1 Peter 5:5 KJV
[5] “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”
The attire of a Christian should be different than the attire of those who are not Christians. However, we often see people in the church debating over what is and is not acceptable to God when it comes to our wardrobe. The answer to this debate is simple. First, our attire should always reflect modesty and holiness. Secondly, if we follow biblical guidelines and ask the Lord if our clothing pleases Him, we will not have to ask anyone else. Christian attire does not start on the outside of our bodies but on the inside of our hearts. The clothes we wear on the outside reveal our convictions on the inside.
Peter tells us of a particular garment that should be in all of our wardrobes. He says that all of God’s children must be subject to one another, and we accomplish this by first putting on the garment of humility. That tells me that we are not naturally humble within ourselves. We have a responsibility to humble ourselves before God and men. Submission is a choice that we all must make, but it starts with humility.
Clothing is worn on the outside of our bodies and seen by all. That means that the world should be able to see humility in the lives of Christians. Clothing is to conceal the body, not to reveal it. Why? Because nakedness in the Bible is always associated with sin and shame. Our flesh is to be covered and not displayed before the world. So, when a believer reveals their fleshly side, it is the same principle. The world should see humility in our spirit, mannerisms, and speech, but if we portray arrogance, pride, or carnality, these are the garments of the world and not a Christian. Remember, Jesus was humble before men and God. He made himself of no reputation and preferred others before Himself.
There is a lot of self-promotion and flesh displayed in our churches. We need to get back to hiding ourselves and being humble before one another. We must be covered with humility to be what God wants us to be. Note that the verse says to be clothed, which means to be fully covered. We aren’t to be humble in only one area of our lives but in every aspect. If we are to be known for anything, it should be our desire to be humble before God and others. We should strive each day to clothe ourselves with humility. If preachers, singers, and members wore the garment of humility, we would see revival in our churches!