The Armor of Light

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Short Summary
The discourse centers on Paul’s teaching of the “armor of light” in Romans 13:12, emphasizing the urgency for Christians to awaken from spiritual lethargy and actively put on Christ as their spiritual armor. It explains that the “night” symbolizes the long period of spiritual darkness caused by sin and deception, while the “day” represents the era of enlightenment brought by Jesus, urging believers to cast off sinful behaviors and live in alignment with God’s truth and righteousness. The practical application involves disciplined, faithful living modeled after Christ, resisting works of darkness such as strife, envy, and immorality, and maintaining a committed, active walk in the light of God’s favor.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary of the Discourse on the Armor of Light (Romans 13:12 and Context)

Context and Theme Selection:
– Paul discusses the Christian armor in several Scriptures, notably Romans 13 and Ephesians 6.
– The Portland brethren chose Ephesians 6:13 as their convention theme, but this discourse focuses on the “armor of light” from Romans 13:12.
– The discourse provides an overview of the armor in Ephesians 6 to prepare for a detailed symposium.

Paul’s Letter to the Romans:
– Paul wrote Romans to the consecrated brethren (both Jews and Gentiles) in Rome.
– Though he desired to meet them personally, he sent this detailed epistle through Phoebe as a substitute.
– According to William Barclay, Paul’s letters are pastoral, practical communications addressing real-life spiritual issues rather than abstract theology.
– The letter addresses the transitional phase of the early church moving from Judaism to Christianity, clarifying what it means to be a true Christian.
– Topics covered include consecration, faith, justification, baptism, and practical advice for Christian living.
– Romans can be seen as a guidebook or code of conduct for Christians.

Urgency in Romans 13:11:
– Paul emphasizes the immediacy of spiritual awakening: “knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep” (Romans 13:11).
– “Sleep” symbolizes spiritual lethargy or complacency.
– Solomon’s Proverbs 6:10 warns against laziness, illustrating the danger of spiritual indolence.
– Jesus’ warning in Luke 21:34 cautions believers not to be weighed down by worldly cares and distractions.
– Christians are urged to “wake up,” renew zeal, and reengage in their spiritual race, as salvation is nearer than when they first believed.

Exegesis of Romans 13:12 – “The Armor of Light”:
“The night is far spent”:
– Night symbolizes a long era of spiritual darkness and humanity’s separation from God due to Adam’s sin.
– Humanity replaced true worship with idolatry and superstition (Isaiah 60:2: “Darkness has covered the earth”).
– By Paul’s time, this night was almost over, about 4,000 years into sin’s reign.

“The day is at hand”:
– The “day” refers to the arrival of spiritual light, with two applications:
1. The millennial day starting with Christ’s return in 1874, marking increased enlightenment.
2. The gospel age beginning with Christ’s first advent, when “a great light” appeared (Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16).
– Jesus declared Himself “the light of the world” (John 8:12).
– The gospel age saints live in this day of light, though not the full light of the second advent.

“Cast off the works of darkness”:
– “Works” means actions or behaviors stemming from the night/darkness era.
– Darkness symbolizes spiritual obscurity, blindness, and misunderstanding, originating from Satan’s lies (John 8:12; 1 John 1:5; 2 Corinthians 4:4).
– Satan blinds minds by promoting falsehoods about God and His plan, e.g., that God is not loving, Jesus is not divine, or that hell is oblivion.
– Christians must reject these dark works and influences.

Examples of works of darkness (Romans 13:13):
– Paul lists behaviors to avoid, addressed to consecrated saints:
Rioting and drunkenness: Letting the mind run wild or being intoxicated, symbolizing lack of spiritual discipline (Ephesians 5:18).
Chambering and wantonness: Sexual immorality and licentiousness, including spiritual unfaithfulness or divided loyalties.
Strife and envying: Quarreling and jealousy, which stem from pride and self-glorification, causing division and malice.

Putting on the Armor of Light:
– Paul urges believers not only to discard darkness but also to actively “put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12).
– This armor is symbolic of righteousness, truth, love, wisdom, and the life-giving influence of God (1 John 1:5; Psalm 4:6).
– Jesus Christ is the embodiment of this light (John 8:12) and the perfect representation of God.
– To “put on the armor of light” means to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14).
– This involves active, determined effort: full consecration, studying Jesus’ example, walking in His steps, and enduring the spiritual battle.
– It implies living honestly and faithfully, being an ambassador for Christ, and maintaining spiritual discipline.
– Putting on Christ also means aligning with God, walking in His favor, instruction, guidance, and protection.

The Armor Analogy:
– Paul’s Roman background and audience’s familiarity with Roman military armor make the analogy effective.
– Spiritual armor is necessary for protection in the ongoing spiritual warfare.
– Similar armor references appear in Ephesians 6 and other Pauline letters.

Summary and Exhortation:
– The “armor of light” is both protective and empowering, encompassing God’s righteousness and Jesus’ example.
– Each believer is responsible for actively wearing this armor, keeping it on, and walking in the light of God and Christ.
– This includes doing what God has revealed and avoiding what He disapproves.
– Walking in this light creates a safe spiritual environment where the new creature can flourish.
– The discourse closes with Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,” urging believers to adopt Christ’s mindset.

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Key Bible Verses Cited:

– Romans 13:11-14 (focus on verses 11-14)
– Proverbs 6:10
– Luke 21:34
– Isaiah 60:2
– Isaiah 9:2
– Matthew 4:16
– John 8:12
– 1 John 1:5
– 2 Corinthians 4:4
– Ephesians 5:18
– Psalm 4:6
– Philippians 2:5

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This discourse provides a comprehensive spiritual and practical understanding of the “armor of light,” emphasizing active Christian living, rejection of sin, and embracing the transformative power of Jesus Christ as the light.

Transcript

Paul addresses the Christian armor in several places in scripture including Romans 13 and Ephesians 6. The Portland area brethren selected Ephesians 6:13 as the convention theme text. However, as noted on your program, the topic for this hour is the armor of light referred to in Romans 13:12, and so our remarks during this hour will primarily center on Romans 13:12 and its context. The focus for this hour will provide with an overview to each of us of the whole armor of Ephesians chapter 6.

The three part symposium that follows today will discuss Ephesians 6 in detail. Hopefully this overview will prepare us for the symposium on the Ephesians 6 armor specifics.

We first take up for consideration the broad context of Paul’s letter to the Romans as a whole. The entire script of Romans is a letter that Paul wrote to all in Rome called to be saints. The ones Paul intended to read this letter were consecrated brethren, both Jew and Gentile. Paul wanted to fellowship in person with his Roman brethren, but he had been prevented. So he did the next best thing to minister to them.

He compiled and sent by way of Phoebe a personal letter. He still hoped to personally meet with them later, but the letter would suffice until then.

In his New Testament translation, William Barclay makes insightful observations about Paul’s letters. Paul’s letters are not high minded theological documents or technical treatises. They were letters, personal letters to real brethren having real issues who needed personal help. Paul was not some detached theologian. He was a passionate minister pastor ministering to God’s flock.

Now when we thumb through all 16 chapters of Romans, we might say this is no ordinary letter. It’s not just a friendly chat or thinking of you communication. It has meat to it, body substance. While Romans was not intended to be a treatise, Barclay suggests it comes very close.

Paul ministered to the early church when it was still in transition from Judaism to Christianity. The Jewish brethren in Rome and elsewhere tended to hang on to elements of Judaism.

Gentile brethren were sometimes not clear on what they needed to be or do to be true Christians. That’s what Paul addressed in in his letter to the Romans. He was trying to help both Jew and Gentile. He was trying to help them in their struggle to distinguish Judaism from true Christianity.

Paul told them what it takes to stop being a Jew and start being a Christian. He told them what it takes to stop being a dead sinner in Adam and a living Christian in Christ. Also, Paul counsels the brethren on what it means to become and remain a true Christian. He told them about consecration, faith, justification, baptism, and he gave them considerable fatherly advice.

Paul’s letter to the Romans might be characterized as a code of conduct for the true Christian Romans is a guidebook covering a wide variety of everyday duties of Christian life.

We now consider Romans 13:11, which is the immediate preceding context of our discourse text Romans 13:11 and that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

By the time Paul reaches verse 11, he has counseled the brethren many parts of Christian life. But notice in verse 11 that Paul is expressing a sense of urgency, a sense of immediacy. Paul brings time to bear on his counsel. He says, knowing what time it is, brethren, realize the time. It’s high time to wake up.

The due time is not tomorrow or next week. The due time is today. Now sleep here. Pictures a spiritual lethargy, a spiritual stupor, idleness or laziness in spiritual pursuits. Proverbs 6:10.

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep. Solomon is here characterizing a lazy, drowsy person. He’s not a hard worker, he’s indolent. At the time of our consecration, we are thrilled, excited, zealous to begin this new life in Christ. But it’s easy for a consecrated person to slide into a spiritual, lazy or lethargic person condition.

Over time we can become weary in well doing, discouraged, tired, we begin drifting along.

And then something else happens. We lose our focus on spiritual matters and turn to earthly ones. Jesus gave a powerful warning on this point, which Paul may have had in the back of his mind. Luke 21:34 and take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life. So that day come upon you unawares.

Jesus tells us to beware. We can easily become overcharged with unnecessary earthly matters. We can fall into a stupor or lose track of what time it is. Our time is marching on apace.

Becoming lukewarm has been a danger for every stage of the church, but especially the seventh.

So in Romans 13:11, Paul is sounding the alarm. Don’t let yourselves slide into a stupor, and if you find yourself already in a spiritual stupor, wake up, get up, bestir yourselves to action. Renew your determination. Re engage yourselves zealously in fighting the good fight.

We have a race to run and finish. If we’ve strayed off the track, get back on and run.

Our salvation, our deliverance is nearer than when we first believed. This is true in two senses. First, each of us has only a limited time personally to make our calling election sure. Second, dispensationally, the gospel age can and will end when the spiritual class is fully developed. We have no foreknowledge of when either of these time limits will be reached.

We now turn to our discourse text of Romans 13:12, which reads, 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.

Let’s look at the various components of this text in some detail.

The night is far spent. What is night? Well, in a natural sense, it’s a span of time when we cannot see. Paul uses this term to refer to the long time when humanity in general loses sight of God. Adam disobeyed he.

He there incurred God’s judgment and the death sentence took effect. Once sin entered, God began to turn his face of favor, his light, from humanity in general.

Not only did humanity lose their contact with God, humanity put the true God out of their minds. Shortly after Adam’s sin, humanity replaced the one true God by countless heathen gods. Heathendom and superstition infected every culture, including Egypt, Greece, Rome and even Israel. Isaiah, chapter 60, verse 2, which we read in part. Darkness has covered the earth, and gross darkness the people.

Paul came face to face with this nighttime of heathen blindness when he visited Greece.

By the time we get to Paul’s day, the night of sin was far spent. Man was 4,000 years into it.

But Paul does not leave it there. He quickly injects a word of encouragement for the saints. He says, the day is at hand. The word day in Scripture is applied differently depending on context. A day can be definite, such as a 24 hour day or a 1000 year day, or indefinite, such as our day.

Based on the context, we believe that the word day in Romans 13:12 has two proper applications. First, it can refer to the millennial day that Bible chronology marks with the return of Our Lord in 1874. Enlightenment of humanity began in the 1500s and it took a major step forward after 1799. However, 1874 began a time of unparalleled enlightenment on all aspects of life. Scientific enlightenment, social awareness, literacy, etc.

Began a dramatic increase after 1874. In this millennial day application, the day was at hand in the sense it was near in epoch time.

Two thirds of man’s nighttime of sin had passed, only another 1/3 to go to the second advent.

But there is a second application of the word day, a broader application than just post 1874 the second application of the day applies to the entire gospel age beginning at the first advent.

We bear in mind that the letter to the Romans was not written to the world in general. Paul said in Romans 1:7. He was writing specifically to the saints in Rome. Spirit begotten brethren.

Something very dramatic happened at the first advent. God through Isaiah tells us of that event.

Isaiah 9:2 the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined.

Matthew 4:16 is in accord.

At the first advent a great light appeared. That great light was the Son of God, and Jesus says so.

John 8:12 I am the light of the world, and he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Jesus influence as the great light on the saints was not limited to the second advent era. The saints have had Jesus great light influence all through the gospel age. Jesus said, lo, I am with you always. Even unto the end of the world or age, worldly minded Christians remain in darkness. All true saints have constantly been in Jesus light.

In this gospel age application, Paul could rightly say that the day was at hand. The great light had come. Paul was that day of light. He was in that day the era of Jesus influence. This of course would not be the fullest light of Jesus second advent, but it was a day of light.

Paul clearly implies that this day of limited light had arrived with the first advent.

If no light had arrived, Paul’s urging us to put on the armor of light would be impossible.

How could early saints put on an armor of light if there was no light wherewith to be clothed? All gospel age saints have had available a sufficient measure of the light of Jesus influence.

In Romans 13:12, Paul goes on to say that given the time, the true saints must take action. The time came for the saints to cast off, to put away from themselves the works of darkness.

The word works means actions. Works are not in the span of time that he mentioned earlier, but rather the works are the effects, the results, the consequences of that span of time called night.

Paul urges the brethren to separate themselves from the darkness that characterizes the night. What is darkness? Well, it’s not physical darkness. Paul uses darkness in a symbolic sense.

The Greek word translated darkness is defined as obscurity. Something obscure is unknown. Something obscure is not understood. It’s something hidden. It implies a blindness.

Symbolic darkness causes one to stumble. Symbolically, to stumble means to misunderstand. Mental stumbling means wrong expectations, poor judgment and Failure to follow the Lord Jesus is a stumbling stone to both nominal Israels because they both misunderstand him.

Each Israel fails to recognize Jesus presence. They misunderstand and both fail to follow Him.

A question we might pose is where did this symbolic darkness originate?

Well, Jesus told us in John 8:12 that he is the light of the world. John says the same about God. First John 1:5, which we read in part, God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

If darkness does not come from God or from Jesus, that leaves Satan and his cohorts.

Second Corinthians 4:4, which we read in part, the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believed not. The word blinded here means to obscure, similar to the word darkness that we just considered.

What does Satan make obscure? He obscures the truth, the truth about God, his plan, etc.

Satan obscures truth by one simple technique. Lying. Satan is a liar and the father of lies. Satan lies about God.

He has deceived fallen man to believe God is not love. He is a sadist.

Jesus was not a man. Jesus was God. Hell is not oblivion. Hell is a place of eternal torment.

Jesus original sacrifice is not sufficient to forgive sin. Only papacy can forgive sin. Lies, endless lies.

The doctrines of devils. The lies of Satan and his cohorts have obscured countless truths.

As we saw a few moments ago, the works of darkness occur where truth is obscured.

So what are some specific works of darkness that all gospel age saints should know and repel?

Paul gives us a partial list in Romans 13:13 where he says, let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

In considering these works of darkness, we recall Paul was not writing to the depraved world. He was writing to consecrated brethren. He addressed them as saints, new creatures. Historians tell us that in Paul’s day, Rome had had become socially and morally depraved.

The brethren in Rome may well have been personally battling with corrupt fleshly influences. So Paul’s counsel could well apply to the fleshly conditions that he urged the brethren to resist. But we believe that Paul’s main focus was counseling brethren on their spiritual dangers. We first take up for consideration the three nots that Paul urges the brethren to know and repel. In other words, we first focus on what the apostle is advising us to not do, what things to put off.

The three knots are comprised of three pairs of conditions we must know and resist. These three knots are vital parts of our armor to be effective, we of course must use our spiritual armor. First, he says, do not walk in rioting and drunkenness. The Greek word for rioting means to let loose.

Letting our spiritual minds loose implies lack of discipline on what we allow to occupy our minds. We don’t want to just let our spiritual minds loose to spend time thinking about just anything. We want to keep our spiritual minds disciplined and focused on spiritual things as much as possible.

The Greek word translated drunkenness means to be intoxicated. This is an extension of rioting. It’s one thing to let our minds loose and undiscipline. It’s a greater issue to intoxicate our minds while we are in the flesh. We must give proper time and attention to the things of this world.

But we must discipline our minds and lives to not give matters of this life excess attention.

Ephesians 5:18 and be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess.

Giving excess attention to the things of this world benumbs and diminishes our spiritual senses. False doctrine obviously stupefies our spiritual senses and so does excess attention given to this world.

Paul’s second paired up admonition of armor is to not walk in chambering in wantonness. The Greek word translated chambering is defined as sexual intercourse. Chambering is immorality. These definitions are legitimate, but again, Paul is advising against a more refined application. We are certainly to avoid physically immoral behavior, but the new creature must avoid spiritual immorality.

The new creature is a spiritual virgin, betrothed to Christ, faithful to our engagement to Him.

New creatures must avoid giving allegiance to worldly organizations or even to just worldly causes.

The word translated wantonness is defined as licentiousness. It’s an extension of chambering. You know, it’s one thing to give allegiance to worldly causes, but it’s a greater issue to substitute Christ for them. The Corinthian Church had many problems that Paul alerted them to and helped them overcome.

Corinth was a licentious city, like Rome, but Paul addressed sectarianism as his top priority to the Corinthians. The Corinthian brethren had divided themselves into factions. Paulites, Apollo, sites, Peterites, etc. Well, why was that a problem? They viewed wise men as as their head, rather than Christ looking up to anyone other than Christ as the head of the Church, as our head is a dark work.

Paul’s third paired up admonition of armor is to not walk in strife and envying.

The Greek word translated strife is defined, not surprisingly, as contention, quarreling, debate. Strife is a work of darkness because it manifests a desire to glorify self, to puff up self. Strife manifests pride, thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. Strife manifests a desire to show that we are spiritually superior to others. Spiritual pride even preaching the truth, a work of darkness if we preach it out of strife and contention.

The Greek word translated envying is defined as a fire and as jealousy. Jealousy is resentment. Envying or jealousy toward others is a step beyond strife. Jealousy is fire. It’s intense.

Jealousy is insatiable it is never satisfied. It is closely allied with hatred and malice.

Envying or jealousy is a terrible work of darkness because it constantly stirs up trouble.

It seems unlikely that Paul intended this list of works of darkness in verse 13 to be complete. There are likely other specific works of darkness, and so we might generalize at this point. We might define the works of darkness in general as anything that God does not approve. Conversely, works of darkness in general include anything that Satan and his cohorts promote. Paul urges the brethren to not just separate from the darkness, but to step out into the light.

What is light?

We first consider natural light. Natural light waves are organized on a broad spectrum. X rays, Microwaves, radio waves, etc. Are all forms of light on the electromagnetic spectrum.

However, the human eye can detect only those light waves on a small part of that spectrum. The small spectrum of light visible to the human eye is called the visible light spectrum.

Visible light is comprised of seven colors. We commonly know these as the colors of the rainbow. Sunlight through a prism splits into red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

There is little doubt that natural light and symbolic or spiritual light share similar characteristics.

From an overview standpoint, light would seem to be something similar, something monolithic. But the Bible acts as a spiritual prism. The Bible demonstrates that spiritual light has components. Let’s consider a few of these components of spiritual light. We start with the most fundamental the apostle John provides the most fundamental answer to the question of what is light?

First, John 1:5. This, then, is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Light represents God’s righteousness. It represents his truth, his love, his wisdom, his power. Light not only represents what God is, it also represents the holy influence he exerts. God’s influence is life initiating, and God’s influence is life sustaining.

Without God creating and exerting physical light on earth, there would be no life on earth. Likewise, regarding spiritual light and spiritual life, no spiritual light no new creation. The psalmist tells us that God’s favor is light. The light of God’s countenance, his face. Psalms 4:6, which we read in part.

Who will show us any? Good Lord, lift up thy light, the light of thy countenance upon us.

God exerts his favorable influence on us, not only for a while, but everlastingly so. What is light? God is light. God is our light, truth and righteousness. He is our enlightenment, which clearly is another part of our armor.

We find in Scripture a further answer to our question, what is light? That answer is Jesus. Jesus personally declared in John 8:12 that we read in part, I am the light of the world. But a question might pose itself at this juncture. Is God the light or is Jesus well, the answer is it’s both.

Jesus said, he that seeth me, seeth the Father. Jesus perfectly represented God. Although Jesus was a perfect man, he was the perfect character image of God. Light is not only what Jesus was and is, but light represents Jesus holy influence as a perfect man. Jesus manifested what a perfect human being looked and behaved like Jesus influence his example.

His teachings were the beginning of the end of darkness on earth.

In verse 12, Romans 13, we see Paul refers to the armor of light. Why does Paul use the armor analogy? Several reasons. First, Paul was a Roman citizen. He knew very well about the Roman army.

Second, Paul was writing to the brethren in Rome. They also knew well the Roman army. Third, armor implies a battle. It beautifully illustrates new creatures needing spiritual protection. Paul makes extensive use of this analogy in many of his letters, such as Philippians and Timothy and so on.

In verse 12, Paul does not just say, we need to have spiritual armor, the armor of light, of truth and righteousness, the influence of our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus. But he goes further. He says, we must put on this spiritual armor. What does it mean to put it on? Paul answers this question very succinctly in Romans 13:14, which we read in part when he says, put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.

The connection between verse 12 and verse 14 is inescapable.

Verse 12 says to put on the armor. Verse 14 says to put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus, to put on the armor of light as a practical matter means to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, putting on Christ is not a passive activity. It’s not just believing. Putting on Christ means to take action. Taking action takes effort.

It takes focus. It takes energy. It takes unyielding resolve. To put on Christ means to align ourselves with him, make a full consecration Be a faithful disciple. Study Jesus example.

Get familiar with him. Study how he conducted himself and walk with him. Study what he taught. Copy his meek and quiet spirit. Following his lead, following his steps.

Being a soldier and keeping our armor on and using it is not easy. It involves hardness. It’s hard to be a soldier. Putting on Christ means don’t shrink from the rigors of battle when the going gets tough, and that’s not easy.

Putting on Christ is not just something we do internally. We are to be an example of Jesus, be a good ambassador for Christ, represent well the captain of our salvation. Putting on Christ means to walk as children of light, walk honestly to our professions, our professions of being a disciple of Christ.

Putting on Christ also inherently means to put on God. God is light. Jesus is his representative. So putting on God is also part of our putting on our armor. Putting on God means to align with Him.

If we align ourselves and walk with God, we are walking in the light of his countenance, his favor. We are walking in the light of his instruction, in the light of his guidance and the light of his protection.

In summary, if we align ourselves with our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus, we have this armor of light. It’s up to us, each of us, to actively use our armor, to put it on, keep it on. It’s up to us to walk in the light of their countenance. That means, to the very best of our ability, do what they have enlightened us to do. It also means, to the very best of our ability, don’t do what they have enlightened us to avoid.

If we do both, if we walk in their countenance in both respects, we are in our safe space. Our new creatures will there exist in a powerful envelope where they are safe and can flourish.

We leave you with the words of the apostle from Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

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