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Romans 13:12-14

¹²The 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. ¹³Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Darkness and night in Scripture are the conditions for evil. Those who do evil prefer not to be seen. It is the absence of the illuminating truth of God. Before we came to Christ, we preferred darkness, but now we are to step out of the darkness and into the light. We are to clothe ourselves in the armor of light. That means that wherever we go, people should see Jesus in us. We no longer participate in those things described in verse 13. In the light we can see how destructive those things are. Because the light has changed the value we place on the things of the world, our behavior is different. The armor protects us.

As young Christians we must allow the light to test our former activities. We have a mindset that certain things are normal or even good though they are of darkness. Once the light has exposed the true nature of the behavior, we must then allow the Word of God to correct our attitude toward it. Then we need the Spirit of God to change our habits.

Daily we need to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. If we are covered in Him, we cannot step into darkness without flooding it with light. His presence shows the true nature of everything. The mind is the organ that most needs His presence. It is there that we entertain deceptive enticements that would have pleased our old self. But if Christ is there as Lord, we recognize those thoughts as deceitful and destructive and reject them.

Are you clothed in Jesus? Is your mind illuminated with His presence? When faced with temptation, consciously think about being in Him. Ask for the light of the truth to reveal the true nature of that temptation. Remember that you are a child of the Day and of Light. Allow Christ, who is in you, respond to the situation.