Wake Up Sleepy Head
Awake! Paul tells us in verse 11. The time is late and the need is now more than ever for Christians to awake out of sleep. II Cor. 6:1, 2 tells Christians that now is the accepted time and now is the day of salvation. Here in Romans, Paul tells us that salvation is now nearer than ever. The time to awake is NOW!
This does not mean be religious. The Pharisees were religious and Christ called them serpents. He called them whitened sepulchers full of dead men’s bones, Matt. 23. We need to awaken to Christ himself.
After we awake, we are to cast off the works of darkness, the sin that doth so easily beset us. We are to mortify the members of the flesh, Col. 3. We are to put to death the earthly desire and fleshly lusts. Carnal desires war against our spirit and Christ warns his disciples the watch and pray for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Because the flesh is weak it is easy to fall into temptation.
Eph. 4 warns to not even give place to the Devil. If we give him a place, he is like a cancer and will take over and destroy. Remember, he seeks to devour and destroy, I Pet 5:8. This is a conscience decision on our part and a continual battle. This is why Eph. 6 instructs us to put on the whole armor of Christ.
We must awake and we must cast off the works of darkness. We cannot serve God and fleshly or carnal desires. When Christ arose from the dead, He did not wear His grave clothes around. That would be gross and foolish. Yet, many Christians try to do this very thing. Christ quickens us from an eternity of damnation and gives us life through His shed blood, and yet many of us leave on our grave clothes and try to serve Him. Let me encourage you and I today to cast them off.