But clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and make no provision for [indulging] the flesh [put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature] to [gratify its] desires (lusts). Romans 13:14 (Amplified Bible)
Jesus many times talked about the dangers of this world–a few of them being addiction, deception, and distraction. In this verse Paul says to stop giving into and thinking about the evil cravings of our flesh.
That is much easier said than done. The enemy comes along to deceive saying, “It’s impossible to stop giving in all the time. You’re human. You make mistakes.” Then we give into the lie and stop pursuing altogether.
With all the things going on the world and the Information Age, we are constantly bombarded with problems, opportunities, interruptions, media and technology.
When we give in time after time after time we develop an addiction. Really, it is a habit of giving into our flesh.
We find ourselves in a conundrum where we don’t like the place we are in, we want to be free but we don’t know how to stop the merry-go-round and get off the ride. Plus, we’re not even sure if it is even possible to live as we believe we should be able to live. Free.
Where do we start? Change your shirt.
The first place to start is to change your clothes. See, clothes offer us many benefits. Clothing gives us identity. You recognize and differentiate between a nurse and a doctor by the clothes they wear. You recognize a construction worker or a homeless person by the clothes they wear. You recognize a slave or a free man by the clothes they wear. So, change your clothes.
Obviously, literally physically changing your clothes will do little to break addictions although in some cases it can. However, when you go to your job and wear the clothes your employer tells you to wear, whether direct or indirect, you are identifying yourself as being their employee and belonging to that company. For years, IBM was known in their industry for their employees (especially sales people) wearing white button-down shirts. If you had worked for IBM and then went to work at a construction company, you wouldn’t continue to wear your white button-down shirt. Depending on where you are in the country and the time of year, you might wear a flannel shirt or jeans and boots and drive a truck. Whatever the case is, you are the same person but you changed your identity and who you identify with.
The first step in breaking addictions is to stop identifying with the addiction. AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) has been great in helping lots of people win against their addiction but one of the errors that has slipped into their program is that they tell people, “Alcoholism is a disease and you will be sick your entire life.” In other words, there is no cure. You are destined to struggle with alcohol and always fight your entire life to be sober. No disrespect to anyone but that is nonsense.
Just to pick on this statement a bit (not AA) let’s break that statement down. “Alcoholism is a disease.” I understand why someone would say that because it makes people feel better to understand where the problem is coming from. It is frustrating to have something wrong in your life and not know the source. However, this line of rational is a half-truth. Everything bad including sickness and disease has it root in sin from the Fall of Man in the garden of Eden. Before the Fall, there was no sin, sickness, poverty, depression, fear, murder, lust, greed, etc. All of those things all are rooted in sin.
I know that they have done studies and studies about the effects of alcohol on the human body and there are people waiting in line to fight tooth and nail to the death on the fact that alcoholism is a disease. I’m not here to fight. But the problem is that these people by listing it as a disease don’t give anyone any “medication” to cure themselves of their “disease.” Alcoholism, drug-addiction, pornography, technology addiction, food addictions, (the list is nearly endless) are all spiritual problems. They must be dealt with spiritually to really gain the victory over them forever.
You do that by stop identifying with the addiction. Stop saying to yourself, “I’m addicted to porn.” “I just can’t stop eating.” “I’m a homosexual.” It doesn’t matter what the “problem” is. We all have issues/addictions. Some are classified by society as being “fine.” Others are classified as being “dysfunctional.” Whatever the case, there are people whose lives have been destroyed by work. They are addicted to working. Yet, society looks up to these people as successful and down on others who may struggle with some other addiction.
In other words, you’re not alone. You are struggling with a problem/addiction and so is the guy next to you. Just because it’s not the same problem doesn’t mean they don’t have them. But the starting point is the same no matter what it is.
Change your clothes. Stop identifying with the problem or addiction and start identifying with Jesus. He doesn’t have any addictions. He doesn’t have any problems. He is Lord and Master.
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Ephesians 1:17-23 (NIV)
Paul prayed that you would begin to understand all that God had done for you in Jesus. And the power that is working in you, the same power that God raised Jesus from the dead. When God raised Jesus from the dead, He set Jesus on His right hand and put all things under His authority. All things is all things.
Jesus is in you and you are in Jesus, right?
Change your clothes. Identify with Jesus. Identify with your Lord; He is Lord. He is the King.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11 (KJV)
Think the way Jesus thought–He thought like God thought and acted the way God acted. Jesus thought I can be like God. We can be like Jesus with His strength and His ability.
God the Father exalted Jesus above everything–He put Jesus in charge and in authority over everything. Everything in heaven, earth and hell is subject to the name of Jesus.
No matter what the addiction or problem is that we struggle with, Jesus is Lord over it. Alcoholism is a name that is subject to the name of Jesus. Drugs are a name. Porn is a name. All of these things have a name and they are all subject to Jesus.
Change your clothes. Joseph changed his clothes to go from the prison to the palace (Genesis 41:14). You will never walk free into your Promised Land still thinking like a slave. You will never cross the Jordan wearing handcuffs. You must at some point decide that you are through with bondage and you are never going back. Change your clothes and burn the prison garments. God told the children of Israel never to go back to Egypt (Exodus 13:17, Deut. 17:16). Look unto Jesus, identify with Him and never go back.
Jesus is Lord!
Journey Into God 
Yes we need to recognize Jesus for who and what He is in us. We need to believe that Jesus is in us all the time. We need to understand that Jesus is there to be a friend and helper just like a friend you have today here on earth.
It brings a whole new dimension to the phrase, “Change your clothes!”