In the unseen spiritual world you are clothed at times with various garments. God, the angels and evil spirits can see what you are wearing, even when you have no idea.
So let’s find out something about these garments and what to do with them.
We find that God clothes us with garments signifying our cleanness before Him. This happens once we have been forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10
The prophet Zechariah had a vision regarding the Priest named Joshua.
“Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And the angel said, Take the filthy garments from him. And to Joshua he said, Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with pure garments.” Zechariah 3:3,4
So we see that a ‘robe of righteousness’ is very significant, and one of the divine garments given to us by God.
We see also that our sins are on us as filthy garments.
What we are wearing has significance, not only in the natural world, but in the spirit world as well. We readily recognise the uniform of certain officials, and we see special garments used in courts, offices, the military, fire and rescue services, and so on. Those garments are not only for comfort and appearance, but they signify the role and authority of the person.
When the Prodigal Son returned from his wasted life the father put on him a special robe that signified his place as a ‘son’ in the household.
“The father said to his servants, Bring the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet” Luke 15:22
We understand that blind people in Jesus’ day wore identifiable garments to alert others of their blindness. So when Blind Bartimaeus cried out for healing he left behind his beggar’s cloak, confident he would never need it again.
“Casting away his garment, he rose, and came to Jesus.” Luke 10:50
As with Bartimaeus we can choose to wear or discard the garments we have. We are robed in righteousness, but we can choose to go back to a life of sin. We can be mired by sin and come to God for cleansing.
Another whole set of garments is described as our spiritual armour, which we are to put on. It includes a Belt of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Sandals of Peace, Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation and Sword of the Spirit. (See Ephesians 6:14-17)
There is another special garment I want to explain and encourage you to wear regularly. It’s the ‘garment of praise’ that comes through the anointing on Jesus. See the list of things that come from Christ’s anointing.
“Appointing to them that mourn in Zion, giving them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; so they can be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3
This verse shows that we can be weighed down with a spirit of heaviness. The way to lift that weight off us is to put on the ‘garment of praise’. This is something we have to choose to wear. We don’t see anything, but when we begin to praise God we are clothed with this special garment that makes heaviness, depression, discouragement and the like lift off us.
You can’t wear the garment of praise and carry a spirit of heaviness at the same time. One replaces the other.
Over the generations Christians have recognised this and used such devices as ‘counting your blessings’ and thanking God to help people put on their garment of praise.
I commend what David did, over and over again. He simply praised God, using words like ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Praise the Lord’, to stir himself up to a place of victory over discouragement. You can use the Psalms, such as the last one, Psalm 150, to employ David’s words of praise.
The Garment of Praise is a robe that belongs to you, through Christ. But it is up to you to wear your divine garments. This one is particularly helpful when ever you are discouraged, ashamed, fearful, hesitant or the like. When ever you could be blanketed by a feeling of ‘heaviness’ you can pull on your ‘garment of praise’ and begin to give glory to God.
I recently encouraged a friend to do this. It wasn’t their habit to praise God and they had become quite dull under long-term challenges that just won’t go away. I realised they were under ‘heaviness’ and that pointed me immediately to the ‘garment of praise’. I coached them in giving God thanks and praise and they soon felt much encouraged. However I pointed out to them their need to put on that garment every day, and to make praise a part of their normal life.
If you praise God as a lifetime habit then you are continually clothed with that lovely garment of praise, and heaviness just can’t settle on you.
Remember Paul and Silas praising God at midnight while chained in the depths of a prison. Their bodies were chained, but their spirit was free.
I urge you to realise that these unseen garments are real and powerful in your life. I specially urge you to put on the garment of praise every day. And may your life be uplifted every day as you Wear Your Divine Garments.
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