But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

He makes two commands:

The first one is positive, the second negative.

The first command isn’t justification.  It isn’t salvation language.  The clear sense is a wardrobe metaphor, so the already believer exercises the righteousness of Christ he has obtained by faith.  He gets up every day and puts on the practicalities of Jesus that He has already received through justification.  He can do this.  Gill says it is “the exercise of grace and discharge of duty; to walk as he walked, and as we have him for an example, in love, meekness, patience, humility, and holiness.”

A good way not to do something is by doing something else that isn’t that thing not to do.  If someone fills up his life with the ways of Jesus as taught in scripture, he won’t be doing what is prohibited in the second half of the verse.  The Lord Jesus Christ clashes with a lot of what people view or treat as if acceptable.  Paul uses the whole name or title of Jesus, bringing in everything about Him.

He’s Lord, obey Him.  He’s Jesus, so He’s saved you from sin, including the practice of it.  He’s Christ, so He is all eternity for you, the King Who sits on the throne of David forever.

Putting on is unceasing and close.  You’re wearing this, which means you’re not taking it off.  It’s on you, so it saturates, surrounds, and envelops.  It affects every area of life, whether eating or drinking or whatsoever you do.  This includes all cultural issues.  If you are wearing Him, you can’t separate Him from your bar, your live music or concert, and your ungodly friends.

If you put on the Lord Jesus Christ, you won’t tolerate the name of His Father in vain.  You will however work His glorious name into conversation, solutions, and testimony.  Out of the abundance of your heart, Jesus being that abundance, your mouth will speak Him.

Living out Christ in the world isn’t a matter of avoiding the practice of specific violations in a list of sins.  Those lists are in the New Testament, but they are representative, not all-encompassing.  Paul describes living out Christ in Philippians 3:3 with three commands:  “worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

The second part is negative, but also reads as it is opposite of the first part.  Someone putting on the Lord Jesus Christ can’t at the same time make provision for the flesh.  I see a lot of making provision for the flesh among professing Christians that they see compatible with Jesus.  It’s another Jesus.  Jesus is not congruent with the flesh.  You are making up another Jesus so that you can still have Jesus.  He isn’t Jesus.

Something has to give, Jesus or the flesh.  If someone concocts a different Jesus, one who likes rock and country music, he’s already given up Jesus.  You can’t keep flesh and Jesus.  This is to fulfill the lust thereof.  Rock and country were originated around pleasing the flesh.  This also includes sensual dancing, tight and immodest clothing, and entertainment with foul language, sex, and nudity.

You have to choose.  Put on the Lord Jesus Christ or make provision for the flesh.  Paul writes further in Galatians 5:24, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”  If you are Christ’s, you have crucified the flesh.  The flesh doesn’t have dominion any more.

Making provision for the flesh is something less than flesh.  Flesh is prohibited, but even something short of that, making provision for the flesh, is also barred.  Flesh won’t occur when making provision doesn’t occur.  A legalistic path is to reduce everything to the rules one isn’t breaking, when God stops short of an actual rule to not even making provision.  Making provision is why the fulfilling of lust happens.  This is why Paul issues other commands, such as flee idolatry and flee fornication.  Not fleeing is some of how someone also makes provision for the flesh.

You have to stop saying that you have permission to make provision for the flesh.  You’re commanded make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill lust.  You’re not putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, so you’re disobeying that command as well.  You can say you love Jesus.  You’re not loving the Lord Jesus.  You’re not putting Him on.  You’re ashamed of actual Jesus.  The flesh, your lust, is too important to you, more important than Jesus.