The Garments of the Believer

Narrator: Chris Genthree
 •  7 min. read  •  grade level: 11
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The word “garment” is used many times in the Word of God, and it has different typical meanings, depending on the context in which it is used. Sometimes, of course, it merely refers to clothing, as when the prophet Ahijah “had clad himself with a new garment” (1 Kings 11:2929And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field: (1 Kings 11:29)), or when Ezra says, “I rent my garment and my mantle” (Ezra 9:33And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied. (Ezra 9:3)). At other times, however, there is spiritual significance to the term. I would suggest that there are at least two main typical meanings to the word “garment” in the Word of God.
Natural Right
First of all, we find the word “garment” used to denote what was a man’s natural right or possession. Under the Mosaic law, it was unlawful to take away a man’s garment as a pledge without restoring it to him by nightfall. “If thou at all take thy neighbor’s raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: for that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep?” (Ex. 22:26-2726If thou at all take thy neighbor's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: 27For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious. (Exodus 22:26‑27)). The garment was his—part of his rights as a man, and it could not be taken from him, even if he owed a debt.
I would suggest that there is at least one application of this principle in the New Testament, when the Lord Jesus says to His disciples, “He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one” (Luke 22:3636Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. (Luke 22:36)). The disciples missed the typical meaning of the Lord’s words, for they simply supplied two literal swords already in their possession. But perhaps the typical meaning (which they would understand later) is that in order to have the sword of the Spirit, we may have to give up our natural rights in this world. After the Lord’s death and resurrection, the believers in Him would be a despised and rejected company, in a hostile world. They could no longer count on the hospitality and support of those to whom they preached; rather, they must supply their own wherewithal from resources which only the Lord could provide. More than this, they must be willing to give up their rights in order to reach souls, just as the Lord Jesus had given up His rights in order to reach out to a lost world.
Lifestyle
Second, and perhaps more obvious in Scripture, garments are used to denote our lifestyle and the circumstances in which we live and move. Thus, in Leviticus 13-14, we have leprosy in a person, in a garment and in a house. Medically, leprosy does not occur in either a garment or a house, and thus the instruction given must have a typical meaning for us. The instruction about leprosy in a garment is given in Leviticus 13:47-5847The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment; 48Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin; 49And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be showed unto the priest: 50And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days: 51And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean. 52He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire. 53And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; 54Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more: 55And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his color, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is fret inward, whether it be bare within or without. 56And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof: 57And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire. 58And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean. (Leviticus 13:47‑58). If the leprosy was clearly working and spreading, the garment must be burned, showing us that if our circumstances and lifestyle as believers promote sin in us, we must get rid of those things. However, if the leprosy was arrested, it was sufficient to wash the garment or perhaps take out that piece of the garment in which the leprosy was. All this is very important, for in the New Testament Paul could tell the Corinthians that “evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Cor. 15:3333Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. (1 Corinthians 15:33)). Sinful associations in our work, education, homes and recreation will have a detrimental effect on our Christianity, and we must remove ourselves from them, or at least eliminate that part of our lifestyle. Our Lord Himself could tell His disciples that if their hand, foot or eye were to offend them, they needed to cut them off, or remove them, in order to enter into life. Nothing must be allowed to come between ourselves and the Lord.
Mixed Standards
Likewise, the Israelites were told not to wear a garment “of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together” (Deut. 22:1111Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together. (Deuteronomy 22:11)). Thus the believer is not to have mixed standards, which come from trying to mix divine and worldly principles in our lives down here. How much harm has been done by believers wishing to live for the Lord, yet at the same time accommodating themselves to the world in order to be comfortable and accepted! In a similar way, a believer can defile his garment (see Revelation 3:44Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (Revelation 3:4)) by mixing with the world and its evil.
Public Display
A garment may have the additional meaning of what characterizes us—our outward public display toward others. Thus Joseph had “a coat of many colors” (Gen. 37:33Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors. (Genesis 37:3)), while Achan coveted “a goodly Babylonish garment” (Josh. 7:2121When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. (Joshua 7:21)). Those who wanted to exhibit outwardly an attitude of humility and repentance wore sackcloth, as happened in Nineveh when Jonah preached to them (Jonah 3:5-85So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: 8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. (Jonah 3:5‑8)) or when Ahab humbled himself before the Lord (1 Kings 21:2727And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. (1 Kings 21:27)).
This thought leads us on to further considerations about garments, when we come to the New Testament, where the garments of the believer are specifically mentioned. First of all, we have garments in which believers are said to be clothed, as a result of the cleansing power of the blood of Christ. When the prodigal son came home, his father commanded that they “bring forth the best robe, and put it on him” (Luke 15:2222But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: (Luke 15:22)), while the overcomers in Revelation 3:55He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Revelation 3:5) are “clothed in white raiment.” Those who wear them are truly the Lord’s, for these are the garments of every true believer—our true standing before God. According to 2 Corinthians 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21), we are made “the righteousness of God in Him.” This can never change, for it rests on the work of Christ and the value of His shed blood before God.
Making the Garment
However, Scripture also speaks of a garment which we make for ourselves. In Revelation 19:88And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. (Revelation 19:8), we read of the bride of Christ, “It was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and pure; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints” (JND). Here it is not a question of the righteousness of God in Christ, but rather the “righteousnesses of the saints.” It is the public display of what saints have done with their lives down here, for the garment in which the bride will be found at the marriage supper of the Lamb will be formed by what she has been for Christ during the time of His rejection. This is both a happy and yet a solemn thought. If we have spent our time down here in this world for ourselves and been involved with worldly things, there will not be much to show for it in that day. But every right thought and action will be part of that robe of fine linen. As another has put it, “All that the saints have done for Christ and in His name during the time of their sojourn on earth—all the sufferings, reproaches and insults they have endured, every cup of cold water given for His sake — will be remembered in this great day, and be found ‘unto praise and honor and glory.’ The smallest act that has Christ for its motive is a stitch in the garment that will adorn the church when at last it is presented to Christ without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.” 
The Wedding Garment
When it is a question of our fitness to be in the Father’s house, the garment needed is the “wedding garment” (Matt. 22:11-1211And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. (Matthew 22:11‑12)), supplied by our Lord as the result of His work on Calvary’s cross. When it is the display of the beauty of the bride at the marriage of the Lamb, we have the privilege of making a garment that is “bright and pure,” to meet the eye of our Bridegroom. What a precious privilege this is! But we have only our time down here to stitch that “wedding dress”; we cannot make it or add to it up there. It will be the result of what has transpired at the judgment seat of Christ for believers, when all that is not for Christ will have been burned up. Then only that which is “bright and pure” will remain. These latter two garments will endure for eternity: one which Christ has made for us, and one which we have the opportunity to make for ourselves in our Christian pathway.
W. J. Prost