Romans 13:11-14

Romans 13:11 (ESV)
“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.”

Wake Up

If God has already called you to live out your faith by loving Him, loving your neighbor, and making disciples, are you ready to go? Paul has been explaining what love looks like since chapter 12 and calling believers to actually live it out. Now he puts an exclamation point on everything he has said: You know what time it is. Wake up! There is an urgency to following Jesus because we do not have unlimited time.

The encouraging thing is that Paul believed ordinary believers were ready to live out what he was calling them to do. They did not need to wait until they had extensive training, passed a test, or knew everything there was to know about following Jesus. They already belonged to Christ, had received the Holy Spirit, and were part of His church. The same is true for us. There is always more to learn and room to grow, but you don’t have to wait until you feel completely prepared before you start loving people, sharing your faith, serving others, and making disciples.

Why would Paul tell them to “wake from sleep”? Think about someone who is asleep. They might snore, move around, roll over, or even talk in their sleep. There can be plenty of noise and movement without actually accomplishing anything. The same can happen spiritually. We can be busy, attend church, talk about Jesus, and fill our schedules with Christian activity while still being spiritually asleep. Movement does not always mean mission. Paul is calling believers to wake up and live intentionally.

Why the urgency? Because the clock is moving, and Jesus is coming back. Paul lived with the expectation that Jesus would return, and the early church understood themselves to be living in the last days. Two thousand years later, Christ’s return is nearer than when Paul wrote these words, and certainly nearer than when we first believed. Imagine driving toward Disneyland and seeing a sign that says it is 500 miles away. As you continue driving, every mile brings you closer to your destination. We do not know exactly where we are on the journey or when Christ will return, but we know we are closer than we have ever been. Wake up. Live purposefully. Love intentionally. Make disciples. Jesus is coming back.

Practice This:

Think about one area where you have been waiting to feel more prepared before living out your faith. Maybe it is sharing your faith, serving someone, loving a difficult person, or helping someone grow in their relationship with Jesus. Take one intentional step today. You have been called, you have been equipped, and the time to live it out is now.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for calling me to be part of Your mission and for equipping me through Your Spirit. Keep my heart awake and my life focused on what matters. May the way I love, serve, and share my faith reflect the urgency of knowing that Jesus is coming back. Amen.

Romans 13:12 (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.”

Armor Up

If you were raised on Saturday morning cartoons, you probably remember waiting for that moment when the heroes would suit up. They would put on their costumes, morph into their superhero forms, or step into their special armor, and you knew an epic battle was about to begin. But imagine if the heroes showed up unprepared. What if Iron Man arrived without his armor? What if the Power Rangers faced the enemy without morphing? Or what if the Planeteers forgot their rings and couldn’t summon Captain Planet? The battle was still coming whether they were prepared for it or not. Having access to what they needed wasn’t enough. They had to actually bring it and use it when the battle came.

Paul tells believers to have that same sense of readiness when he says, “put on the armor of light.” Notice that he doesn’t simply say the armor is available. He tells them to put it on. Following Jesus doesn’t mean we won’t face temptation, spiritual opposition, or pressures that try to pull us back toward darkness. Those moments will come whether we’re prepared for them or not. That’s why Paul doesn’t tell believers to wait until the battle begins. Cast off what belongs to the darkness and put on what you need to walk in the light now.

And there is an urgency behind Paul’s words: “The night is far gone; the day is at hand.” Paul reminds believers that they already know where history is headed. Jesus is returning, darkness won’t last forever, and the day is getting closer. So why continue carrying around things that belong to the night? There are attitudes, behaviors, habits, and patterns that need to be cast off now. Paul isn’t telling believers to get ready someday. He is telling them to live today like people who know the day is coming.

So what are you walking into today without your armor? Don’t wait until temptation comes to decide how you’ll respond. Don’t wait until you’re discouraged to decide what you believe. Don’t wait until someone hurts you to decide whether you’ll forgive. You have the opportunity to prepare your heart before the battle ever arrives. Cast off what belongs to the darkness and put on the armor of light. The Planeteers needed their rings, the Power Rangers needed to morph, and Iron Man needed his armor before the fight. You know the battle will come, and you know the day is coming. Don’t forget your armor. Suit up.

Practice this:

Before you walk into your day, take a moment to suit up. Read Ephesians 6:14–17 and intentionally think through each piece of armor God has given you: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the readiness of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Think about what you may face today and where you’re most vulnerable to temptation, discouragement, fear, or frustration. Don’t wait until the battle begins to prepare. Put on the armor and walk into your day ready.

Prayer:

Father, I know I’ll face things today that will challenge my faith, test my patience, and tempt me to respond in ways that don’t reflect Jesus. I don’t want to walk into those moments unprepared. Ground me in Your truth, remind me of the righteousness I have in Christ, make me ready to carry Your peace, strengthen my faith, keep my mind anchored in salvation, and bring Your Word to mind when I need it. I want to walk in the light and stand firm in whatever comes today. Amen.

Romans 13:13 (ESV)
“Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.”

Walk in the Daylight

There is something about darkness that makes people think they can get away with things they wouldn’t do in broad daylight. Theft, vandalism, violence, and other crimes often happen under the cover of darkness because darkness provides a sense of concealment. If no one can see you, you may think no one will know what you’ve done. Darkness can become a kind of camouflage, hiding what someone doesn’t want exposed. That picture helps us understand why the Bible so often uses darkness to describe sin and light to describe a life that is open before God.

In the previous verses, Paul commanded believers to wake up and gave them a reason for the urgency: the day is getting closer. Jesus is coming back! Now Paul tells them, “Let us walk properly as in the daytime.” The word walk is often used in Scripture to describe the way someone lives their everyday life. Paul isn’t talking about a single decision or spiritual moment. He is talking about the consistent direction of our lives. Following Jesus is something we live out day after day through our choices, relationships, words, attitudes, and actions.

Paul then tells us how we are to walk: properly. The word carries the idea of living honorably or appropriately. In other words, our lives should reflect the One we belong to. This doesn’t mean Christians will live perfectly. We will still stumble, struggle, and need God’s grace. But there is a difference between struggling with sin and choosing to live comfortably in it. Paul points to drunkenness, sexual immorality, sensuality, quarreling, and jealousy as examples of things that belong to the darkness. They aren’t meant to be hidden away while we present a different version of ourselves in the light. Our private lives and our public lives should be moving in the same direction toward Jesus.

Walk in the light. Live in such a way that you don’t need darkness to hide parts of your life. Walking in the light isn’t about pretending you never struggle. It means you’re willing to live honestly before God and others. Bring your struggles into the light. Confess your sin instead of concealing it. Invite trusted believers into the areas where you need accountability. The things we hide in darkness can quietly gain power over us, but they lose their camouflage when they’re brought into the light. You belong to the day, so live like someone who has nothing to hide.

Practice this:

Ask yourself if there is anything in your life you’re working hard to keep hidden. It could be a sin, struggle, habit, relationship, or attitude you hope no one discovers. Instead of allowing darkness to become its camouflage, bring it into the light. Confess it to God and consider sharing it with a trusted believer who can pray with you, encourage you, and hold you accountable. Walking in the light begins with being willing to stop hiding.

Prayer:

Father, You already see every part of my life, including the things I’m tempted to hide. I don’t want to live one way in public and another way in private. Search my heart and expose anything I’ve allowed to remain in the darkness. Give me the courage to confess my sin, be honest about my struggles, and welcome accountability from people I trust. I belong to the day, and I want every part of my life to reflect Jesus. Amen.

Romans 13:13-14 (ESV)
“13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

Jesus is Coming Back!

If someone you respected or a celebrity you looked up to were coming to visit you on a scheduled date, how would you prepare? Would you clean up your home or office if that’s where you were meeting? Would you choose the best restaurant if you were going out to eat? Would you buy something new to wear or pick out your best outfit? Maybe you would even post on social media and tell everyone the exciting news. When we know someone important is coming, it changes the way we prepare for their arrival.

Paul has a similar sense of anticipation when he talks about the return of Jesus Christ. We don’t know the specific date of His return, but we do know He is coming back. That reality should change the way we live while we wait. We may not need to make special reservations, clean the house, or buy a new wardrobe, but His return should affect our thoughts, relationships, priorities, purpose, and the way we go about everyday life. Knowing Jesus is coming back should change how we prepare for His arrival.

That’s why Paul tells believers to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” There shouldn’t be one foot following Jesus while the other remains planted in the ways of the world. To “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” means that our lives should increasingly reflect His. His character, His heart, and His way of living should become visible in us. But preparing for His return also means being intentional about what we leave behind. Paul says to “make no provision for the flesh.” Don’t make room for sin. Don’t feed it, plan for it, or keep opportunities nearby that make it easier to give in. If we’re preparing for Jesus, we should be putting on more of what reflects Him while removing the things that pull us away from Him.

How does the fact that Jesus is coming back affect the way you live today? If you knew He was returning today, what would change? Maybe there’s something you would confess, someone you would forgive, or someone you would finally tell about Jesus. Maybe there’s something you would stop doing or something you would start doing. We don’t know when Jesus will return, but we know He will. Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare for His arrival. Jesus is coming back. Live ready for His return.

Practice this:

Live today with the return of Jesus in mind. Ask yourself, “If Jesus returned today, what would I wish I had done differently?” Maybe there’s a conversation you need to have, a sin you need to confess, someone you need to forgive, or someone you need to tell about Jesus. Don’t wait for another day to do what you already know God is calling you to do. Prepare for His return by putting on Christ and making no room for the things that pull you away from Him.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the promise that Jesus is coming back. I want that truth to shape the way I live today. Let the character and heart of Jesus become more visible in my words, choices, relationships, and priorities. Show me where I’ve been making room for things that pull me away from You, and give me the courage to leave them behind. I want to live awake, faithful, and ready for the return of Christ. Amen.

Romans 13:11-14 (ESV)
“11 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. 12 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. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

Let Us

Have you ever heard someone you respected or looked up to admit that they weren’t perfect? Maybe they shared a struggle, a weakness, or an area where they still needed to grow. Did it make you respect them less, or did it actually make them more relatable? It’s easy to put people we admire on pedestals and assume they don’t struggle with the same things we do. But sometimes hearing someone say, “I struggle too,” reminds us that none of us has it all together. We aren’t alone in our struggles, and we aren’t somehow weaker or less spiritual because we still have areas where we need to grow.

There is something interesting about Paul’s words in Romans 13. Notice how he repeatedly uses the phrase “let us.” In verse 12 he says, “let us cast off the works of darkness” and “let us…put on the armor of light.” Then in verse 13, “Let us walk properly as in the daytime.” Paul could have stood at a distance and simply told everyone else what they needed to do. Instead, he includes himself in the call. Let us. Paul writes with the authority of an apostle, but he doesn’t place himself outside the community of believers who are called to wake up, walk in the light, and faithfully follow Jesus.

It can be easy to put Paul on a pedestal. After all, God used him to write a significant portion of the New Testament, plant churches, preach the gospel, and endure incredible suffering for Jesus. But Paul never presented himself as someone who had already arrived. In Philippians 3:12 he openly admitted, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect.” Paul was still pressing forward, still pursuing Christ, and still dependent on the grace of God. His repeated “let us” in Romans 13 reminds us that there isn’t one group of Christians who has arrived and another group struggling to catch up. We all need God’s grace, and we are all called to keep walking faithfully together.

It’s easy to point a finger and tell someone else what they need to change. It takes humility to stand beside them and say, “Let us.” Let us wake up. Let us cast off the darkness. Let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly. We need people who will encourage us, challenge us, pray for us, and remind us of truth, and they need the same from us. Following Jesus was never meant to be a journey where a few people stand on pedestals while everyone else watches. There are no pedestals at the foot of the cross. Let “let us” come out of our mouths more often than “you should.” We’re in this together.

Practice this:

Pay attention to how you respond when you notice someone else struggling or making a poor decision. Is your first instinct to point out what they should do, or are you willing to come alongside them? Look for an opportunity to replace “you should” with “let us.” Encourage someone, pray with them, or share honestly about an area where you’re still growing too. Following Jesus isn’t about standing above people. It’s about walking faithfully alongside them.

Prayer:

Father, thank You that I don’t have to follow Jesus alone. Keep me humble enough to recognize that I need Your grace just as much as anyone else. Guard me from putting people on pedestals or pointing fingers at those who struggle. Let me be someone who walks alongside others with honesty, encouragement, and grace, willing to receive the same from them. Let us grow together, walk in the light together, and faithfully follow Jesus together. Amen.