Romans 13:14 – Walking Christ-Light
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Truth to Learn
Christians need to let the light of Christ shine in their lives.
Behind the Words
The words “put on” in this verse are from the same root word as verse twelve, where we were told to “put on the armor of light.” In verse twelve, however, it was a suggestion where as in this verse the word is in the imperative mood, indicating a command.
“Provision” comes from the Greek word pronoia, which is made up of pro, meaning “before, in time or location” and a form of noeō, meaning “to think or to comprehend.” When used as it is in this verse it means “to think about something and make a plan or provision for it ahead of time.”
The word “lusts” is from epithumia, which is composed of epi, meaning “upon, above, or over,” often used as an intensifier, and a form of thumos, meaning “passion.” Hence, epithumia refers to an overly strong passion or desire.
Meaning Explained
Paul starts off this verse with the command, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” The verb “put on” when used with regard to clothing is easy for us to understand, but to “put on” a person seems a harsh expression in English. However, this expression was frequently used by Greek writers, meaning to take on the other person’s principles, imitate his example, and become like him. The Apostle John said something similar:
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1John 1:5-7)
If we “put on” Christ, then we are to walk in His light. A genuine Christian will want to walk in this light. Unsaved people, however, want to stay out of God’s light. They prefer to stay in their own world of darkness.
Paul finishes this verse with a very practical key to walking in the light. He says, “and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” We all have those sins of the flesh that tend to cause us to stumble time after time whether they be anger, jealousy, impure thoughts, or others. They all come from the lusts of our flesh. Paul tells us that we are to emulate Christ in both attitude and action and that we are not to expend any energy thinking about those things that excite and enflame our sinful lusts. If we want to avoid committing sins of lust, we need to stop thinking of such things. In other words, “If you’re not going to buy anything, don’t go into the store.” In fact, Paul would say, “Don’t even think about going into the store!”
Application
Dawn is coming and we need to be living as if the Light of the world has already come. We need to be a light to the dark world around us. We need to act Christ-like so the world can see Him in us. Let’s put on Christ and let His light shine!
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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