| The Christian Life | May 1945 |
“Let Us Watch and be Sober”
“But let us who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.”—I Thessalonians 5:8
MANY of the promises and admonitions of the Scriptures are especially calculated to be a needed source of strength and guidance for God’s people at this end of the age. Doubtless our Heavenly Father knew that in this “evil day” we would need “meat in due season” to sustain and nourish us in order that we might be able to overcome all the obstacles with which we are beset and to stand before Him victorious and approved.
Paul’s exhortation to “be sober,” and to put on the “breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation,” is directly associated with his prophecy concerning events in the “day of the Lord.” He explains that this day would come upon the world as a “thief in the night,” and that it would mean “sudden destruction” for the world over which Satan has been the prince. “But ye, brethren,” Paul adds, “are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”
“Ye are all the children of light,” Paul continues. This means that those of the Lord’s people who are living up to their privileges in these last days are enlightened concerning the meaning of events which are fast destroying a world, and can therefore view them from God’s standpoint. Because of this they have peace of heart and mind while they wait confidently for their complete union with the Lord in the Kingdom and for the promised privilege of sharing with Him in the blessed future work of blessing the whole creation which now groans and travails in pain as Gods new order is being born.
There are many prophecies which indicate that the unbelieving world will be far from “sober” during this great time of trouble. “They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits end” says the Psalmist. (Psa. 107:27) Fear shall take hold of them, and because of this their hearts shall fail. In this state of desperation the world gropes blindly and unavailingly for something to support them, some remedy for their ills, some panacea for their trouble.
The pitiful condition of the worldly is the result of their being in darkness. The “sudden” destruction which comes upon them is, according to the Greek text, “unexpected.” The world has worked to bring about “peace and safety,” and has been deceived into believing that it will be able to attain security for all. Many are still confident, and are even now endeavoring to form a new order of things which it is hoped will guarantee peace for generations to come.
The world announced peace and safety just prior to the first destructive military spasm of trouble which rocked the foundations of the symbolic earth from 1914 to 1918. After that was over they formed the League of Nations, and began to cry, “peace and safety.” And now, even while the changing institutions of man continue to crumble from the impact of another spasm of trouble, the cry of peace and safety is heard over the din of war.
The world is unenlightened concerning the fact that this is the “day of the Lord.” They are of the night, and are not awake and alert to the true meaning of events. Intoxicated with the spirit of pride and self-confidence, and apprehensive of future events, they seek solace and relief in a revelry of money-making and pleasure which leads to an even greater unbalance of viewpoint and judgment.
“Not of the Night”
“But we are not of the night, nor of darkness,” writes the apostle. Have we really grasped the full importance of these words? Do we realize that to the extent they are true of us, we have been freed from fear and the symbolic intoxication of the world, and can enjoy peace and tranquility of heart and mind? Just as the prophet wrote, “Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.”—Psalm 46:1-3
If we are not of the night: if we have been enlightened with the truth and know the meaning of the events which are so rapidly causing the unenlightened to lose their confidence and to become distracted with fear and worry and care, then we are responsible for not making proper use of the knowledge with which we have been blessed. Paul reminds us of this, saying that we should put on “the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.”—I Thess. 5:8
The breastplate of an ancient armor was worn as a protection of the vital organs, especially the heart. And how much the light of truth can serve to protect us from the epidemic of fear which has seized upon the hearts of so many in the world today! Just as Jesus predicted, men’s hearts are indeed failing them for fear as they sense the increasing insecurity of a disintegrating civilization. (Luke 21:26) As this heart failure of fear holds them ever tighter in its dread grip, the people lose more and more of their soundness of mind, being unable to view matters other than from the deep pit of despair into which, in their blindness, they have stumbled.
But we have the “breastplate,” the protection of “faith and love.” It is our faith in God in the justice of His plan, and in the reliability of His promises, which protects us. But it must be a genuine and working faith. “The devils also believe, and tremble,” writes the Apostle James. (James 2:19) We should be so sensitive in our desire to know and do God’s will that we will “tremble” at His Word, yet if we have no more faith than devils whose belief makes them tremble with fear, then we have not put on the breastplate which it is our privilege to wear in this evil day of danger.
The faith which serves as a breastplate of protection for the Christian is commingled with love. As the apostle says, it is a “breastplate of faith and love.” Here is a symbolism not only of faith in the truth, but also of love for that in which we have faith.
A genuine faith in God and in His truth leads to a loving devotion of our wills to Him in full consecration and a daily striving to fulfill our consecration vows. This results in the righteousness of Christ being imputed to us, covering our unwilling imperfections and giving us a standing of righteousness with God. To put on the breastplate of faith and love in this full sense means a daily devotion of ourselves to the doing of God’s will—serving Him, His truth, and the brethren.
And how completely this should and does lift the Christian out of the chaotic environment which is wracking the nerves of the worldly and causing their hearts to fail them for fear. True, we are still in the world, but our interests are so wholly different and our vantage point of faith so exalted above the groveling level of the world’s fears, that we enjoy a separateness from the things with which we are surrounded, so complete that our hearts rejoice and our lips shout the praises of Him who is the Lord of the new day which our vision of faith enables us to see is now dawning.
The Helmet
“The hope of salvation,” Paul indicates, is the Christian’s helmet. Helmets are worn as a protection of the head, and might well symbolize an essential knowledge of God and of His truth which serves as a safeguard against the dangers with which we are surrounded. There is much that we need to know in order to be “children of the light.” As the apostle is contrasting our knowledge with the darkness of those who “are of the night,” he no doubt has especially in mind what God has revealed to us concerning His plan of salvation.
And how truly blessed are we who now enjoy a knowledge of the divine plan! The world knows about the plans of men, but such knowledge gives them no real sense of security. They doubt both the wisdom of men’s plans and the ability of human governments to execute them. The people hope for peace and the rulers announce peace, but war and destruction continue. Yes, all human plans are failing, but God has a plan, and “the children of the light” are blessed with a knowledge of that plan. Their hope of salvation is based upon their knowledge of the truth. It is their helmet of protection against placing their confidence in men or in the institutions which men build.
Our helmet of knowledge should protect us from all fear, all anxiety, all discontent. It is a knowledge that our God will cause all our experiences to work for our highest eternal welfare. Knowing in whom we have believed, we will have confidence that He will keep that which we have committed to Him. (Rom. 8:28; II Tim. 1:12) No wonder Paul says that this helmet represents our hope of salvation; for we would have no hope of salvation were it not for our knowledge of God and of His plan.
“The Evil Day”
Paul’s reference to the “breastplate of faith and love,” and the “helmet, the hope of salvation,” is taken from Isaiah 59:17, where the prophet is pointing out the solution to an evil day of injustice and unrighteousness which was to come upon the earth at the end of the age. It is one of the spirit-inspired forecasts of the “time of trouble” which is now upon the world and in which God is protecting His people with His truth.
Much of this chapter is descriptive of the injustice and unrighteousness now so widespread in the earth, and the consequent suffering and distress of the people.
Verses 14 and 15 read, “And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no judgment.”
How manifest is this condition of iniquity in the world of today which has gone mad! There is no human remedy. Human wisdom has utterly failed to find a solution. But there is a God in heaven—our God—who understands and cares. Of this the prophet assures us, saying, “He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him; and His righteousness, it sustained Him.”—Isaiah 59:16
Here we have divine intervention described—an intervention which occurs when iniquity has reached its full. It is Christ, the “great Prince” of Daniel 12:1, whose name “Michael” signifies One who acts for God, who takes action against a wicked order of things. Isaiah 59:17 says of Him, “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon His head; and put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.”
It is from this verse that Paul quotes in our text. (I Thess. 5:8) He admonishes us to put on the “breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” It is evident that the apostle wants us to think of the armor pieces as representing, not only the blessings we receive from the Lord through the truth, but also our partnership with Christ in the outworking of the divine plan. At the time to which the prophecy refers, Jesus is a divine being highly exalted and glorified. He does not put on the helmet of salvation for Himself, nor does He need the breastplate of righteousness for His own protection.
The thought of the prophecy apparently is that the returned Christ intervenes in world affairs in order to establish righteousness and bring salvation to a dying world. When Paul quotes from such a prophecy and applies it to us as Christians, it implies that we become co-workers in this divine project of saving a lost world. What a glorious privilege! It means that not only are we, as children of the light, saved from the craze and unbalance of a maddened world, and saved too from time and effort-wasting participation in the world’s many schemes to establish a new order, but also that we are privileged to work with the Lord in the carrying out of His plan.
Clothing of Vengeance
But note the additional apparel which the prophet declares is worn by the divine Christ—“He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing.” Paul, in quoting from this prophecy, does not ignore this reference to the Lord’s vengeance, but makes it clear, nevertheless, that the saints in the flesh have no part in the work represented by the clothing of vengeance. He writes, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”—I Thess. 5:9
Paul would have us know that while we may share with Christ the helmet of salvation as well as the breastplate of faith and love, we are not to put on vengeance as clothing. We have not been appointed to that. “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” (Rom. 12:19) The “day of the Lord” which comes upon the world as a thief in the night, is a day of vengeance in which everything out of harmony with God will be shaken and destroyed. But it is not for the church this side the veil to enter into this phase of the divine program.
It is true, of course, that there are a number of precious promises which indicate that those who prove faithful unto death and thus become overcomers, will be given “power over the nations” to dash them to pieces “as the vessels of a potter.” “This honor have all His saints,” the Psalmist declares. (Psalm 149:7-9) But the admonition of our text is directed to the Lord’s people who are still in the flesh, and these have not been appointed to execute God’s wrath.
They have been given a hope of salvation through Christ, and are commissioned to tell the world about God’s plan of salvation—His Kingdom plan, which is the only solution for humanity’s problems. The church in the flesh has also been provided with a breastplate of righteousness for themselves and authorized to make known God’s righteous plans to all who have an ear to hear. This is our present share in the divine program. We are to be messengers of peace, and hope, and love. We are to be the standard-bearers of righteousness in a world that has cast down righteousness and truth in the streets. We are to be ambassadors of the Kingdom of righteousness during the time when the institutions of unrighteousness are being destroyed.
But we are not to execute vengeance, nor attempt to do so, while still in the flesh. We are to declare “the day of vengeance of our God,” but this implies merely the responsibility of explaining to a distressed world as we have opportunity and find ears to hear, the meaning of the distressing events through which they are passing. If we are fulfilling our commission as ambassadors of peace we will include in our message an explanation that the world does not now have peace because we are living in the “day of vengeance of our God.”—Isa. 34:8; 61:2; 63:4
What a blessed privilege it is to be children of the light, children of the day. How highly we have been favored! Let us walk worthy of this high honor! If we are not of the night, nor of darkness, we should walk as becometh the children of light; that is, with watchfulness and soberness, putting on the whole armor of God, both for our own protection, and in order that we may properly co-operate with our present Lord as ambassadors of the divine Kingdom which He is establishing and in which we hope to share.