February 11, 2022 – Friday
Romans 13:12 NIV
12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Comment.
The armor of light, how does one put it on? Before we answer this question, let us look at this verse in context (v11-14), And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Some versions read, The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. It is not simply a matter of putting aside the deeds of darkness, but they must be cast off, which means they must be gotten rid of, thrown away. You are not putting such deeds away for a later time, they are being replaced by clothing yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ or putting on the armor of light for He is the source of all light.
Guzik says, The illustration is from taking off and putting on clothes. When you get dressed every day, you dress appropriately to who you are and what you plan to do. Therefore, everyday, put on the Lord Jesus Christ! Then he adds, We must cast off before we can put before quoting Spurgeon, The rags of sin must come off if we put on the robe of Christ. There must be a taking away of the love of sin, there must be a renouncing of the practices and habits of sin, or else a man cannot be a Christian. It will be an idle attempt to try and wear religion as a sort of celestial overall over the top of old sins.
And of the armor of light Guzik says, This is related to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. When we put on Christ, we put on all the armor of God and are equipped to both defend and attack. Then there is this from Morris, “Putting on Christ is a strong and vivid metaphor. It means more than put on the character of the Lord Jesus Christ, signifying rather Let Jesus Christ Himself be the armor that you wear.”
Beyond this, when we look at the beginning of the verse, The night is nearly over; the day is almost here, we see a teaching by Paul of the eminence of the end times when Jesus will return. This does not mean they, the early Christians, thought Jesus would return in a short number of years. Instead, they looked at the death and resurrection of Jesus as the beginning of the last days or as some would put it, the beginning of the end. While many tumultuous events will occur before His return, it is His return that is the next truly great event in God’s plan for mankind. The night we experience and those before us have experienced is nearly over in terms of eternity. It may last another day, another month, another year, another decade, or longer. Only the Father knows when. Until then we are to wear the armor of light or clothe ourselves in Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Father God, Sooner or later or individual day will come when we enter into eternity. Help us to wear the armor of light until that day. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek