People of Light
The Armor of Light – Part II
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.
Yesterday’s devotional ended with a wonderful picture of how to put on the armor of light: “clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14).
When I think about this concept, it suggests several thoughts for Christ-followers to include in their day.
The first thought that comes to my mind is about when I dress each day. I dress every morning. If you are a morning person like me, morning hours are the best time to clothe myself with the Lord Jesus Christ.
If praying and reading your Bible works better for you in the evening hours, then in the morning you can whisper a simple prayer asking the Lord to strengthen and protect you as you go through your day.
The second thought that comes to mind is “what clothes” help us look like the Lord Jesus Christ? The Apostle Paul gives us a broad answer in Romans 13:13:
Let us behave decently.
The English Standard Version (Romans 13:13 ESV) puts it this way:
Let us walk properly as in the daytime.
If I listed all the things that come to mind that fit into the category of “decent behavior”, it would start to look like the 600 plus rules of the Old Testament.
There certainly are some sinful ways listed in the New Testament. Today’s Scripture Reading (same as yesterday) listed some that I noted in yesterday’s devotional.
However, I think the proper summary of how to behave decently is given to us in Galatians 5:25:
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
God gives every believer His Spirit, that is clear according to Romans 8:9:
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
And that Spirit that lives within every believer guides us into all truth (John 16:13). So, here is the situation for all believers: We have the Spirit of God in us, and the Spirit will guide us so we can daily walk in truth.
The only job we have is to stay in step with the Spirit. In other words, it is up to us to obey what the Spirit tells us. As we obey the Spirit, we “behave decently” and “walk properly” before the Lord.
Father, thank You for giving me Your Spirit to help me please You in how I live. Grant me strength for today, that I might obey Your Spirit. In Jesus’s Name I pray, amen.