The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us, therefore, cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”
Romans 13:12
Oh! The night is far spent, meaning that we may have spent too much time working for ourselves and doing for ourselves. We may have become farsighted in that we only look at things from a distance instead of up close and personal. Sometimes things that are seen up close may be too personal to deal with. We would rather avoid them altogether. Putting on the armor of light is talking about personal relationships with each other and God. Those of us born in the Baby Boomer Generations were concerned about relationships. The value of spending time with family and friends. I made it my mission as a teen to find out the true meaning of what love is. The Baby Boomers brought the symbol for love and peace. Anti-war walks against the war in Vietnam and to live in peace by loving one another was the theme of the day. LSD was the “tune in, turn off and drop out,” drug along with marijuana smoking. Some of us thought it was the end of the world.
Does this sound familiar? If you could only have seen what I have seen after a party at a home in 1974 in Southern California where everyone was dropped out on the floor and lying down into a stupor. Talk about zombie land. There was no light shining in this place of darkness. The Baby Boomers may have inherited the American Dream, but at what cost? Married couples worked very hard to achieve that dream of owning a home. Those who have settled down knew the value of love and friendship within the home and wanted the next generation to understand that value. The world was growing at a fast pace where education and technologies were the key to getting ahead and to have more time for family and friends. I wondered what happened to having more time for family and friends. Today, it is Twitter and Facebook that has become the new method of socializing. Have we become far sighted in our own relationship instead of up close and personal? The divide between each other seems to be the distance between the diamonds of the baseball field. Will we ever reach home plate? Why the division? Is it not self-gratification? Yes, self-gratification has taken over in our actions. When the self is not gratified, it screams out for attention.
Not everyone is looking at the full picture. How did we get to the place we now sit in? Many are living in the moment and denying everything else. The circumstances of Covid-19, the lack of baby formula, the logistic issues, the change in weather patterns, the breakout of war, the shootings, the burglaries, and the crystal meth problem has society screaming out for attention? We see it at a distance until it is up close and personal. Some people are demanding accountability while others are ignoring it altogether. Who is held accountable? It is so easy to point the finger. The apostle Paul states to “make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts,” in Romans 13:14. The principal key in any relationship is responsibility, trust, and respect.
He that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.”
Romans 14:1
Faithful servants of God are responsible to make sure that love works “no ill” against its neighbor or to those within the body of Christ. Let’s step back and look at the word darkness. When a room is dark, one cannot see what is in the room, or what danger there is in the room. Without the light to fill the room, one cannot see their steps. If you stand in darkness, how far can you see? Does not the darkness make everything obscure? Is it not the darkness that makes things unclear, concealed, and hidden? The Hebrew word for darkness is “chashak.” It means to be or grow dark. The word “chashak also speaks to the sanctuary of God in being a place of refuge, but it can also take on the meaning of being separated and cut off from God. The darkness is to consume and destroy without the covering or atonement of God. Who is walking around seeking someone whom he may devour? Is it not the adversary the devil? [ see 1 Peter 5:8]. What about consuming one another?
But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”
Galatians 5:15
Paul is warning the church to not bite and devour one another to the point of consuming or filling one’s mind and attention to arguing and accusing one another. We all will be judged by God. Remember that anyone who is troubling you shall bear his own judgment, [see Galatians 5:10]. We must step back in order to not be consumed by the enmity of an individual. We must stay under the shelter of God. Under His protection and not to follow those who follow after the flesh and its desires. Remember the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed, can it be, [see Romans 8:7]. Those who are walking in the flesh and who are carnal have lost their blessings or favor in God. We must repent from living in the flesh and come back to God to live in the Spirit where love, joy, and peace reside and not arguing, anger, and bitterness.
To put on the armor of light is to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts, [Romans 13:14]. Whatever I do in life is for the Lord and not for myself. That I cannot achieve within myself, my own righteousness since righteousness is a gift from God, and we all were bought with a price. That price was paid through the blood of Jesus Christ. God sent his son that the world might be saved. This is the love of God for us in that He gave us His only Son. This is the reason why we put on the armor of light, for that light is the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the reason why Paul tells us to follow after the things, which make for peace, and things with which one may edify another, [see Romans 14:19]. We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service, [see Romans 12:1]. This is done on a daily basis for each day belongs to the Lord.
If we are to live unto the lord each day, then we must cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light that will guide our steps in the path of righteousness and not into the path of darkness. Listen to the red-letter words in Revelation chapter 3.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent.”
Revelation 3:19
The above quote was said to the church at Laodicea who is in a state of apostasy. They are denying the truth and changing doctrine to meet their own personal belief. If you are not in conviction even as a Christian in your everyday walk with God, then something is wrong with your communion with God. We must continue to grow into the image of Christ, and this only comes as we learn about God’s ways and receive instruction into the word [the bible] that brings conviction into our heart. If you have stopped reading his word, you have no conviction and you have no instruction into the heart of God. Part of the armor of light is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, [see Ephesians 6:17]. How can you overcome the evil if you do not know how to stand in faith and put on the armor of light. If you are not chastened by the Lord, how can you grow into the image of Christ. Therefore, be zealous and repent while there is still time. Repent is to change your mind in the way you walk to the way of God. If you have fallen from the grace of God, get back under it by repenting from your ways to that of God’s way.
Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace where we may obtain mercy. If you have any kind of need, any unbelief in your heart, or a weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer. It is only Christ that can reconcile us back to God. It is Christ that has given us life. It is Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith. It is Christ who will keep us in perfect love. May we put on the “Armor of Light” each day and walk in love until He comes.
