Romans 13:12–14 (NKJV)
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
The day of pretense is over. It is time to cast off the works of darkness and to put on the armor of light. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14) Today is the day to let the light of Jesus shine through you.
The world needs to hear the Word of God played out in the Christians life. We see protest for the darkness of Satan but where are we as Christians living for Jesus. We, “I”, grumble and complain about what is happening in America, but, as one person said to me long ago, “talk is cheap.”
Satanic influence is played out in the darkness of this world. The influence grows in the darkness, the absence of light. When a person professes Christ and does not live in the Word of God, then darkness prevails.
Many profess Jesus as their Savior…but few call Him Lord of their life. If you ask them where they will spend eternity, they say Heaven. This may sound cruel but if you profess Jesus as Savior and not Lord then you may not be saved. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is to be the Lord of our lives. Philippians 2:11 “and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Luke 6:46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”
If Jesus is the Lord of our lives we must do more than go to a worship service and sing a few songs and sit passively hearing the Word of God proclaim. Followers of Christ must cast off the works of darkness. We must “come out”. People celebrate the “coming out” of a sinful lifestyle. Christians must come out of the sanctuary of a church and boldly stand for Christ.
We are living in the condemnation of darkness. Incessant evil has now taken over. Passive Christianity has now been beaten down and the darkness has now infiltrated the church. John 3:19–20, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”
As Paul says in Romans 13: “Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”
As Elvis Presley sang, “It’s now or never…tomorrow will be too late.”