“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.” Romans 13:12
We are living in the last days when deep spiritual darkness covers the earth. The final spiritual conflict of this age is fast approaching and it is time for every believer to put on the armor of light to be ready for that day. “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:11-12).” God’s armor of light can stop all the enemy’s weapons and protect every true believer in time of danger. The armor of light contains the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:14-17). Without this armor, no Christian can hope to defeat the devil’s forces of darkness. His aim is to deceive and devour weak and vulnerable souls in this final conflict. However, with God’s armor of light, every Christian can stand in the heat of battle and triumph over the devil. “And they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives even when faced with death (Revelation 12:11).”
In order for God’s armor of light to effectively protect us in battle, two actions are necessary. The first action required of us is repentance. Every soldier of Christ must repent from any deeds of darkness. The Bible warns us, “Do not give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27).” Any Christian who continues to practice sin will have holes in his armor and the enemy will use these openings to snare and defeat him. “Be on the alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking around for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).” Some Christians think they can practice sin each day but then quickly grab their armor when the spiritual combat gets intense. But if you have a habit of practicing sin, you will not be ready when the enemy comes upon you. You will not be able to put on the armor of light to protect you during the time of greatest danger. You must practice righteousness now so you can wear the armor of light when you need it. “God is light… if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light… the blood of Jesus His Son purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:5-7).”
The second action required of us is to believe. Every soldier of Christ must have faith in His Commander Jesus Christ. It is crucial for us to believe that God, through Jesus Christ, has already totally defeated the devil. The Bible says Christ disarmed Satan’s forces of darkness and triumphed over them through the cross (Colossians 2:16). “So that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery… (Hebrews 2:14-15).” When Christ died, God included us in Christ’s death so that our sinful nature died with Him and was removed from us (Romans 6:6). When Christ rose from the dead, God included us in His resurrection so that His Son might live in us (Ephesians 2:4; Colossians 1:27). Because we no longer have a sinful nature, we are freed from the power of sin and the devil can no longer cause us to sin (Romans 6:7). “The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).”
We must never lose sight of Christ’s triumph on the cross. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2).” We were saved by faith in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and we now overcome by faith in Christ’s victory on the cross. The cross is the secret to our overcoming. Christ conquered Satan and sin on the cross. Through the cross of Christ, we have been crucified to the world and the world has been crucified to us (Galatians 6:14). We are now seated with Christ in the heavenly places far above all rule and authority and power and dominion (Ephesians 1:20-21; 2:6). Jesus Christ commands us to stand firm and occupy the spiritual ground of victory He has already conquered for us (Romans 8:37). Therefore, we do not have to fight to gain victory over sin; instead we fight from an already secure position of victory over sin because of Christ’s victory!
We are involved in a spiritual battle with the forces of darkness in which the devil is waging an all-out war to capture the hearts and minds of the human race. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4).” Therefore, when we put on the armor of light, we must also put aside all worldly pursuits and pleasures that divide our devotion to Christ. “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please his commanding officer (2 Timothy 2:4).” Through His cross, Jesus has enabled us and expects us to lay aside all activities and associations that compromise us.
But that is not all. Jesus died on the cross to deliver each one of us from our own prison of darkness, so that God’s light could shine through us to a world sick with sin. We were redeemed from Satan’s dominion not merely for ourselves, but for countless others who languish under sin’s power. Therefore, putting on the armor of light is not an option; it is a necessity. “The weapons of our warfare are not worldly but divinely powerful to demolish strongholds… we take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).” By putting on the armor of light, we ensure we are ready to hear and carry out Christ our Commander’s orders!
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6:13