Commentary on Romans 13:11-14

Paul has just set out a series of imperatives for faithful life in the world (Romans 13:1–10), centered on the Christ-follower’s relationship to governmental authorities, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the love command as the fulfillment of God’s Instructions (torah). Before moving on to contextualize the meaning of the love command with respect to divisive attitudes and practices within the Christ-following communities (14:1–15:13; see 14:15), he introduces this interlude—a powerful and profound portrait of the challenge of faithful living in this world, painted on the larger mural of the good future God has prepared for God’s people. 

Providing an eschatological warrant for present faithfulness, Paul directs attention to the end-time return and final triumph of Jesus Christ. He thus paints the church as an eschatological community. God’s people follow the way of salvation, but this present time and place do not mark the end of salvation. Christ-followers should act as people on the way, not as people who imagine they have already found in this world their “forever home.”

The contrasts Paul draws are both stark and telling: asleep/awake; night/day; works of darkness/armor of light; lay aside/put on; darkness/light; live honorably/reveling, drunkenness, debauchery, and licentiousness (Common English Bible: “partying and getting drunk … sleeping around and obscene behavior”); put on the Lord Jesus Christ/nourish the flesh. One set of images describes life in the Roman world, especially for those with some means. The other depicts the new form of existence of those who have aligned themselves with Jesus, placed their confidence in him, and declared their allegiance to him. One describes life under the lordship of Caesar. The other describes life under the Lordship of Christ. 

And here lies the challenge: Those who name Jesus as Lord continue to live in Caesar’s world. They are pressed in both directions at once. Accordingly, Paul reminds his audience that faithful response to Jesus cannot be described as “one and done.” Waking from sleep, putting on the armor of light, putting on the Lord Jesus Christ—these are and must be everyday practices. Paul encourages Christ-followers to such ongoing decisions and actions by reminding them that, in this way, they will remain alert to the coming of the End, which could happen at any moment.

Four of Paul’s images invite further consideration: 

Asleep / awake

The states of being asleep and awake are well known in New Testament texts dealing with staying alert, being in the know, or being prepared for the End. In Mark’s Gospel, for example, Jesus instructs his followers, “Therefore, keep awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly” (Mark 13:35–36; see Matthew 13:25; 24:42; 25:13; Mark 13: 37; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Revelation 16:15).

In Romans 13, this conceptual metaphor functions pointedly to contrast two forms of life: one marked by the night (that is, giving in to one’s sinful cravings) and the other marked by the day (that is, living under Jesus Christ’s Lordship).

Throwing off / putting on

When Paul counsels his audience to “throw off” and “put on” (13:12, 14), he is drawing on the concrete, physical act of undressing and dressing to structure his audience’s understanding of the more abstract idea of exchanging one personal state or identity for another. The effect is similar to Jesus’ words in Mark’s Gospel, where he defines discipleship in part as denying oneself and taking up the cross (Mark 8:34).

Paul’s metaphor constitutes far more than covering oneself with a new robe, say, or temporarily assuming a new persona (as in the theater). Rather, he is referring to a theological or moral change. His metaphor works because, in the ancient Mediterranean world, it was commonly understood that one’s internal dispositions and allegiances were on public display in one’s behavior and relationships (see, for example, Ephesians 4:20–24; Colossians 3:8–10; James 3:21).

Works of darkness / armor of light

In its immediate literary context, “armor of light” is set in contrast with “works of darkness” (13:12). Moreover, it is set parallel with “putting on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul thus speaks of a life of purity and integrity in which one grows into Christlikeness, more and more taking on the character of Christ. His use of the image of “armor,” though, marks the process of becoming like Christ in military terms.

The apostle seems to envision a battle against both the press of one’s own cravings and the press of the corrupt patterns of life characteristic of Roman life. Similar language appears in Ephesians 6:10–18, where the battle is more straightforwardly executed against “the wiles of the devil.” In the book of Isaiah, images of God as the Divine Warrior (see also Psalms 93–100) find their parallel in human armament—for example, a belt of righteousness, a sash of faithfulness, shoes of the good news of peace (Isaiah 11:5; 49:2; 52:7; 59:17).

Imminent expectation / unknown timing

Paul sounds the note of imminent expectation in this short paragraph: “You know what time it is. … Salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone; the day is near” (Romans 13:11–12). This is often heard as a reference to his (mistaken) notion that Jesus would return shortly, perhaps in Paul’s own lifetime.

Both in the first century and today, though, it makes good sense to think rather of the unknown timing of the End (whether of one’s life or of the eschaton). The End cannot be calendared, any more than one can predict the timing of one’s own demise. Given this uncertainty, Paul is urging that the appropriate response is everyday faithfulness.