Romans 13:12

The night is far spent Lit. The night was far spent. The Gr. verb is in the aorist; and the time-reference is, very probably, to the First Advent, when the Morning Star (Revelation 22:16) of the final Day appeared. We have here, clearly, a combination of metaphors. The "sleep" of Romans 13:11 was the sleep of languor;the "night" of this verse is not, as we might thus have thought, the night of ignoranceor sin, but that of trial;the "present time" contrasted with the coming glory. But the combination is most natural and instructive: a period of trialis almost sure, if it does not answer its end, to act directly the other way to bring on the slothof discouragement. Cp. on this passage 1 John 2:8; where render "the darkness is passing."

the day is at hand Lit. hath drawn near. "The day:" "the day of Christ;" with the added idea of the day-lightof eternal peace and glory which it will bring in. See 1 Thessalonians 5:5 for the only exact parallel: in the many other passages where "the Day" means the Lord's Return, there is no trace of the special metaphor of light, the contrast of day with night.

the works of darkness Lit. of the darkness. (Same phrase as Ephesians 5:11) Here we recur to the idea of moraldarkness; not the darkness of trial or pain; (see last note but one.) Cp. John 3:19; Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5; 1Pe 2:9; 1 John 1:6. No doubt the word suggests also the "powersof the darkness," the personal spiritual "rulersof the darkness," who tempt the soul and intensify its tendencies to evil. Cp. Luke 22:53; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:13. The habit resulting from these "deeds" is here figured as a night-robe, which is to be put off as the sleeper rises to conflict. (So Meyer.)

the armour of light Lit. the weapons of the light. Not clothing merely, but arms and armour, must take the place of the night-robe. The "arms" are Divine grace with its manifold means and workings. See the elaborate picture in a later Epistle, Ephesians 6:11; a passage full of illustration for this context. The earliest use of the metaphor by St Paul is 1 Thessalonians 5:8; another close parallel. See also 2 Corinthians 6:7; 2 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Peter 4:1. "Of the light:" here perhaps the ideas of the daylight of sincerity and purity, and the day-light of glorywhich will end the conflict, are combined.

Observe how the re-animation of the life of grace is here, as often elsewhere, (cp. Ephesians 6:11; 1 Peter 4:1; and perhaps 2 Corinthians 5:20;) spoken of as if it were the beginning of it. The persons here addressed had already (on the Apostle's hypothesis) truly "believed," and were "walking after the Spirit."