By: Gen. Jim – 2/13/26
“You are all sons of light & sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness….But let us who are of the day be sober…” 1 Thes. 5:5,8 – NKJV
Paul the apostle was writing about the coming of the Lord (5:1-11), i.e. the “day of the Lord”. He was reminding the Thessalonians that they do not need to worry about it, it will come as a thief in he night, (see also Mt. 24:43,44; Lk. 12: 39,40; Mk. 13: 28-37 etc.) The entire writing (5:1-11) is an imperious summons to ALERTNESS & a WARNING of the penalties of failure. Have I got your attention? Paul points out, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day (time) should overtake you as a thief”, vs.4. He tells them, “Ye are all the children of light & the children of day”, vs.5. A note of warning is sounded. If the coming of the Lord is to be unexpected, then one MUST BE READY! The insensitive or over sanguine will be proclaiming “peace” & “security”, (see Jer. 4:10; 6:14; 8:11; 28:9) & (Ezek. 13: 10,16) where they speak of those who cry “peace” when there is no peace. I think Paul had this in mind. It was apparent, by Paul’s words, that some of the Thessalonians had been tempted to give up hope. How many in this time, in America, have either given up all hope or on the verge of it? Seeing such division one can loose hope! Paul warns that one can be overtaken, hence, KEEP ALERT/AWAKE in Spirit. God wants a “Warrior” people, fighting for what is right, hence, “Warriors of the Day”. We see soooo many fighting for what is dark & evil.
WATCH & Be SOBER
Verse 6 tells us this. How many in this hour of darkness are literally “Awake”/“Alert”? Sexual EXCESS, Food EXCESS, Drugs/Alcohol EXCESS! Debaucheries abound. Paul writes in Rom. 13: 12-14 that the “night is far spent, the day is at hand”. “Therefore let us cast off the works of DARKNESS, & let us walk properly (Lit. “decently”), as in the day, not in revelry & drunkeness, not in lewdness & lust, not in strife & envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, & make NO provision for the flesh, to fufill its lusts.” The “Warriors of the Night” do this! Gal. 5:19,20; 1 Cor. 6:9,10; Acts 22:15 should be read also.
This nation is crowded with “Warriors of the Night”. They hate everything that is good & honorable. But we of the “Day” must remain SOBER. One can be DRUNK on more than alcohol. We have a land full of emotional/insane drunkards.
Paul tells the Thessalonians to put on the breastplate of “faith” & “love”; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation, 5:8. Why so? Because the Christian faith is one of WAR! This simile is found in Eph. 6:14-17. Paul used many illustrations to get across his points; see 2 Cor. 9:24 = a race; 1 Cor. 9:26,27 = a prize; 2 Cor. 6:7 = a battle, and 10:4-6; Rom. 6:13; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7 etc.
Wrath
Yep! WRATH for those of the night. Verse 9 = “For God hath not appointed us to WRATH, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”. (See also Rom. 2:5; Rom. 5:9; Col. 3:6). WRATH is reserved for those who refuse the proffered salvation & who choose to live as sons & daughters of the night. (See Jn. 3:18).
Strange/Queer Generation
We live in a S/Q time here in America. Mental illness is on every hand. So many people are mixed up! Are they male or female? Steady – going citizens grow smaller each year; the year of the Queen is Here! Strange, peculiarly odd in looks & conducts, bizarre, abnormal, outrageously ugly in looks & conduct…full of hate & vileness, transmogrifyingly out of touch with reality. The vanity of insanity within humanity is nothing short of INSANE! People are mesmerized & demonized by the anatomy & physiology, hence psychologic Disorders, Aberrations: sex stimulants abound, fascinations with forbidden sex acts have become insane. As if sex is man’s/women’s salvation. Nymphomania is common, totally opposite ascetic monasticism, the austere way of religious men/women of yesterday. The days caritas are long gone, i.e. love for all people. No sir! We group people together, e.g. race, sex, clan etc. But the “Warriors of the Day” embraces all races, sexes, classes, for Jesus did.
Encourage the Fainthearted
Paul writes: “…WARN them that are unruly…” (1 Thes. 5:14). Well, get ready for a BIG backlash, a blow back! To tell a sinning church member to STOP is gonna get one in trouble (in many cases). When we did this back in the early days of our ministry, ALL HELL BROKE OUT (see our PX2 & PX3 Files). The churches got angry along with the world. We were labeled a “dangerous cult” just because we had to deal with a sinning member (sex related).
Paul also wrote, “comfort the feeble-minded (i.e. fainthearted), support the weak (in faith), be patient toward all men”.
It is interesting to note that the word “idle” (RSV), or “unruly” (KJV), a very rare word in the N.T. The word means “out of rank” (of a soldier), or to be “out of line” with established & standard procedures. In the papyri it is used of “idleness” & “loafing”. Idlers who have become “busybodies” (2 Thes. 3:11). Modern Protestantism needs to ponder all this. Not only in the secular world gone to the dogs, but the Church has too! Historically, this has happened off and on. Historically, the Reformation was both a revolt/revolution & an affirmation: a revolt, because it expressed, among other things, the resentment of the people against the rigid & cruel authority of an institution (the Roman Catholic Church); in affirmation, because it exposed & re-emphasized certain Christian principles embedded in the N.T. Christian liberty for 1/3rd of the European people was thus secured & a return to Biblical Christianity. We are, to feel, ready for another revolution – revolt against Babylonian Churchianity! The Church today – for the most part – is too worldly, self-loving, anemic, Spiritless, & worthless!!!
We NEED the SWORD that CUTS & the FIRE that BURNS to come into our midst…cut off excess religious FAT & BURN the HELL out of us! We need an internal & external Revolution. Biblical Christianity has been reduced to a man made religion…hypercritical of God’s SWORD & FIRE. The modern Church has raised up a bunch of BASTARDS rather than Christian Soldiers. The Church as a whole is more CONSTIPATED than CONSECRATED. She is thought to be Alert & Alive, but she is neither. Her loyalties are divided – partly “Christian” & partly “worldly”. We will not, we cannot win this WAR if our loyalties are faltering – and they are! The Church is neither all the way hot nor cold – only lukewarm/pukewarm. Loss of hope & faith gives the hosts of HELL a greater foothold in the Church. Churchites act like Christians on Sundays but live like devils 6 other days of the week. Some go to Church but are in deed practicing atheists – securing serenity from the world. Deep intercessory prayer is needed. Will you pray?