Spiritual Garments

by Pastor Mark Cowart

As we are being equipped for the days ahead, we must put on the whole armor of God. Every piece is important. In Ephesians chapter 6, we find a number of garments listed that make up our spiritual covering. These are things you must know and incorporate in order to clothe yourself.

John chapter eleven records the raising of Lazarus. When he emerged from the tomb alive, the Lord Jesus told those who were there to free him from the “grave clothes”. These linen bindings represent the oppression of death. The spiritual garments that you wear will affect everything about your life.

In our society, we are very mindful to dress for each specific occasion. I’m very careful when I speak somewhere new or go out to the mission field to check on the local customs and wear the appropriate attire. How much more important to clothe ourselves in spiritual garments when engaging in spiritual warfare? We are going into spiritual territory and we better be dressed appropriately. We better be dressed in the armor of God.

When the Apostle Paul wrote about the armor of God in the letter to the Ephesians, he had studied Roman armor up close during his time while he was imprisoned. Even while the enemy was trying to stop Paul, God was downloading revelation into him. He saw in the physical metaphor seven pieces, including three defensive, three offensive, and one piece central to securing both, the belt of truth.

The first piece of spiritual garments we must put on every day is truth that is found in the Word of God. This was the foundational piece for the soldier that protected his vital parts underneath the rest of the armor. For us, the true Word undergirds all our defensive and offensive weapons against the devil.

Before we can even begin to dress for spiritual warfare, however, we must have our grave clothes removed. Just as we see with Lazarus, the miracle had taken place, but he couldn’t even move; he was so wrapped up. He couldn’t take off those wrappings himself. He had to have the help of those who loved him. Likewise, newborn Christians need the help of their brothers and sisters to get free of the trappings of their old life.

These grave clothes can include wrong thinking, unhealthy habits, attitudes, addiction, and so on. It can be guilt, shame, and condemnation tied to your past. You have been redeemed; stop tolerating the lies of the enemy. Unforgiveness, bitterness, and woundedness can bind you up. The Lord loves you too much to leave you like He found you. He led the children of Israel away from slavery in Egypt and then to the promised land of plenty.

Just as clothes can symbolize one’s identity, the spiritual garments in the whole armor speak of your spiritual condition. Without them, you are naked, like the errant church in Laodicea, which the Lord warned and instructed in the Revelation. They didn’t know they were actually uncovered in the spiritual realm. They were lukewarm in their relationship with the Lord, not maintaining that foundational belt of truth.

The solution outlined by the Lord for them begins with buying gold tried in fire. This is the faith that comes only by hearing the Word of God. They had drifted away from this highest priority and would have to find their way back, whatever it cost them. You have to resist the devil’s distractions and accusations. You have to endure persecution to hold onto all that God has spoken to you through His Word.

Satan does not want your grave clothes removed. He does not want you wearing the robe of righteousness, the whole armor of God, or the gold tried by fire. That is why you must buckle on that belt of truth every single day by reading, studying, and meditating on the scriptures in the Bible. When the devil reminds you of your past, you’ll pull out the sword of the Spirit, “which is the Word of God” revealed to you by His Spirit, and you will skillfully and effectively resist attempts to keep you bound by declaring God’s Word about you.

If hopelessness and depression are a problem, hindering your growth as a spiritual warrior, you have access to the garment of praise to replace the spirit of heaviness. You can get that wet blanket off of you by remembering and thanking God for who He is and all that He has done for you. This will also cast off anxiety, as you cannot be thankful and fearful at the same time.

Another spiritual garment you want to put on is humility. In I Peter chapter 5, we are told to clothe ourselves in humility. Romans chapter 13 instructs us to cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Other references to garments abound in the scriptures. The bottom line is we have to put them on. As we mature in Christ, it is our responsibility to choose what we will wear from what the Lord has made available. Off with the old, on with the new.

REFLECT
1) What garments are you wearing?
2) How can you change them?
3) Why must you change them?

PRAY
– Thank God that He has made the way, through Christ, for you to change your garments.
– Thank God that He is getting you ready for the battles ahead.
– Ask God to enable you to throw off the grave clothes and change into the spiritual garments He has provided.
– Praise Him for all He has in store for you.

DIVE DEEPER
• Ephesians 6:11-20
• John 11:38-44
• Isaiah 61:10
• Revelation 3:14-22
• Exodus
• Zechariah 3:3-4
• Isaiah 61:3
• Acts 16:25-26
• I Peter 5:5-6
• Romans 13:12