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
If you had been a Christian living in the days when the apostle Paul’s letter arrived in Rome, you would have been very aware of the power and majesty of the great Roman empire. Much of the known world at that time was under Rome’s dominion, and its influence was great even in areas where the empire did not actually reach. One of the great pervasive forces of the empire was the military. Roman legions were the greatest military force of the ancient world, and to serve in those legions was a goal for many of the young men of the day. These soldiers, or legionaries as they were called, would lead exciting and demanding lives, and although their pay was not large, they could make substantial income from plundering the property of their enemies and from the sale of slaves that they would capture during campaigns. One requirement for legionaries was that they must be Roman citizens. Although Christians often had to work around the military, service in the Roman legions was no place for a Christian, because of Rome’s heavy involvement in bloodshed, idolatry, and immorality. In the same way, Christians in our day need to avoid involvement in the dark elements of our world.
Our text calls for us to put off the works of darkness. Just as a first century Christian could see the dark side of service in the Roman legions, we ought to see the dark side of the world’s affairs. Although less blatant, today’s society is just as bloodthirsty as was Rome’s. The slaughter of unborn children to accommodate the sinful lives of people today is just as cruel and evil as the violence perpetrated on those who opposed or who just got in the way of the Roman legions. Idolatry is just as much a part of life today as in Rome, as people worship money and pleasure and movie and sports stars, as well as a host of false religions, cults and atheism. Surely these are works of darkness. So are the tossing aside of moral values in our day, as marriage and families are under heavy assault, and the abomination of homosexuality is glorified. Did wanton Rome ever stoop so low? These works of darkness, as our text reminds us, are to be cast off by the child of God.
While the world wears the works of darkness as a vile garment, we are to be clad in the armour of light that displays the loving kindness and purity of our Lord and Saviour. There are many people who we can readily identify by what they wear. Police, postmen, and nurses wear the uniform of their service, and tradespeople such as painters and cooks are often wearing clothes that make them readily identifiable. Christians should also be readily identifiable by our appearance. The armour of light that our text speaks of is a good testimony of good works, of obedience to scriptural principles, of involvement in the Lord’s work, and of keeping company with the Lord’s people.
Are we wearing the armour of light today? Can people tell by our appearance whose army we are in? -Jim MacIntosh