(5.) Soldier, Priest – Put On Christ
(5.) Soldier, Priest – Put On Christ.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For this struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:10-20).
In our roles as both priest and soldier, we are holy, set apart, and asked to “put on” something. The Greek word for “put on” here is “enduo,” which means to wrap the clothes around your whole body. What else is this but simply “putting on the Lord Jesus” (Romans 13:14)? We put on Christ when we strap on His battle gear. And we put on Christ when we step into His garments of the High Priest. As holy soldiers, we put on the spiritual armor provided by God, including the breastplate that protects the life-giving heart of our spiritual lives. And as holy priests, we are likewise wearing clothes provided by God. We priests are “clothed with righteousness” (Psalm 132:9), set apart to wear the “robe of righteousness” of Isaiah 61:10. As priests we are called to serve God wearing our holy robes given to us by God. As both priests and soldiers, we are given a protective layer of righteousness and holiness, keeping our hearts in the right place, shielding us from sin. As believers, we know that each of us is a warrior priest, a member of a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9).
Garments of Splendor. ‘Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me as high priest. And you shall make sacred garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to me as high priest.” (Exodus 28:1-3). Yahweh wanted Aaron to be distinctive in his role of high priest. Aaron’s identity was firmly established in the minds of the people whenever they saw him because of his holy garments. Aaron wore a set of clothing that distinguished him as high priest. His sacred garments set him apart from the people, and it reinforced in his own mind that he was called to a serious business with God and with the people. Aaron’s high priestly uniform pieces were made to be “glorious and beautiful.” Rabbinic sources state that the garments were not intended to be merely attractive in their own right, but instead made for “the glory of God and for the beauty of His presence.” His holy garments were made to reflect the very glory and beauty of Yahweh. So nothing but the finest of materials were used, and even the tailors producing these garments were specially gifted for this project by the Lord Himself.
Aaron’s sacred garments included:
(1) An ephod, a type of apron or long vest made of finely woven linen cloth, elaborately embroidered with gold and blue, and purple and scarlet thread. On each shoulder strap was a precious stone with six of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on it. This symbolically meant that Aaron represented the whole nation of Israel in his ministry in the tabernacle. These names on the two stones meant he bore the burden of all the people as he served Yahweh.
(2) A breastplate was made that provided quite a striking appearance. It was a large pouch that was tied to the shoulders by gold chains and set with twelve precious stones, upon which were engraved each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The two mysterious stones known as the “Unim and Thummim” were held inside the pouch, evidently to somehow help Aaron discover the will of the Lord.
(3) A sleeveless, seamless blue robe was made that had pomegranates and gold bells attached to the hem. The sounds made during Aaron’s ministrations in the tabernacle alerted the people that he was indeed serving the Lord at that time.
(4) A white linen turban to be worn on his head had a gold plate attached to the front, and on the plate was engraved, “Holiness to the Lord.” This was an unmistakable message whenever anyone looked at the forehead of Aaron in his garments.
(5) A linen tunic that reached the floor, tied by a finely woven linen sash.
(6) Linen trousers to serve as undergarments. These trousers had to bed worn in the tabernacle or they would “surely die.” (Ex. 28:43).
Garments of Praise [Live] – YouTube
Garments of His Presence. “Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 13:14). Christians have a holy garment to put on. We put on Christ. Faith indeed has a uniform. Following Jesus is like putting on a whole new wardrobe, a new set of clothes. We are now wearing Christ, we have a new identity, a different look, a new style that reflects our heart’s desire. Following Jesus means we are now clothed in a different line, we have a new fashion designer. We have changed wardrobe consultants, and we are now covered in a new garment, a robe of righteousness. We have put on God’s goodness as our garment, and righteousness as our covering. Our new uniform reflects a right standing with God, as well as a pursuit of what pleases God out of our response to His love. Our new wardrobe now reflects God’s nature and character as He transforms us from within. We are now clothed in Christ, displaying the very virtues of God, reflecting a state of righteousness offered through the grace of Jesus. Our uniform has an identity. We want to identify ourselves with Christ. We want our clothes to reflect our faith, and our high praise echoes Isaiah: “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, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10). When we are strapping into our battle gear, we are putting Warrior-Christ. When we slip into the garments of the High Priest, we are putting on Christ the singing Intercessor.
First, Take Off. Before we put on, we have to take off. We need to strip ourselves of the old Adam as we put on the new Adam. To put off our old garment is to repent, to confess our old nature to God. Our new clothes represents repentance, our confession, our desire to strip off the old and put on the new. God’s grace is the only power strong enough to enable us to take off and put on. When we put on our new set of clothes, we need to keep growing, making sure the outside is matching up with the inside. We need to make sure our new identity matches up with our growing faith. It’s easy to simply obey a set of rules, to simply put on holy appearances, a righteous exterior, a superficial goodness. Jesus gave some stern rebukes to those religious leaders who were hypocrites, actors wearing a stage costume of righteousness. Putting on Jesus means we have a genuine character on the outside, nurtured by the Holy Spirit, which matches up with the maturing faith on the inside. A mere costume of goodness is not sufficient, because we know that “people judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7). “I didn’t want some petty inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules, when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ – God’s righteousness.” (Philippians 3:8, Message).
When we clothe ourselves in Jesus, with the armor of God or the sacred garments of the priest, what is our spiritual fashion statement? “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:10-12, NIV).
Crowder – All My Hope (Lyric Video) ft. Tauren Wells – YouTube