1 Thessalonians 5:8, commentary and pictures

Those who belong to the day are children of light and not of darkness, living by the knowledge of God's word with the nearness of the Lord's day before them. They are not to sleep as others do but to stay awake and sober, spiritually alert, self-controlled, prayerful and dependent on God. God supplies the armor, yet each person must put it on and keep it on in constant readiness for Christ's second coming. The breastplate is faith and love always united to guard the heart, faith resting on Christ and working by love to purify the soul, and the helmet is the hope of salvation guarding the mind. Believers are not appointed to wrath but to obtain salvation through Jesus Christ who died for them, so they are to comfort and build one another up and live ready for judgment.

Sober Armor of Day

Those who are of the day are children of light and not of night nor of darkness, obedient to the knowledge received from God's word and walking according to it in the light of the Scriptures. They belong to the day of the Lord and know that it is near. Therefore they must not sleep as others do but must watch and be sober, spiritually alert, self-controlled, prayerful and dependent on God. This watchful life stands in contrast to spiritual sleep and drunkenness, and rules out indifference to the signs that precede Christ's return.

God provides the spiritual armor, but each person must put it on for constant preparation for Christ's second coming and readiness for the day of judgment. Being sober means putting on the breastplate of faith and love, which are always united. Faith rests on Christ, and faith that works by love purifies the soul, while faith and love together guard the heart. For a helmet is the hope of salvation, guarding the mind and grounding readiness in hope through Christ who died that believers may live with Him whether awake or asleep.

Sobriety requires constant self-guardianship and self-control under God, with sanctified self that others may be sanctified. Those who are of the day must be circumspect in words and actions, governing thoughts and behavior, meditating on the Word of God day and night and bringing its principles into practical life. The only sword to be used is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, wielded by "It is written" with respect and kindness and only words that make for peace, for the church militant is not yet the church triumphant. This sobriety rules out careless, frivolous and immoral conduct, requiring abstinence from fleshly lusts that war against the soul and honest, temperate, holy conduct that does not misrepresent Christ.

Ready for Christ's Return

In view of Christ's return believers must not be indifferent to the signs that precede it but must watch and live in readiness for judgment, grounded in hope through Christ. The day of trial comes as a thief in the night, stealing unawares, and the education needed for it is the training and consecrating of all powers for service to glorify God. That training is like the school of the prophets, using youthful zeal and ardor in real, good, well-organized efforts under instructors to be a blessing to others, rather than spending time and money on holidays and games. Strong faith and pure love show that believers take the nearness of the end seriously.

God has not appointed believers to wrath and does not want them where His wrath will fall, but has appointed them to obtain salvation through Jesus Christ, who died for them, so that whether awake or asleep they may live with Him. He wants them where the beauty and loveliness of character reflects His divine image, and where together they comfort and build up one another by working on Bible principles. Therefore comforting one another and building one another up belongs to readiness for the day of the Lord.

Watching for souls means taking the position of watching for the prosperity of souls as those who must give an account, rather than watching for defects, haltings, and errors to sit on the judgment seat judging others. It means going kindly to one seen in error and meeting error with truth, for there is always a truth with which to meet error, and speaking a word in season and out of season. It means removing difficulties between brethren in the name of the Lord and in the spirit of Christ, living as brethren and sisters, and clearing the rubbish from the door of the heart so as to be prepared to do work for outsiders, because time is very precious and too short to afford difficulties. Watching and waiting also means working most diligently and not only watching and praying. With faces heavenward in continual petition and humble dependence on God as surety and power, believers regulate every business transaction with fellow men by the law of God, never swerving from right and justice under any circumstance, and develop unselfish love for fellow men out of supreme love for Jesus Christ who bought them with His own blood, and so rise superior to grievous, subtle temptations.

Each person must set self in order now by watching and praying lest entrance be given to temptation, living soberly with faith and love guarding the heart and hope of salvation guarding the mind. This lays on each person the responsibility to educate self in faith and to cooperate with God in making the character Christlike, since no one can live in the Spirit and do God's work without special help from above, and the verse is given to the church as assurance and encouragement that hope is not taken away. Those addressed have not already attained and are not now perfect, for they are children of light and of the day only as they are obedient to knowledge received from God's word and walk according to His word, holding more earnestly to heavenly things. A work of purification is still to be done in their souls through faith that works by love and purifies the soul, and then their lives will demonstrate pressing toward the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ.

In the closing days believers face powerful satanic deception, but faith and prayer bring heavenly angels to guard them from corrupting influences, and following God's Word keeps them walking in the Lord's light and safe. Because day-by-day work is written in the record books of heaven and each day's conduct forms character for eternity, those blessed with great light and great truth must be especially circumspect in all things, consistent, sober, and watchful unto prayer. Carried into practice with the whole chapter, this readiness brings a great change from the spirit that works in the children of disobedience, and the chapter should be read and heeded in every church before as well as during seasons of prayer.

The same chapter warns one who continues under Satan's delusive representations in base lust of mind toward a woman besides his wife, calling it love when it is lust, the fruit of corrupt thoughts, that he must read and study it. He is charged for Christ's sake, for his own soul's sake, and for the sake of those who would cheapen themselves to respond to him, to call things by the right name and to talk no more of love to any woman besides his wife. Unless he changes he cannot retain his position of influence and will bring reproach upon the work of God.