Put on the Lord Jesus Christ

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” -Romans 13:14

As Paul, in verse 13, first exhorted from the via negativa (i.e., not in not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy), he now, in verse 14, exhorts via positivia. 

In other words, to walk properly as in the day has both a negative aspect to avoid and a positive aspect to pursue. The positive is to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. This means we are to robe our lives in Christ (Gal. 3:27), to emulate Christ (1 Peter 2:21), and to fashion our minds after Christ (Philippians 2:5). The metaphor of adornment is a common metaphor of the time for what a man wears either honors him or dishonors him. What he is robed in on the outside typically says something about this character on the inside.

If every part of our life is consumed by Christ, then there will be no room for the flesh, no way to make provision for it, to gratify its desires. It is also of note that Paul does not repudiate legitimate human desires here. He uses the word σαρκὸς (sarkos), which is translated flesh. He is talking about fleshly desires, inordinate desires (e.g., lust, envy, covetousness, etc. from which come orgies and drunkenness, sexual immorality and sensuality, and quarreling and jealousy).

NOTE: It is of interest that Romans 13:13,14 were the Scriptures St. Augustine read when he was in the garden crying over his sin and heard a child nearby say repeatedly,  “Tolle, lege; tolle, lege” (“Take up and read; take up and read”). He took it as the voice of the Lord, picked up a Bible which fell open to this passage.