The Prayer
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Whenever I read this prayer from The Book of Common Prayer, I have to pause and ask myself:
What are the works of darkness that I need to cast out today?
My mind reflexively jumps to dramatic ideas: demons, violence, evil, monsters. And because I don’t see myself in any of those categories, my first instinct is to assume that “the works of darkness” must refer to other people.
But the works of darkness in my life are more subtle.
They are things like:
- Selfishness
- Pride
- Greed
- Apathy
- Laziness
- Folly
When I really pay attention, casting away darkness doesn’t look like an epic spiritual battle—it looks incredibly ordinary.
It looks like:
- Casting away selfishness and anger by being patient in traffic.
- Casting away pride by not needing to be right, recognized, or acknowledged.
Being content, maybe even glad, to let someone else receive the attention or credit. - Casting away apathy by caring about what matters to others and to God.
Taking the time to notice when someone put effort into something that may not matter to me—but matters deeply to them. - Casting away folly and instead valuing my time as it relates to how I can use it to serve others. We all need down time to relax, that is the message of the sabbath. And the message of proverbs is that a life that gives no thought to spending my time wisely is not the path that the Lord leads us down.
So What Does It Look Like to Put On the Armor of Light?
It looks like:
- Meditating on Scripture
- Prayer
- Stillness
- Love
- Generosity
- Courage
Maybe what I’m doing right now—slowing down to reflect—is part of putting on that armor.
Light in Scripture often represents knowledge, truth, and goodness.
So taking time to read, ponder, and examine my motives becomes spiritual protection—a shield against my ego and my default patterns.
Prayer as Armor
Prayer is not just talking to God, it is re-orientation.
It is the deliberate act of shifting my attention toward the Holy, the Good, the incomprehensible God who loves us.
Prayer reminds me that my day, my interactions, my priorities are not random.
They are invitations, opportunities, to participate in the life of God.
Prayer protects my heart from the small, loud voice of ego.
Stillness as Armor
In the rush of appointments, responsibilities, plans, and tasks, sometimes the holiest thing I can do is simply get still.
Still enough to remember:
There is no spot where God is not.
God is here.
In the ordinary.
In the messy.
Yes…even in the unnoticed.
and the mundane.
Love as Armor
Perhaps the clearest measure of light in my life is love.
So I weigh everything against it:
- What I’m about to say
- What I’m about to do
- My intentions
- My motives
- My desires
Does love reveal how hollow they are…or how true?
Love is not a feeling.
Love is a choice.
To choose the highest good of my neighbor, my family, my spouse, my coworkers, even my enemies, regardless of how they behave… that is the work of love.
Generosity as Armor
Giving protects me from believing that I earned everything myself, that my effort, wisdom, or discipline alone produced what I have.
Generosity dismantles the lie that scarcity is more real than God.
There are plenty of people who have amassed wealth through greed and selfishness, that is not proof of righteousness.
Generosity is not about money, it is a battle against fear.
Courage as Armor
So much of my sin, my foolishness, my anxiety, my harshness, my defensiveness, and my reflexive self-protection comes from one root:
Not trusting God.
To live generously, not fearfully…
To trust God more than my plans…
Releasing control…
Loosening my grip…
That is courage.
Trusting God is the most courageous thing we can do. Almost all regret comes from not trusting God.
Lord, give me grace today
to cast away even the subtle forms of darkness,
and to put on Your armor of light,
thought by thought,
word by word,
choice by choice,
until my life reflects You.
Amen.