In Warfare
IN WARFARE
Now we come to transformation in waging the warfare, meaning spiritual warfare. Verse 11 says, "And this, knowing the time, that now is the hour for you to be raised out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we believed." Salvation here means salvation in the last stage, which is the redemption of our body. Salvation encompasses our spirit, soul, and body. In the first stage of salvation, the Lord regenerates our spirit; in the second stage, He transforms our soul; and in the third stage, which is the last, at the time of His return He will transfigure our vile body into a glorious one (Phil. 3:21). When Romans 13:11 says that our salvation is nearer than when we believed, it is referring to the third stage of salvation, the transfiguration of our body. In other words, this refers to the re demption of our body, or, to use another term, the full sonship revealed in Romans 8:19, 21, and 23.
We need to realize that now is the time to wake up from sleep. Although night is the time for sleep, "the night is far advanced" (Rom. 13:12). So, we should wake up, be watchful, and sleep no more.