According to 1 Thes 5:5 we who are saved are children of the day, we are children of light.  We are not children of the night, children of darkness.  We were in darkness before we were saved, but now we are in his marvelous light, Acts 26:18; 1 Pet 2:9.  And as children of light we can be armed with faith love and hope against going back into the darkness, 1 Thes 5:8.

It is not immediately evident to the ones in darkness that we are in the light until they get saved.  Then they begin to see that they were in the dark.  However, as we grow, God can use the light in us to lead them to the light of the gospel and out of their darkness.

When we arm ourselves with the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of the hope of salvation, these will keep us from going back into the dark.  We need these three things: faith love and hope.

Faith – when you are first saved, you have enough faith to believe the gospel.  But this is not enough faith to walk away from the darkness and walk in the light.  It takes more faith before Jesus comes to keep believing, 1 Pet 1:7-9.  We must grow in faith.  That’s why our faith must be tried.

We are to walk by faith, not by sight.  You are not walking toward visible light that you see, but we walk in the light of God’s words.  The more faith you have in his words, the more light in you.  This light keeps you from darkness and shines for others to see the way to Christ.

Love – whom having not seen, ye love, 1 Pet 1:8.  Grow and abound in love for Jesus.  You should love him more and more each day.  And this love for him is what draws you away from the love of yourself, the love of pleasure, and the love of the world.

Hope – hope to the end, 1 Pet 1:13-14.  The longer we wait for the coming of the Lord, the more hopeless people in darkness are becoming.  Teenage suicide continues to rise because of hopelessness.  Without Christ we had no hope in the world, Eph 2:12.  But now we have the blessed hope.  Keep looking for that blessed hope, Titus 2:13.  He’ll be here soon enough.  So, don’t give up hope now.

Conclusion: As we get closer to the Lord’s return, remember to arm yourself with faith love and hope.  These will keep you in the light and from returning to the darkness from which Jesus saved you.