The 1599 Geneva Bible:
The night is past, and the day is at hand, let us therefore cast away the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light, ****So that we walk honestly, as in the day: not in gluttony, and drunkenness, neither in chambering and wantonness, nor in strife and envying. ****But put ye on the Lord JESUS CHRIST, and take no thought for the flesh, to fulfill the lust of it.
Table of Contents:
[Sancti Pauli epistola ad Romanos]
Verses 12–14. He proceedeth unto the other, concerning avoiding offense through things which are not honest. Which in general he calleth works of darkness. Then he specifieth by way of example rioting, drunkenness, chambering, that is, whoredoms, wantonness, strife, and emulation and envy. He addeth in verse 14, not to make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof, that is, not to place study, care, labor in that thing, that the flesh may have wherewith to corrupt itself. Which is done through avarice or through the abuse of riches. So he explaineth what it is to pluck out the offending eye. Matthew 5:29, to wit, not to provide for the eye, whereby it may wickedly and perversely delight itself, not for the throat, not for other members, whereby they may invite themselves unto lasciviousness. Matthew 6:31–32, Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. The Gentiles 1. Distrust God and trust in themselves. 2. Seek great things and the lust which is in the world: seriously, yea, fastidiously, deliberating what they shall eat and drink, and wherewith they shall be clothed.
This precept he illustrateth by the antithesis of the contrary, which is to put on the armor of light, to walk honestly, to put on the Lord Jesus.
Armor of light. In Hebrew, כְּלִי signifieth both habit, or clothing, and arms, and all furniture. See Zechariah 11:15. There is nothing why we should not take it so largely in this place. All things which become light; and which are useful for doing the work which is to be done in light; and by which we can be fortified against Satan, who lieth in wait for us and threateneth, and by which we can destroy the works of Satan and loose his kingdom.
Honestly, to walk decently and as in honest habit, is to have and do those things which become light, that is, the time in which truth, which is light, is preached and known. Truth is light: and especially that which purifieth and cheereth man. For as darkness is not seen, so falsehood is not known, and it saddeneth and bringeth into danger him who walketh and worketh in Christ.
We put on Christ:
When we believe.
When we are baptized into him. Not that then at length we become partakers of him, but that then communion with Christ through faith is sealed unto us.
By imitation of Christ, when we suffer his life to be strong and powerful in us and in our members: and show him to be truly both our Savior and our Lord.
He taketh the reason persuading in like manner from the time. The night is far spent, and almost gone, that is, the time:
Of the veil and sadness.
Of the hardening and ignorance of the Gentiles.