Robed

We have two images in our minds of two different types of kings.
The monarchs of the world wear the finery of their rank. Often the royal regalia of crown, robe, scepter and orb are made of the finest silks and velvets, the rarest furs, the most precious gold, silver, and platinum, and the largest and most costly gems. The finery is to represent the monarch's governmental authority, and the authority to reign given to them by God. All of these royal garments are quite magnificent, of course. Great royal pageantry accompanies the monarch on special occasions.
In contrast with earthly kings, the Kingship of Christ was not brought about with fanfare, heraldry and pomp, but with death...and not a glorified, heroic death in the eyes of the world that would be accompanied by the admiration and praises of men. It was a humiliating death, a death deemed fit by the world for the undesirables, the insurgents, the criminals, and for those whom the world and religion labeled as blasphemers.
The greatest King of all, portrayed above, wore a robe and crown of a far different nature than those worn by earthly kings. He wore a robe and crown of torn flesh, pierced flesh, beaten flesh, bleeding flesh. He was crowned and covered in this robe of crucified flesh from head to toe. However, it is this very robe that this King agreed to wear, that elevated Him to the highest realms of majesty:
"...(He/Jesus) made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."   Phil. 2:7-11
We are also called to be kings before God. The robes, royal crown and symbols of authority of the kingship to which we are called, are not made from precious furs, metals and gems, shining in earthly brilliance, drawing ooh's and ahh's from the attending crowds as we pass. Jesus calls us to wear the same robe that He wore: to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him (Mt. 16:24, Mk. 8:34, Mk. 10:21, Lk. 9:23, Gal. 2:20, Gal. 6:17). We are to wear His robe, and come in the name that God has given Him, the name above all other names.The Apostle Paul also said:
"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us...always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you."  2 Cor.4:7-12
The principle here in the words of Paul carries great power, but what does it require in our lives?
The verses from Philippians are prefaced with the command from Paul, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus...", and Paul concludes these thoughts saying, "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed...work out your own salvation in fear and trembling;"
When considering our roles as kings and priests, our concept of kingship is influenced by the worldly image. When we think of ourselves in our role as king/priest, we might be likely to picture ourselves more after the magnificent image and finery of the earthly king. When we hear about the "authority of the believer" connected to our roles as kings and priests, we might be tempted to puff up a little in our spiritual self-importance, not understanding the nature of the well from which the authority of the believer must be drawn. We are seated with Christ, as we identify with Him, with His death, burial, and resurrection, serving as He served, giving His life as a ransom for many, making and being intercession for many. 
We proclaim righteousness. We see the sin, and warn of the consequences. Our hearts are heavy and burdened as we continually desire to proclaim the Word, and bring the delivering truth. However, rather than bringing to the birth, we often feel that we bring forth wind instead (Isa. 26:17-18), meaning an abortive effort. As kings and priests of the kingdom of God, we are called to an earth shaking, and earth transforming ministry, but we need to keep in mind that the robe and crown with which we are to be clothed makes all the difference in our effectiveness in this. The words we are bringing must be accompanied by the robes of the office- in this case, the pierced flesh and the blood, showing that the working of that Word has started in us first. When the words we speak are accompanied with the robe of Christ, which is crucified flesh, we become a confirming sign to the Word which we bring. An evil, perverse generation demands of us, "Show us a sign!", and we can say, "Yes, I will show you one sign- the sign of Jonah, and the sign of Christ: dead and risen again" (Lk. 11:29-30). As we follow Christ, we must also be His same sign to our generation. Those to whom we bring the Word of salvation can discern whether we come to them wearing that robe of Christ, or not. For me, it is not an easy robe to wear.
The Book of revelation teaches about overcoming the devil that deceives the whole world:
"So the great dragon (fabulous serpent that when looked upon, causes fascination) was cast out, that serpent (emblem of cunning and ungodly wisdom, artful and malicious, causing to gaze at something remarkable) of old, called the Devil (false accuser, slanderer, opposing the cause of God, to throw over) and Satan (adversary, prince of evil spirits, inciting apostasy from God and to sin, one who withstands, resists, opposes, to lie in wait), who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."  Rev. 12:9-11
I see the connection to wearing that robe of Christ here in these verses from Revelation. This is what victory and deliverance looks like, isn't it? It looks like the ghastly, but majestic robe of Christ. The enemy, by the meaning of his names, wants to capture our eyes, and hold them on his manifestations. When we come in the robe of Christ, we focus all eyes upon that robe, the manifestation of crucifixion, instead.
Christ, also in the Book of Revelation, exhorts His churches to "overcome" the evil that has penetrated, or challenged them. Along with delivering the truth of the Word of salvation, the church is also to "overcome" the enemy within. The manner of overcoming, according to the verses above, has everything to do with the witness of crucifixion, Christ's, and even our own dying in spirit, if not always in the natural. We need to understand that crucifixion is not the same as persecution. We suffer persecution from outside, but we offer ourselves, by our own obedience and free will, to crucifixion from the inside. Christ surrendered Himself to crucifixion: His life was not taken from Him. He offered it of Himself. His crucifixion transformed billions of souls, and will continue to do so. Our crucifixion also has this far reaching effect. How do we apply this principle of overcoming that is founded in the death of Christ and self? I would like to work with the following example:
Romans Chapter 1 lists many manifestations of sinful behavior that we are seeing all around us today to such a great degree. Like all of the works of Satan, our eyes are drawn to,  fixed upon, appalled by, the various behavioral or outward manifestations. Every time we listen to the news, our eyes are drawn in heartbreak to all of the manifestations of evil, being broadcast for the very purpose of drawing the eye. All of those manifestations, according to Romans 1, have a common root. The single root of the manifestations listed in that chapter is in those who have been shown the truth, but have chosen to suppress (hold down) the knowledge of the truth. They suppress it within themselves, and they try to suppress it in others. They know God, but they don't glorify God, and are thankless towards Him. Their eyes and efforts are fixated upon the creature and the creation, rather than the Creator. How does our wearing of the kingly robe of Christ overcome this root, and the manifestations that follow? 
Although the root cause in Romans 1 describes a deep apostasy, hasn't each one of us, believers to whom God has revealed Himself, also been guilty to some degree of refusing the truth at some level? Maybe we have judged the truth to be "error", because it seemed to conflict with what we already believed, maybe even judged it to be heresy. Maybe the truth was, to quote Al Gore, "inconvenient" for us. Maybe the truth conflicted with our will, and our flesh, and we refused it. Maybe we didn't "approve" of the one who was bringing the truth. Maybe we ran away from the Word of truth because of the battle that it brings with it. Maybe the truth hurt our feelings. Maybe we got offended. We are each guilty of this, aren't we? For whatever reason, we have all had instances when we rejected the truth being brought to us.
Each one of us, though believers, have also been thankless and ungrateful to some degree, caught up in our circumstances, or our hurt, or our resentment, or disappointment, and have not given God the glory and the thanks to which He is entitled "in all things". It is easy to neglect this, isn't it?
Each one of us must have had instances when the creature, or the creation drew us, drew our eyes, our desires, even covetousness, drew our thoughts, plans, finances and efforts, more than  should have been allowed by us, perhaps, displacing, even if for a short time, our commitment of heart, soul, mind, and strength to God, creating idols in so doing.
This is where we face it, admit it, repent of it, and offer ourselves to crucifixion for the shame connected to it, and understand what our role has been in the root cause of the various manifestations that afflict greater and greater numbers. Are we willing to put on the robe of Christ for ourselves and unknown others as we come against this root to "overcome" it? This is the very thing for which Jesus has provided to us His robe. We see the root in ourselves, even if just a hint of it, and we apply crucifixion to it. I recognize that the root cause also dwells in me, just as it dwells in others whom my eyes have become fixed upon. This is where the kingly and priestly deliverance of our calling can begin-when we put on the robe of Christ, coming in His highly exalted name, and the Word of His name, understanding what the Father has called us to do. As I try to understand more about it, perhaps I will have more success living it.  While the robe overcomes the root cause in me, because I serve as a priest and a king, it also overcomes for many others at the same moment. We all repent for ourselves, but perhaps my wearing the robe of Christ opens the spiritual door of grace for others to repent as well. A heart's desire to repent, and the opportunity to repent, is given by the grace of God (Heb. 12:16-17), and that grace came through Jesus (Jn. 1:16), and it flowed to us through the cross. Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more (Rom. 5:20). Let us cause grace to abound.
Jesus promised that all men would be drawn to Him as He was crucified (Jn. 12:32-33). Let us also draw men to Him by wearing the robe of Christ. As we enter into our "overcoming" spiritual warfare, we are told that we punish all disobedience when our obedience is fulfilled (2 Cor. 10:6). Wearing the robe of Christ causes us to fulfill that obedience, as Christ wore it to fulfill His obedience before His Father. It is the Lamb slain who sits upon the throne (Rev. 5:6, 12).
We need to know and walk these truths now, because the stakes will get even higher and tougher in the times ahead. Satan wants the world's eyes focused on the manifestations of his works, but Jesus has called us to wear that robe of greater glory, given for capturing the eyes of men, for the drawing and freeing of ourselves and others.

Our Father has given us a kingly robe to wear.


"Watch the Lamb"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw8cSvJxStQ

"Crown Him"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqy-gob13kA