Again, note here what the armour is. Of course that phrase, 'the
armour of light,' may be nothing more than a little bit of colour put
in by a picturesque imagination, and may suggest simply how the
burnished steel would shine and glitter when the sunbeams smote it,
and the glistening armour, like that of Spenser's Red Cross Knight,
would make a kind of light in the dark cave, into which he went. Or
it may mean 'the armour that befits the light'; as is perhaps
suggested by the antithesis 'the works of darkness,' which are to be
'put off.' These are works that match the darkness, and similarly the
armour is to be the armour that befits the light, and that can flash
back its beams. But I think there is more than that in the
expression. I would rather take the phrase to be parallel to another
of this Apostle's, who speaks in 2nd Corinthians of the 'armour of
righteousness on the right hand and on the left.' 'Light' makes the
armour, 'righteousness' makes the armour. The two phrases say the
same thing, the one in plain English, the other in figure, which
being brought down to daily life is just this, that the true armour
and weapon of a Christian man is Christian character. 'Whatsoever
things are true, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are
of good report,' these are the pieces of armour, and these are the
weapons which we are to wield. A Christian man fights against evil in
himself by putting on good. The true way to empty the heart of sin is
to fill the heart with righteousness. The lances of the light,
according to the significant old Greek myth, slew pythons. The armour
is 'righteousness on the right hand and on the left.' Stick to plain,
simple, homely duties, and you will find that they will defend your
heart against many a temptation. A flask that is full of rich wine
may be plunged into the saltest ocean, and not a drop will find its
way in. Fill your heart with righteousness; your lives--let them
glisten in the light, and the light will be your armour. God is
light, wherefore God cannot be tempted with evil. 'Walk in the light,
as He is in the light' ... and 'the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth
from all sin.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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