James Collins

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” Romans 13:12

 

I have terrible taste in clothes. At least that is what my wife, Amanda, tells me. When I was a little boy, my mother picked my clothes. When I grew up, the United States Army picked my clothes. Now, my wife picks my clothes. Left to my own devices, I usually pick clothes that most people consider tacky.

 

A while back, Amanda had a garage sale. Before the sale, she went through all of my clothes and took two-thirds of my stylish fashions. Seeing the pile, I exclaimed, “You can’t sell those clothes!” She had taken some of my best stuff: my powder-blue leisure suit, white patent-leather shoes, corduroy bell-bottom britches, wide-collared shirts, and the Hawaiian flowery neckties. On top of that, she had even taken my black velvet jacket with an Elvis picture on the back. Those were some of my favorite clothes.

 

On top of it all, my all-time favorite coat was sitting on the pile. It is a black sports coat with flames. It looks like it is on fire. I call it my “blazer!” Get it? 

 

“Wait a minute!” I said. “Those are my good clothes. You can’t sell those.” Amanda said, “Honey, your clothes went out of style forty years ago. It is time for you to get some new clothes.” 

 

When Amanda told me I needed new clothes, I was reminded of what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 13:12: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” This verse urges us to let go of old habits and embrace a new, positive way of living. In modern terms, we might say, “The alarm has sounded, and it is time to get dressed.”

 

Just like Amanda pushing me to update my wardrobe, we get dressed each morning because the bedclothes we wear at night are not suitable for the day. For example, you would not want to see me at Walmart in my green pajamas that are covered in little John Deere Tractors! Clearly, it is not proper to wear your bedclothes out in public.

 

In the same way, Paul used clothing as a metaphor for behavior. There are certain behaviors we put off because the night is over, and others we need to put on because the day is near. 

 

This metaphor appears throughout the Bible: righteousness is often compared to clothing. Our righteousness -- the very best we can do on our own -- is “like a filthy garment” to God. The rags of our own self-righteousness can’t get us into Heaven. So, God says to us, “You do not have enough righteousness, but I have lots. If you will confess your sin and trust in Jesus to be your Savior and Lord, I will put His righteousness around you. From that point on, when I see you, I will not see your sin. I will see the righteousness of My Son.” 

 

Ask yourself honestly: Are you ready for new clothes—real righteousness? Don’t settle for a closet full of your own self-made goodness. The real invitation is to trade in what you can do on your own for what only Christ can give—a genuine transformation from the inside out. 

 

The point is this: Don’t keep relying on your own self-righteousness, which is like hanging on to outdated, ineffective clothes. Instead, accept the grace God offers—the "new clothes" of Christ’s righteousness. Let go of your old ways and embrace a transformed life in Christ.

 

In the end, nobody bought any of my clothes at the garage sale - not even my orange Garfield the Cat pants!