People of Light
The Armor of Light – Part I
Scripture Reading: Romans 13:8-14
Key Verse: Romans 13:12
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.
Today’s Scripture Reading starts out reminding the People of Light to fulfill the Law by living out the God’s love.
One aspect of the “armor of light” is a practical one: pay all our debts. We are not to allow any debt to remain outstanding. That means when we take out a loan, we are to work at paying it off until we pay it in full.
However, there is one “debt” that we are to allow… the debt of loving one another. The Apostle Paul lists this as a debt because we have received the “loan” of God’s love, and we can never totally pay that off. We are to daily work at it by continually love the people around us.
Remember that Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments up in two commands: Love God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40).
Today’s Scripture Reading also warns us that Jesus is coming again and that it is sooner than what we might think (Romans 13:11-12). The Apostle said to work at loving people with an understanding of the present time. In other words, as we go about our days, remember that Jesus could come any time, so make sure you are fulfilling the command to love one another.
Are there times that you feel you are not ready for Jesus’s coming? I do not mean that you would not go to heaven. But be ready for that great day by working at your love for others like it was your last day on earth.
Our Key Verse for today is a powerful one. “The night is nearly over”, meaning our life on earth will come to an end sooner than we think.
“The day is almost here”, meaning when Jesus shows up, He will be the Light that pierces all darkness.
“So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light”. The deeds of darkness are in Romans 13:13, things such as carousing, drunkenness, sexual immorality, debauchery, dissension, jealousy, and gratifying the desires of the flesh.
The good news is that all these deeds of darkness are eliminated as we “clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14a). More on this tomorrow!
Father, my debt to You for loving me and forgiving all my sins is too large to ever repay. Help me continually pay on that debt by loving others and walking in the Light of Jesus. It is in Jesus’s Name I pray, amen.