Put on the Armor of Light
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March 30, 2014 |
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 "Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.
The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:11-12).
Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
People who want to be treated well by others and to show off are seeking after the lusts of the world. But once a person has hope for Heaven he or she never feels any envy of worldly fame and riches at all. It's because they will enjoy everlasting happiness and glory with God in the beautiful Heaven that can never be compared to anything in this world.
While God's beloved children are on this earth full of sin and evil, God wants us to put on the armor of light. He has hope that His children will overcome everything with faith all the time and everywhere and be able to demolish the camp of Satan that prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Then, what should we do to put on the armor of light and drive away darkness with faith as spiritual warriors?
1. It is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep
The Bible is the Word of the living God. In the very first chapter you can see how the heavens and the earth and all things in them were created. Why did God create all of it and let people live on the earth? He wanted to cultivate countless people on the earth to gain true children who seek after His heart and He wants to share love with them forever.
Then, when will the Lord come to take wheat-like believers? Acts 1:11 reads, "This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." Just as spoken, it is when the Lord returns in the air. Jesus shed blood on the cross to redeem us from sins and he was resurrected on the third day. The resurrected Lord Jesus is now preparing our dwelling places in Heaven and He will surely come for us when the appointed time comes.
That is why God says to us in Romans 13:11, "Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed." He urges us to be always awakened, dwell in the Light, and wait with longing for the Lord who will come again.
Then, what do we have to do to 'be awake all the time'? We have to obey the Word in Romans 13:12-14 that states, "The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts."
Here, 'Behave properly as in the day' refers to a person's heart, lips, and deeds that are to be kept holy in carrying out their duties as men (Proverbs 4:23, 10:19; 1 Peter 1:15). For this, we should cast away various things first that belong to darkness such as carousing, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, sensuality, strife, and jealousy. We can follow the desire of the Holy Spirit more to the extent that we have goodness in our hearts. On the other hand, to the extent that we have evil in our hearts we act in untruth and dwell in darkness. Hence, we must quickly cast off the darkness, behave properly as in the day and put on the armor of light.
2. To put on the armor of light
In order to put on the armor of light, we have to abstain from the desire to follow lusts and the things of the flesh. We should also put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Son of God who is the Word, came to the earth in flesh. He is Jesus, so He is the Word itself. Thus, 'to put on the Lord Jesus Christ' means to practice the Word of God. It is very important to keep and practice the Words in the 66 books of the Bible after we learn. If we put on light just as the Lord, we will make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. In addition, 'putting on the armor of light' not only refers to practicing the Word of God— the basic level of faith— but it is also revealing the glory of God even at the risk of one's life—the level of a spiritual warrior.
For instance, Daniel's three friends put on the armor of the Word of God telling them not to worship idols or to serve them. So, they didn't compromise even facing the threat of being thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. If we put on the armor of light, we can please God, and in pleasing God we can be protected and achieve victories in every matter.
As the end time is drawing nearer and nearer, Satan increasingly prowls around to seek after just one more soul to devour and lead to death (1 Peter 5:8). In order to win in this intense spiritual warfare, we should dwell only in the Light which is the truth. In other words, we must put on the Lord Jesus Christ and completely cast away all things in the vanity that belongs to the world. So, if one puts on the armor of light, what kind of deeds should be shown?
3. The deeds of those who put on the armor of light
Above all, they have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24). They commit everything including their own will and feelings to God and act only in the truth. Esther cut herself from fear and desire to seek her own benefit, and saved her people by going to the King with determination saying, 'If I perish, I will perish.'
Next, those who put on the armor of light have no fear of death if it results from preaching the gospel. Apostle Paul was such a person. He rejoiced and felt happy though he underwent persecutions and afflictions while preaching the gospel. This kind of heart that he had was his armor of light. He had taken a leading role in persecuting believers in the Lord during the times of the Early Church. But, he met the Lord on the way to Damascus. From that time on, he strived to preach the gospel of the Lord, not sparing his own life. He had no fear of death due to hope for rewards that would be given to him in Heaven.
Lastly, if we put on the armor of light, we will love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. If we love enemies from the bottom of our hearts, it is the greatest level of goodness and we come to dwell in perfect Light. So, the forces of darkness can't even touch us. People who are in the armor of light can become spiritual warriors, walk the right path with understanding, and gain wisdom and strength to destroy the camp of Satan.
4. The forefathers of faith who wore the armor of light
Abraham was called 'God's friend'. He put on the perfect armor of light such that even the king of a nation bowed before him. Ruth also put on the armor of light in following the duties of goodness. She was blessed to have her name registered in the genealogy of Jesus though she was a Gentile woman. Daniel also had no flaw and spot, so hungry lions could not even begin to harm him. When Daniel's three friends were thrown in the furnace of blazing fire because they didn't follow the King's command to worship a golden image, they were protected and the hair of their head wasn't even singed. Joseph followed the right path without compromising with any unrighteousness and ended up becoming the second ruler of Egypt after Pharaoh.
Just as Psalm 91:14 says, "…I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name," if we know God and act in His will, God will surely lift us up. Also, Psalm 91:15 reads, "I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him." As recorded, God will protect us even if trials and afflictions come, so we can have peace and glory as children of Light.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I hope you will behave properly as in the day. Cast off carousing and drunkenness. Abstain from sexual promiscuity and sensuality. Avoid all strife and jealousy. I urge you to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and become spiritual warriors who can destroy the camp of Satan. I pray in the name of the Lord that by doing so you will lead many people to the way of salvation and glorify God.
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