Awake!

Romans 13:11-12 - And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed, 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 armor of light.

This article will be more of a Bible study of those two verses than anything else. So "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ", let us ask the Holy Spirit to "open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law" (Ps.119:18).

Look at that first phrase "knowing the time". There has never been a casual and unimportant time in the history of the church, especially from God's perspective. That admonition was to the first century Christians as well as it is to us today. We should "walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time for the days are evil" (Eph.5:15-16). We as believing followers of Him Who dwells beyond time, should always be aware that the clock against which we labor for Christ ticks away irretrievable moments that could be used to His glory. Precious and privileged are the days that have been gifted to us for the glory of the Majesty on High. We know it, we should know it, we MUST know it.

Paul goes on with a statement that resembles getting our teenager out of bed and off to school. "It is high time to awake out of sleep" says the Spirit, and "Awake, awake; put on thy strength..." (Is.52:1). And as the early church had a tendency to settle in and get comfortable, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul sounds the alarm and calls to a dozing people to "...Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light!" (Eph.5:14). Oh brothers and sisters, have we not been brought to drowsiness by the entertainment lullaby's of this hedonistic world? Are not our eyelids heavy as we worry about collecting and preserving the green paper that captures most of our time? And while we slept the enemy has plowed under the everlasting truths of God's Word and has planted a crop of Spiritual hemlock. It may be too late for the church as a whole, but it is "high time" for all of us as individual followers of the Lord Christ. Awake, says the Spirit, Awake!

Now anyone who teaches that being born again is a process simply is being disingenuous with the Scriptures. Paul says that our final deliverance is closer today than when we "first believed". Like Hansel and Gretel, we who name the name of Christ should be able to trace back an unbroken chain of believing crumbs that lead to that first moment of faith. And as we turn from the past and look out ahead we see the shadow of future crumbs of a believing trail that finds their destination in the Finisher of our faith, Jesus our Lord. And as we stand on this earth and look for the "Blessed Hope" we are in a "straight betwixt two". On one hand we must always be about our Father's business, and on the other hand we long for His return. He is coming, Rejoice! He is coming, Repent!

The sinful darkness of the night that men love is almost over, and the Day that begins forever as the Morning Star arises in the east is at hand. I realize that most every generation thought that they were the final one that will witness the coming of the Lord, and so some try and downplay the significance of our generation. But we do know two things, all the previous generations were wrong, and our generation still could be right. And the list of events that seem to correspond with the things God told us about are happening right before our eyes. And with Israel in place, can you not feel the warmth of a few rays of the Morning Star light ever so gently announcing the preparation of the coming King? If you listen closely to the pages of Scripture can you not hear the snorting of the heavenly horses as they anxiously hoof the celestial stables, ready to carry their Maker and Rider to claim His bounty? And can your ears not perceive the bristling waves of folding wings as the angelic hosts anticipate the King of Kings rising from His throne in all His unspeakable glory? Just the mere thought should bring the shudder of worship mingled with fear and praise.

And finally Paul admonishes us to "cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light". He is saying, Repent!, and enjoin the battle! Brethren, we live in a Spiritual arena that is witnessing no small amount of warfare. It is all around us, and only "the violent take it by force". If we are not engaged in battle, we are in a prisoner of war camp already. The "armor of light" is the powerful Word of the Living God, dressed and fitted with prayer, and covered with the Blood of the Son of God. And the most Spiritually effective acts of violence that can be inflicted against the kingdom of darkness occur in the prayer closet. It is on that battlefield that the blood of demons is spilled and the prince of darkness surrenders! Melodramatic? Absolutely not, if anything, understated.

And so in the great doctrinal book of Romans, the Holy Spirit feels it necessary to exhort and warn God's people. These are not trivial games, these are pivotal and dangerous times. The task and calling to the body of Christ on earth is infinitely more important than what transpires in the halls of any earthly government, and we must awake and be vigilant, inclining our ears to the distant, but louder than when we believed, roar of our Pride Male. And "let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that does so easily beset us", and "put on the whole armor of God", "for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God", for "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against Spiritual wickedness in high places".

The time to rest is not now, and the time to retreat is over. On our knees, and in His might, we go "bearing His reproach without the camp", "until the day dawn, and the Day Star arise in your hearts", and the Mighty Omega calls his troops to His side and destroys all His enemies with the with the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word that proceeds from His mouth. And as the dust settles and all activity ceases, and as the great and terrible day of the Lord ends, and as all eyes are turned as one in adoration and awe to the Majesty of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, a thunderous chorus from all the inhabitants of heaven proclaim with a shout of praise...

"Alleluia, Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God".

It is upon us.......Awake!