The Armour Of Light

“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 armour of light.”

Romans 13:12 (NKJV) 

Light is indispensable to practically all life and God tells us he created light in Genesis 1:3 and Isaiah 45:7.  In fact, “God is light and in him no darkness is found.”  (I John 1:5).  David knew this and he said, “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”  (Psalm 27:1). 

Light is often used in the Bible to represent all that is good; and darkness to represent evil.  In Biblical times the ending of night was often seen as the ending of a time of possible danger (Psalm 130:5-6).  In today’s world it can also be more dangerous to walk at night. 

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.  If you follow me you won’t have to walk in darkness because you will have the light that leads to life.”  (John 8:12 NLT). 

Robert Louis Stevenson, when he was a young boy, watched from his nursery window as a lamplighter in the street went along lighting the lamps.  When his nanny asked him what he was doing, he said, “I’m watching the man knocking holes in the darkness.” 

We live in a universe made dark by sin, and John explained that if anyone claims ‘I am living in the light’, but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness.  “Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.  But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness.  Such a person does not know the way to go having been blinded by the darkness.”  (I John 1:9-11 NLT). 

Jesus also said, “Your eyes are windows into your body.  If you open your eyes in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light.  If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dark cellar.”  (Matthew 6:22-23 MSG).

 The world has been made dark by sin.  But we have been called out of darkness into light (I Peter 1:9), so let’s put on the armour of light and knock holes in the darkness as we “walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8), and “shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). 

Prayer

Father, please help me not to be squinty-eyed, but to put on the armour of light and reflect the light of Christ to the world.  May I live up to the family motto of “Christ is my light”.

Amen

 Study by Jill Newman