'Put on the Armor of Light:' A Call to Love Baltimore

We are living in perilous times when deep spiritual darkness covers the earth. The end is near.

How often have these words been uttered down through the centuries, generation after generation, especially during the most intense times of persecution for God’s people? Countless times for sure, but how true they are today. To those who see the fulfillment of the signs of His return as foretold by Jesus, the final spiritual conflict of this age is rapidly approaching, even at the door. So how can we be ready, and how can we help others to be saved? The Apostle Paul admonishes every believer to “put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12, NKJV). Elsewhere, he wrote, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:11–12, NASB).

God’s armor of light can stop all the enemy’s weapons and protect every true believer in times of danger. The armor of light contains the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:14– 17). In addition to equipping God’s people for spiritual warfare, the armor of God serves as another important function that is often overlooked—to serve as a witness to others who do not know Him and to show them how they, too, might find salvation and protection from God in these perilous times. In this sense, putting on the armor of God is not so much a call to arms as it is a call to love. That is clearly indicated in the broader context of Romans 13:8–14 in which Paul says, “Love does no harm to its neighbor ... love is the fulfillment of the Law” (verse 10, NKJV). To put the finer point on it, Paul says it is “the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law” (verse 8, NIV).

Ultimately, putting on the armor of God is really about evangelism. It is about being per- sonally equipped to overcome the darkness (sin) by being clothed in Christ (the light of His righteousness) and taking (via the gospel shoes) the truth (the belt) of the Word (sword of the Spirit) that is in us to those living in darkness. Thus, we in Chesapeake, along with our sister conference Allegheny East, are committed to reaching our unsaved “neighbors” in the great city of Baltimore and beyond in 2025. So, let us each one put on the armor of light and commit to prayer and personal involvement to advance the movement of God in our territories. Love, for the Day is near!