What happens when we put on Christ according to Romans?
According to Romans, when we put on Christ, His righteousness becomes our covering. It totally covers the believer. God sees Christ rather than us, because His righteousness is by faith or the faithfulness of Jesus Christ unto all who believe. It is a work of God, not self-effort.
Les explains that the righteousness in view is not our own; ours is nothing but filthy rags, but it is the righteousness of God by the faith or faithfulness of Jesus Christ unto all who believe. He illustrates the word "upon" as being draped with a blanket or cloak that totally covers a person. When God looks at us, He sees that outer covering, which is Christ. That is what it means to put on Christ: whatever God sees is not us, it is Christ. Les stresses this happens by a work of God, not by human effort. He says we cannot crucify ourselves—it is impossible—and salvation is the same: we can do nothing; God has to do it, because it is done in the invisible realm, in the Spirit. He concludes that having put on Christ, according to Romans, it becomes His righteousness.