Key scripture – “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2).

This scripture tells us we can be radically transformed by renewing our minds if we do it according to what is true. That is important to us as Christians, because there is a problem that only we can have: we often think we are still clothed in sin, when in fact, we are truly dressed in the righteousness of God.

Satan tries to convince you that you’re still who you were before Christ changed you. A sure sign of this is this kind of self-talk that is based on a lie: “Oh, I am such a sinner. How could God ever forgive me for what I did? I live in shame and guilt because of how I used to live, act, and how I used to talk.” Or, you look at other people and think, “Oh, they are so much “closer” to God than I am. I know they were not half the sinner that I was.” But the truth is God loves you no matter what you did, He has forgiven you of all your sins, and you could never get any closer to God than you are right now because He is living in you!

When Joshua the high priest was standing before God, and Satan was accusing him in Zechariah 3, Satan was pointing at Joshua’s sinful filthy rags. “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire? Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel.” (Zechariah 3:1-3).

Satan probably said something like, “God, look at this miserable sinful dirty slob. How could You love him?” Joshua was listening to all this and it is easy for us to imagine what he was feeling and thinking, because we have thought and felt the same thing about ourselves. We all know what it’s like to have our sin pointed out to us by Satan. But that’s when God steps in.

The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” (Zechariah 3:4).

This is exactly what Jesus did for us the day we said yes to him! “Take off your filthy rags.” God has made you His righteousness; that’s the truth and you, like Joshua, can stop listening to and believing Satan and let your mind be renewed and transformed. The way you do that is you take the lies of Satan captive and refuse to listen to them, and instead you embrace the Word of God and what He says about you and embrace who Jesus made you into.

Look at what happened to Satan’s accusations when the robes of righteousness were placed on Joshua. Satan went mute, because Satan has nothing to say when we stand in the Righteousness of Christ.

Remember you are already dressed for success against Satan, because your filthy rags have been removed and you are now wearing the Robe of Righteousness of Christ.

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, my filthy rags were removed the day that I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I ask that Your truth would break through my feelings, my experiences, and the lies of Satan and the world, that continually remind me of my sins. Satan is a liar and deceiver and I refuse to listen to what he says about me. Instead I will shine Your Word on his lies and I will focus on what Your Word says, which is; I am forgiven, I am loved by You, my sins are as far from me as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), You remember my sins no more, and You do not want me to live in any guilt and shame. Father, I get on my knees before you and with my palms open to You I receive Your grace, Your mercy, and Your forgiveness of my sins.Thank You for taking away my sin! Thank You for putting the fine Robe of the Righteousness of Christ on me. Thank You Jesus for what You did on the cross. Jesus is my Lord and Savior. In the Name of Jesus, my Robe of Righteousness, I pray, Amen.

 Laura Ingle