ARMOUR OF LIGHT

 

 

“In this, the last great conflict between light and darkness, I am grateful for the opportunity to ‘endure hardness, as a [disciple] of Jesus Christ’ (2 Timothy 2:3). With Paul, I declare, ‘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). I bear special witness that Jesus Christ ‘is the light and the life of the world; yea, the light that is endless, that can never be darkened’ (Mosiah 16:9)” (Elder Robert D. Hales, Out Of Darkness Into His Marvellous Light, May 2002, p 71).  

 

When writing to the Ephesians, Paul admonished them to put on the whole armour of God accentuating gospel principles which offer spiritual protection. He took this concept to a new level when he admonished the Romans to put on ‘the armour of light’ meaning ‘the Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 13:14). The armour of God truly does protect us from spiritual darkness because each section of the armour deals with a gospel principle that counteracts sin. This is the greatest protection we can have. The ‘armour of light’ however suggests something more. It means bringing the light of Christ to the world to counteract the darkness.

 

We are in the winding up scenes of this world. The adversary knows this. He has been perfecting his craft for thousands of years and now more than ever, he has the most efficient tools to spread the darkness. These are his methods and his path to success:

 

HIS THREE DOCTRINES:

1. There is no punishment for sin;

2. There is nothing after death;

3. He does not exist.

HIS THREE LIES:

1. Just once won’t hurt;

2. No one will know;

3. Everybody is doing it.

HIS VALUE SYSTEM:

1. Selfishness;

2. Self-indulgence;

3. Immediate gratification.

HIS SALES TECHNIQUES:

1. Pacifying;

2. Flattering;

3. Lulling.

HIS GOAL:

1. To steal our spiritual identity;

2. To kill our faith in God;

3. To destroy our commitment to Christ.

 

The adversary is having enormous success but He can never win against ‘the light of the world’. His power is no match for Him who has conquered the power of sin and death. Now more than ever, we, the disciples of Christ and bearers of truth, need to wear the ‘armour of light’ and bring it to the world.  The more righteous we are, the more light we are endowed with until we come to that day when we become as glorious as the one who is the source of all light. Nephi saw the power of God in our day descending on the saints of the Church of the Lamb (1 Nephi 14:14).  And even though he said our numbers were few and that we were scattered upon the face of the earth, we were 'armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory' (v14)

 

In the words of Terri Savelle Foy: Satan has no power on his best day to take you out on your worst day……

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Heavenly Christ by David Beraru)