by Ester yusufu | 15 July 2025 08:46 am07
Every day, we all choose what to wear. Outward clothing is necessary for modesty and respect—robes, trousers, shirts, and so on. But the Bible teaches us that just as we dress outwardly, we must also clothe our inner lives.
Why? Because outward clothing only covers the body, but inner clothing determines the true state of our soul before God. We may appear decent before people, but without the garments of the heart, we are spiritually naked.
This is why the Apostle Paul exhorts believers in Colossians 3:12–14 (NKJV):
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”
Notice the phrase “put on.” Just as we deliberately choose and wear physical garments, Paul calls us to intentionally clothe our souls with these spiritual garments. Without them, we cannot reflect Christ’s image.
Let us look at these one by one:
Mercy is the heartbeat of God Himself. Scripture declares: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not” (Lamentations 3:22). A merciful heart reflects God’s nature by being quick to forgive, gentle toward others, and willing to let go of wrongs.
Jesus also taught: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). Without mercy, we risk becoming hard-hearted like the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21–35). To be truly clothed spiritually, we must wear the garment of mercy daily.
Kindness flows from the inner life transformed by the Spirit. It is not a surface action, but a reflection of God’s goodness. The Samaritan who stopped to help the beaten man (Luke 10:30–37) demonstrated true kindness—costly, practical, and compassionate.
Paul includes kindness as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Genuine kindness shows that God’s love has taken root in us. To walk without kindness is to misrepresent Christ, who “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38).
Humility is essential to Christian character. Without it, no one can truly walk with God. Scripture reminds us: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).
Jesus Himself, though equal with God, humbled Himself and became a servant—even to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:5–8). Humility is the garment that allows God’s grace to rest on us, and without it, pride leaves us exposed.
Meekness is often misunderstood. It is not weakness or cowardice, but strength under control. A meek person has the power to retaliate but chooses gentleness instead.
Jesus is the perfect model of meekness. Though He had authority over heaven and earth, He said: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). His restraint on the cross, when He could have called twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53), shows the depth of meekness.
To wear meekness is to reflect Christ’s strength through gentleness.
Patience is the ability to endure trials, offenses, or delays without giving up. It is one of the clearest marks of maturity in the Christian life.
James encourages believers: “Take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience” (James 5:10). Job’s endurance also testifies to God’s compassion in the end (James 5:11).
Without patience, we easily give up on God’s promises, but Scripture says: “By your patience possess your souls” (Luke 21:19).
Finally, Paul calls love “the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:14). Love is the outer garment that holds all the other virtues together. Without love, every spiritual gift and good deed is meaningless. Paul emphasizes this in 1 Corinthians 13:1–3: even tongues, prophecy, knowledge, or sacrificial giving are worthless without love.
God Himself is love (1 John 4:8). To put on love is to reflect His very nature. Love is not optional—it is the ultimate mark of Christian maturity.
Paul repeats these garments in another form as the fruit of the Spirit:
Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV):
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
This shows that wearing the inner garments is not about self-effort alone—it is the Spirit of God producing Christlike character within us.
Every morning, we decide what to wear outwardly. But the greater question is: are we clothed inwardly? Mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love are not suggestions but requirements for all who belong to Christ.
Revelation 19:8 says of the Bride of Christ:
“And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
This is the true beauty God looks for—not designer clothing, but the garments of the heart.
May the Lord help us to wear these inner garments every day until the day we stand before Him clothed in glory.
Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2025/07/15/the-six-inner-garments/
Copyright ©2025 Wingu la Mashahidi unless otherwise noted.