Stepping Out of the Shadows and Into the Light: A Look at Romans 13:12
Romans 13:12 “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.”
The reign of darkness is almost over. The little putrid foolish ruler of this world is running out of time and resources. He is far spent. He is filled with fear because his grip is slipping.
That’s why he wants so badly for the sons and daughters of the most high God to live in fear. Because he knows fear robs us of our true identity. We have the enemy on the run. We need to cut him to pieces by exposing lies and believing the truth.
We can rout him in certain victory by believing that there is no crooked or perverse way in us because the old heart of stone is gone and our new heart of glorious flesh is alive and well and active.
Our old man and our old woman have been crucified with Christ and no longer live. The new creation identity and life are here and desperately need our agreement to thrive. Casting off the works of darkness is essential to putting on the armor of light. The works of darkness that plague us are lies coupled with our belief in those untruths.
If you struggle with feeling worthy then cast that off with the counter truth that we must be worthy or Father would not have sent His Son to die for us. If we feel inadequate and are insecure and looking to other people for acceptance then we need to push that off and stop lowering ourselves to please strangers and embrace the truth that we are accepted in the beloved forever.
Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself, but we say I’m a no good rotten sinner covered in filth. That is just not true, yes, we were once slimy sinners covered in shame but now there is no condemnation. We are covered by the blood of the new and living covenant of amazing grace.
We are set free, healed, and delivered. Believing in truth is exactly the way we put on the armor of light. We don’t have a lot of time here on earth and we will be living forever so let’s pop satan in the mouth as many times as we can while we go through this broken world and let’s bring light first to ourselves by steadfastly believing truth and then to the world around us.
We have the privilege to praise Father for His marvelous works in the darkness here and now. We won’t ever have this opportunity again. Let’s go hard after truth and stomp on the far-spent kingdom of darkness with the kingdom of heaven.
Hallelujah! Father, I’m so grateful that You saved me. I am a new creation and I love myself. I will love You more and more and I know that that love will spill out onto people all around me. I’m grateful for the opportunity to praise You on this side of Your permanent victory over darkness. I’m not afraid because fear is just not a part of who I am.
I will force myself to believe that I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I’m full of light and truth. I will never be condemned or ashamed or unloved or unaccepted. I am confident and set at liberty to walk out of this marvelous new creation life. I’m so thankful. I love You. In Jesus’s name. Amen.