Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
(Romans 13:11-14, ESV)
You Know the Time
There is a blaring and blatant truth before your eyes that can no longer be ignored or suppressed. You have slept the whole night, and even through half of the morning. The alarm clock is screaming at you from across the room, and your eyes are struggling to adjust to the bright sun glaring through your bedroom window. You hesitantly climb out from underneath your warm sheets, groggily walk over to your alarm clock, vindictively yank the cord from its power source, and triumphantly hop back into your bed. You have won! You are the victor! If you want to sleep even longer, nothing can stop you.You snuggle back in bed, crawling under the sheets that are no longer as warm as they were before you left the bed. You close your eyes, planning to return once more to the dreamworld utopia you were so rudely awoken from. Your eyes close, but rather than seeing darkness you see a strange, red hue as the bright sunlight passes through your eyelids. The sun pours into your bedroom so strongly, so clearly, and with such radiance that you cannot fall asleep again as hard as you may try. You know the time, but you don't want to get up. You would rather continue sleeping. However, the night is far gone; and the day is at hand.
The Hour Has Come For You to Wake From Sleep
If you get the feeling that I'm not really talking about waking up in the morning, then you're right. I'm not. Neither is Paul at the end of Romans 13. Therein, he provides a simple analogy for those who have been called out of the darkness of sin and into the light of Christ Jesus. Sin is darkness, and life in Christ is a life spent in the daytime (Rev. 21:25). Elsewhere, Paul calls believers children of light and children of the day (1 Thes. 5:5), and he implores us not to sleep but to stay awake and to remain sober (1 Thes. 5:6). Christ's command to His disciples was simple: stay awake! In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus continued to rebuke His disciples for sleeping, asking them, "Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation" (Lk. 22:46). Jesus rebukes them for sleeping because earlier He had commanded them to, "stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Lk. 21:36).There is, in fact, a connection between Romans 13:11-14 and Christ's interactions with His disciples before His betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane.
And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” (Mark 14:32-42, ESV)
Believer, are you still sleeping and taking your rest? How many times must the Lord wake you up from your slumber? Must He prod you out of your bed every hour, imploring you to watch and pray so that you may not enter into temptation? Christ's Word should be sufficient for you: "It is enough, the hour has come." Should you wonder what hour it is, Paul fills in the blanks for you: "the hour has come for you to wake from sleep."
Like the disciples, your eyes are heavy laden. All you want to do is sleep for a minute, but Christ's command stands in opposition to your weak flesh, commanding you to stay awake and keep watch. The hour is at hand, and you cannot afford to fall asleep as the enemy draws near. You have had a long day, a stressful day on the job, an exhausting evening with the family, and you want to rest your tired eyes for a mere moment. And yet, Christ calls you to:
"[Stay] awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” (Mark 13:35-37, ESV)
The Night is Far Gone; The Day is at Hand
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.(1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, ESV)
In Romans 13, Paul calls us to remain awake, "For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed" (v. 11). This reason for us to stay awake is further fleshed out in Paul's epistle to the Thessalonians. Paul explains that, "Those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation." Paul speaks elsewhere about the helmet of salvation:
[And] take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:17-20, ESV)
You should note that Paul does not only implore believers to stay awake, but he also calls us to equip ourselves for battle. Jesus told His disciples to stay awake, but He also commanded them to watch and pray that they may not enter into temptation. Jesus' command was not merely to keep their physical eyes open, but to keep spiritual watch, keeping their eyes on Him, because the hour of spiritual warfare had come, and His betrayer was at hand. Likewise, Paul extends this command of our Lord and Savior to each and every disciple of Christ. There was a time when we slept soundly in the darkness of the night, but the night is far gone; the day is at hand. We must equip ourselves, therefore, and be diligent to "keep alert with all perseverance." "Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation." Therefore, "take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Let Us Walk Properly as in The Daytime
Sinful things happen in the darkness. Men and women go to the bars and parties at night to get drunk. Men and women that work hard during the daytime, go out at night to get wasted on alcohol. Men and women commit murder at night. Men and women who present themselves as normal, upstanding, law abiding citizens during the daytime to their friends and families, commit the most heinous and violent crimes under the cover of darkness. Men and women participate in the most flippant and debaucherous sexual activities at night. Men and women who look and act professional in the workplace, courteous to their peers and those of the opposite sex in the daytime, participate in the most destructive, degrading, and twisted sexual acts in the darkness of night. People act differently under the cover of darkness. When the light does not shine on their actions, when they can hide in the shadows and sin freely, they will let their true colors show and take part in the wickedness they dare not commit during the daytime.Believers, however, are children of light and children of the day. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, as Paul implores us to. Whether the sun is shining brightly or the darkness covers the face of the earth unimpeded by any celestial light, let us walk properly as in the daytime. The light that shines in our lives is no longer the bright celestial sun that can only curb the darkness that surrounds us for a handful of hours each day. No, we have another light to direct our paths in the way we should go. We have another light to protect us from the power and destruction lurking in the darkness. We have another light to illuminate the ground we walk on lest we hit a rock with our foot and stumble.
The sun shall be no more your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon give you light;
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
Your sun shall no more go down,
nor your moon withdraw itself;
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of mourning shall be ended.
Your people shall all be righteous;
they shall possess the land forever,
the branch of my planting,
the work of my hands, that I might be glorified.
(Isaiah 60:19-21, ESV)
Put On the Lord Jesus Christ
Pornography is a temptation of the night. Under the cover of darkness, temptation creeps upon you when you let your guard down. When you close your spiritual eyes for a moment to get some shut eye, when you take your gaze off of Christ Jesus for a second, sin is crouching at the door like a lion, ready to pounce and devour you.
Pornography is a friend of darkness. Pornography is a daytime production of the streetwalker's evening. Pornography idolizes and emulates the abuses and degradation of prostitutes who are forced either by slavery or an ignorant society to allow men to fulfill their sexual fantasies on their bodies created in the image of God. Prostitution is a sin of the night, and pornography is its ugly twin rearing it's head, desiring to bring the sin of debauchery to the light of day to make it appear more palatable and socially acceptable.
You, believer, have been called out of this darkness. God has awoken you from your slumber. And yet, you still want to sleep. The light shines brightly into your bedroom at high noon, and you still try to crawl into your bed to get a few more hours of lazy rest. You know that if you wake up, then you will have to walk properly as in the daytime.
The next time you wake up in the morning, turn on the news. You should not be surprised to hear about robbery, drug busts, murder, arson, and prostitution scandals that occurred overnight. When you get home from work that same evening, watch the news again. More likely than not, they will cover the same crimes that happened the night before. The reason for this is because criminals sleep during the day, and commit their crimes during the night.
What kind of criminal commits crime in broad daylight? Not the kind of criminal that plans to get away with the crimes he has committed. Either the criminal thinks he has nothing to lose or he truly believes that his crime is not a crime at all.
The reason why you must stay awake, believer, is because the night is gone and the day has come. The night was a time of drunkenness and orgies. The night was a time of sexual immorality and sensuality. The night was a time of quarreling and jealousy. Those nights, however, are far gone for you, believer. When there was night, you would sleep. When there was night, you would sin freely without fear of getting caught. However, the Lord is your everlasting light now. You cannot turn back to the days of darkness, no matter how hard you might try. You can no longer sleep, closing your eyes to the darkness that surrounded you and swallowed you up in the actions of the night. The light of Christ's salvation shines too brightly on you. You would no longer sleep naturally in the darkness, but you would have to force yourself to slumber in the light.
If we continue to sin, then we no longer sin under the cover of darkness, but rather, we sin in broad daylight. Our every action is illuminated by the revelation of God's Word, and the glory of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If we will continue to live as we did in the darkness in the light, then we either think we have nothing to lose or we think that our crimes are not crimes at all. However, the light of the Lord does not allow for the latter. For the everlasting light of Lord exposes every sin for what it is, and there is no sin that remains hidden or obscured under the illumination of the Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, to continue to sin in the light as you once did in the darkness reveals an attitude of disregard and blatant rebellion. Those in the light walk properly as in the daytime. As John warns, "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth" (1 John 1:6). Therefore, if you claim to be in the light but walk in darkness, then how great is the darkness (Mat. 6:23)!
Put on, therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ. Equip yourselves, brothers and sisters, with the Lord Jesus Christ like a garment. Even more, like an armor. When your eyes get heavy, when you are tempted to catch some shut eye, and when you desire a brief lapse back into the darkness you once came from, turn your gaze back upon Christ your Savior, and remember your salvation from the darkness once more. Remember how great the light is and how sinful the darkness is. Remember the price that was paid so that you would no longer slumber and sleep, so that you could, "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation." As Paul tells us:
God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.
Therefore, stay awake! Keep your guard up at all times. Keep watch, and do not sleep. The enemy waits for the watchmen to catch some shuteye so that he can sack the fortress without any opposition. The enemy awaits the moment when the believer longs for a return to darkness, a rest for their weak flesh, and an opportunity to close their eyes to the bright light of the Lord. Believer, when you look upon pornography, you are falling asleep to the glory of Christ. When you gaze upon sexual immorality, you are sound asleep to your salvation. You are sleeping in the midst of the brightest light. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. They sleep because of the darkness, and they get drunk in the darkness. You, believer, are sleeping during the day. An everlasting light shines upon you now. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself. Stay awake, therefore, because an everlasting night has ended an everlasting day has begun!
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
(1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7, ESV)
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7, ESV)
The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:12, ESV)
If you are struggling with pornography or know somebody that is and you found this blog helpful, uplifting, and encouraging, then please visit my Facebook page for further resources and discussion. If you would like to contact me, feel free to message me through my Facebook page as well. I am literally a click away. I would love to know who you are and keep you in my prayers. Thanks.
If you are struggling with pornography or know somebody that is and you found this blog helpful, uplifting, and encouraging, then please visit my Facebook page for further resources and discussion. If you would like to contact me, feel free to message me through my Facebook page as well. I am literally a click away. I would love to know who you are and keep you in my prayers. Thanks.
