("flesh"
is used several different ways in Scripture -
see word study.) is NOT to starve his body to bring it into subjection (asceticism
cf see Colossians 2:23-note) but to starve the flesh making “no provision”. The surest way to fall into a sin is to allow oneself to
be in situations where there temptation rears its seductive head (James 1:14-note;
James 1:15-note)
On the other hand, the safest way to avoid a sin is to avoid situations that are
likely to pose temptations to it.
Dr Charles Ryrie (The
Ryrie Study Bible: 1995. Moody)
writes that...
"an illustration of obedience to this command is the book burning in
Acts 19:19."
And many of those who practiced magic brought
their books together and began burning them in the sight of all; and they
counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. (The
value of these books in today's dollar would be more than a million dollars
which underscores the prevalence of pagan occultism in Ephesus and also to the
wonderful power of the gospel light to overcome the darkness)
Don't be like the man who was delivered from his smoking habit
and took all of his
smoking paraphernalia (pipes, tobacco, etc) and buried it in his back yard and
then put a stone over the spot so that he would know where to dig in case he
couldn't hold out. He was making provision for his old flesh nature to gratify
the desires of that nature! And I'll bet he didn't hold out.
We fail to grasp
the latent power inherent in our old nature (cf Ro 6:12-note,
Ro 7:5-note). We may even think our old nature
has been redeemed. Perish that thought. It is still the old nature (Gal 5:16-note,
Gal 5:17-note).
We have died to it's power but it's power is still it's power and we give it an
inch it will take a yard. Do not be deceived beloved brethren.
FOR THE FLESH IN REGARD TO ITS LUSTS: kai tes sarkos pronoian me
poieisthe (PAM) eis epithumias: (Gal 5:17-note;
Ep 2:3-note)
Flesh (4561)
(sarx)
- see below.
Lusts (1939)
(epithumia)
- see below.
In regard to (1519)
(eis) means into or in the direction of your lusts. The idea is -- Don't
be planning ahead in the direction of your evil desires. Don't
preoccupy yourselves with a view to satisfying lusts.
David understood that
"transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart;
there is no fear of God before his eyes…He plans wickedness upon his bed; he
sets himself on a path that is not good; he does not despise evil" (Ps 36:1,
4).
If you are really honest with yourself, you
know that to one degree or another, most wickedness which one commits is
"pre-meditated" or planned! The ungodly person does
not just "accidentally" stumble into sin but "plans to do evil".
Solomon recorded that...
He who plans to do evil, men will call him a
schemer.
(Pr 24:8).
The devout Puritan preacher
Thomas Manton (click for biographical
sketch written by
J. C. Ryle) wrote, "Every corruption has a voice,"
meaning that every sort of sin finds a way to bring itself to man's mind and
heart.
To feel the desire to sin is evidence of the PRESENCE of sin in us
(see Romans 7:18-note).
To
fulfill that desire is evidence of the POWER of sin over us.
As long as we are
in our mortal bodies we will experience the PRESENCE of sin within us.
But at NO
time does a Christian have to yield to sin's POWER (see Romans 6:11-note;
Ro 6:12-note,
Ro 6:13-note,
Ro 6:14-note).
Because we have the
PROVISION of Christ's own nature, His rich grace & His Holy Spirit within us, we
do not have to make PROVISION for the flesh by fulfilling its lusts (see
Col 1:27-note,
Gal 5:16-note,
Gal-note,
Ro 7:24-note,
Ro 7:25-note,
Ro 8:1-note,
Ro 8:2-note,
Ro 8:13-note;
Ro 8:26-note;
Ro 8:27-note)
Flesh (4561)
(sarx)
(Click
in depth study of
flesh)
is a word that is used with several different meanings in the NT, the specific
meaning being determined by the
contextual
use. In the present
context
the meaning of sarx is the moral and spiritual weakness and
helplessness of human nature still present even in redeemed souls. Even though
the old man (flesh) indeed has been hanged upon the tree of Calvary with
Christ, he still has the ability to influence you, distract you, tempt you, and
even defeat you. There will be times when you will allow the flesh to
control you, but it is always your choice. The flesh
cannot control us anymore on it’s own, as Paul explains in Romans 6:1-11 (see
notes
Ro 6:1-3;
6:4-5;
6:6-7;
6:8-10;
6:11).The
answer to flesh is not to try to repress these influences by your will
power. We must realize that our defense against the intrusion of the flesh
into our thinking is not our will power or our determination not to permit
these things, but it is rather a quiet resting back upon the power of the Holy
Spirit to meet the flesh whenever it appears and a dependence upon the
Spirit to do so.
Paul uses sarx 22 times (out of a total of 147 NT uses) in
the single book of Romans
(click uses) but not always with the same meaning.
Study the verses in context to
determine Paul's intended meaning because as alluded to in the notes above on "provision",
the meaning of "flesh" is critically dependent on the context. For the various meanings of sarx
in the NT, see study of "flesh"
in believers. Also see
chart contrasting in the flesh vs in the Spirit
John Piper
describes flesh as used here in the context of Ro 13:14 as
"the
old ego that is self-reliant and does not delight to yield to any authority or
depend on any mercy. Flesh craves the sensation of self-generated power
and loves the praise of men....in its conservative form it produces legalism --
keeping rules by its own power for its own glory.... (in its more liberal
form) produces grossly immoral attitudes and acts (Gal 5:19ff-note)
The Flesh is the proud and unsubmissive root of depravity in every human
heart which exalts itself subtly through proud, self-reliant morality, or
flaunts itself blatantly through self-assertive, authority-despising immorality."
(see
sermon Walk by the Spirit)
Flesh (still referring to its moral aspect) is that part of man's
nature which is centered upon self (remove the "h" and
spell flesh backwards...what do you have?) and is in
total opposition to God. Flesh is the ugly complex of human sinful
desires inherited from Adam (see Romans 5:12-note,
Ps 51:5) that includes the ungodly motives, affections,
principles, purposes, words, and actions that SIN (the "sin principle" inherited
from Adam) generates through the instruments or members
of our bodies (Ro 6:13-note). The flesh then is the old, corrupt nature which
incessantly cries out to be pampered with comfort, luxury, illicit sexual
indulgence, empty amusements, worldly pleasures, dissipation, materialism, etc. To live according to the flesh
is to be ruled and controlled by ("filled with") that evil nature (notes Ro 8:4-note;
Ro 8:5-note;
Ro 8:6-note,
Ro 8:7-note,
Ro 8:8-note;
Ro 8:9-note;
Ro 8:10-note,
Ro 8:11-note;
Ro 8:12-note). But because of Christ’s saving work on our behalf, the sinful
flesh no longer reigns as "master" over us (see Ro 6:6-note,
Ro 6:11-note,
Ro 6:12-note,
Ro 6:13-note,
Ro 6:14-note), to debilitate us and drag us back into the pit of
depravity into which we were all born.
Barnes
The gratification of the flesh was the main
object among the Romans. Living in luxury and licentiousness, they made it their
great object of study to multiply and prolong the means of licentious
indulgence. In respect to this, Christians were to be a separate people, and to
show that they were influenced by a higher and purer desire than this grovelling
propensity to minister to sensual gratification. It is right, it is a Christian
duty, to labour to make provision for all the real wants of life. But the real
wants are few; and, with a heart disposed to be pure and temperate, the
necessary wants of life are easily satisfied, and the mind may be devoted to
higher and purer purposes.
Lusts (1939)
(epithumia from epí
= upon, used intensively +
thumos
= "passion,
ardor" so literally is either "intensified"
passion or ardor.) (Click for in depth word study of
epithumia)
W. E. Vine
summarizes epithumia as follows:
epithumia denotes
"strong desire" of any kind, the various kinds being frequently
specified by some adjective (see below). The word is used of a good
desire only in Lu 22:15; Phil 1:23
[note];
1Thes 2:17
[note].
Everywhere else it has a bad sense. In Ro 6:12
[note] the
injunction against letting sin reign in our mortal body to obey the
"lust" thereof, refers to those evil desires which are ready to
express themselves in bodily activity. They are equally the "lusts" of
the flesh, Ro 13:14
[note];
Gal 5:16 [note],
Gal 5:24 [note];
Eph 2:3
[note];
2Pe 2:18
[note];
1Jn 2:16, a
phrase which describes the emotions of the soul, the natural tendency
towards things evil. Such "lusts" are not necessarily base and
immoral, they may be refined in character, but are evil if
inconsistent with the will of God.
Other descriptions besides
those already mentioned are: "of the mind," Ephesians 2:3
[note]; "evil
(desire)," Colossians 3:5
[note]; "the
passion of," 1Thessalonians 4:5
[note], RV; "foolish and
hurtful," 1Ti 6:9; "youthful," 2Ti 2:22
[note];
"divers," 2Ti 3:6
[note]; Titus 3:3
[note];
"their own," 2Ti 4:3
[note]; 2Pe
3:3
[note];
Jude 1:16;
"worldly,"
Titus 2:12 [note];
"his own," Jas 1:14 [note];
"your former," 1P 1:14
[note],
RV; "fleshly," 1Pe 2:11
[note];
"of men," 1Pe 4:2
[note];
"of defilement," 2Pe 2:10
[note]; "of the
eyes," 1Jn 2:16; of the world ("thereof"), 1Jn 2:17; "their own
ungodly," Jude 1:18. In Re 18:14 [note]
"(the fruits) which thy soul lusted after" is, lit., "of thy soul's
lust." (Vine,
W E: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament
Words. 1996. Nelson)
Newell elaborates on "lusts":
"The
flesh has endless lusts and desires, —all clamoring for indulgence. Besides the
lower lusts, and our natural self-sparing slothfulness, there are all the forms
of self-pleasing: self-esteem, "sensitiveness, " love of praise, man-fearing,
fleshly amiability, flattery of others for selfish ends, pride, "dignity, "
impatience of non-recognition by others, sheer empty conceit, and a thousand
other "desires of the flesh, " for which no provision is to be made. Often we
can, if we will, see beforehand and shun circumstances that would give the flesh
an advantage to indulge itself. But it is only by putting on the Lord Jesus
Christ as the positive attitude of the soul, that we shall find ourselves able
and willing to refuse any provision for the flesh." (Romans 13)
(Comment: Don't miss what Newell is saying -- first put on Jesus, then
you are empowered to fight off the "desires of the flesh". Don't reverse the
order and attempt to take on the enemy in your power for the battle has always
been and will always be the Lord's!)
A survey of Discipleship Journal readers ranked areas of greatest
spiritual challenge to them:
1. Materialism
2. Pride
3. Self-centeredness
4. Laziness
5. (Tie) Anger/Bitterness
6. (Tie) Sexual lust
7. Envy
8. Gluttony
9. Lying
Survey respondents noted temptations were more potent when they had neglected
their time with God (81%) and when they were physically tired (57%). Resisting
temptation was accomplished by prayer (84%), avoiding compromising situations
(76%), Bible study (66%), and being accountable to someone (52%).
J. H. Jowett speaking against evil
desires, warned...
An entire army of unclean forces are
antagonistic to the exalted realm of the spirit.
Ray Stedman has an excellent summary of this section writing...
"You say, "Because
I died with Christ, I see that I no longer need to permit this hot temper to
rule my life, and I will appropriate Him. I will count on Him for continual
victory in the hour of temptation -- except when someone does me dirt! If they
go too far, I think that is justification to loose my temper." Well, that is
making provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires, you see. You rest on the
flood tide of His indwelling life to keep you free from lust and passion -- but
occasionally you read a sex magazine just to see if you can resist it. That is
making provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. I had a friend who was a
printer, and one day a man brought to him a pornographic card to be printed, one
of those filthy, lewd things, which he wanted printed for his personal use. He
handed it to my friend, the printer, and he said, "I would like you to print
this for me. I will pay you extra well for it." The man looked at the card, saw
the nature of it, and handed it back, and said, "No, thank you. I don't print
this kind of stuff." The other fellow said, "Oh, come on now. Don't try to pull
this pious stuff with me. You know that you really enjoy this kind of thing.
Just be honest." And the printer looked at him, and said, "You're right. I do. I
have a nature which likes to feed upon this kind of thing, but I don't feed it!"
That is what Paul is saying here. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, take His
life, take all that He is and all the fullness of His being to be all that you
need, but, along with it, be sure that you are not making some subtle little
provision for the flesh to gratify its desire, because you can have all of His
life, all that you need, but you can't have it for your program. That is
what he reminds us of here. "No," he says, "clothe yourself with His life." Put
on the Lord Jesus Christ, but remember it is never "Christ AND I"
-- it is "not I, BUT Christ." (Gal 2:20-note) This is what the world is waiting to see. Some of you have read
the little booklet entitled The Need of the Hour that
Dawson Trotman, founder of the Navigators, wrote. He delivered this
message shortly before he died, and it has been printed and circulated around
the world. In that message, Trotman comes to this conclusion: I believe that
the need of the hour is an army of soldiers dedicated to Jesus Christ who
believe not only that He is God but that He can fulfill every promise that He
has ever made and that there isn't anything too hard for Him." Stedman
continues "I think he is right. I like Phillips' rendering of this fourteenth
verse: Let us be Christ's men from head to foot, give no chances to the flesh
to have its fling. {Ro 13:14
Phillips Translation} Do you know what will happen if you begin to do
that? All around you people will begin to see Jesus Christ in you, and their
lives will be changed. They will begin to feel His love and His concern for them
burning out through your heart to touch them, to help them, to pray with them,
to weep with them, to rejoice with them, to love them! You'll always be finding
yourself, somehow, at the right place, at the right time, with the right people,
saying the right thing. You will discover, as you look back, that your life has
become what God asks us to be: A light in the midst of a dark and perverse
generation." (Php 2:14-note) And Pastor Stedman ends with this prayer "Our Father, as
we look at the world around us, we are so aware of the truth of these words. How
desperately the world needs to see this kind of life lived; and the only place,
Lord, that this kind of life can be seen by other people around us is in the
lives of men and women like us where your life dwells. We pray, then, that these
words may come home to us with increasing meaning. May we see that the secret is
not the struggle of our own life to do something, not some effort to approach
men through some knowledge of psychological principles, but rather the simple
effect of a life and a heart that is filled with the presence and the person and
the glory of Jesus Christ. May we feast upon him, thank him, dwell with him,
live with him, put him on, and appropriate the fact that he indwells us and is
ours. Then, Paul tells us, our own life will be changed from glory to glory into
the same image, and people will begin to see Jesus Christ walking in the midst
of this twentieth century. Lord, we pray for this in Jesus' name. Amen. "
(Bolding added) (see entire sermon
The Demand of the Hour)
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