The Armour of Light: Ken Follett (The Kingsbridge Novels, 5)

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For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us His Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8) Ken Follett is one of the world’s most successful authors. Over 170 million copies of the 36 books he has written have been sold in over 80 countries and in 33 languages.

I would like to speak about a great robbery that is taking place among us. It is of more consequence than any theft in history. The thief is Satan, and his objective is to rob us of light. Lucifer does not want to steal light for himself; he wants to steal light because it is the presence of light by which he can be defeated. Since Satan abhors light and avoids its presence, and since he cannot conventionally steal light against one’s will, his efforts and temptations are designed to entice his targets to voluntarily yield it up that he might more freely and effectively carry forth his destructive plans. The Doctrine and Covenants teaches: The long-awaited sequel to A Column of Fire, The Armor of Light, heralds a new dawn for Kingsbridge, England, where progress clashes with tradition, class struggles push into every part of society, and war in Europe engulfs the entire continent and beyond.

What order should I read the Kingsbridge series in?

And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them (Ezekiel 36:27) As in the story of the Eskimo, Satan tempts us with alluring distractions and circumstances that may appear on the surface to be harmless. But as we partake, the light slowly dissipates until we become weak and in serious spiritual trouble. President Kimball taught that transgression “begins tiny and grows to monumental proportions. It grows drop by drop, inch by inch” ( TSWK,152). To put off the old man is an action that every believer is supposed to do. No one can do it for you. Not even God.

Our Gospel speaks of the casual revellers in the days before the flood, eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage, totally unaware that anything else was going until the flood came and swept them away. They remind me of that rueful observation about death bed regrets. You know, no one on his or her death bed regrets not spending more time in the office. No, the things you regret are the real things, the unexpressed feelings, the giving of forgiveness, the healing you sought or longed to give. So do the important things now before you can’t. This Advent don’t settle for anything less than reality, the armour of light. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? … But the Word commands everyone, to put off the works of darkness and no longer walk after the lusts of the flesh, but to walk as children of light, putting on the armor of light and yielding their members as instruments of righteousness unto God.In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; In the wilderness, Jesus was tempted by the devil for forty days. During those forty days, Jesus learned to stay obedient to His Father and resist the devil and all his temptations. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2)

I want to reflect, this evening, upon a phrase of Paul’s in that reading from Romans: the armour of light. As well as our usual, longer, silence after the sermon, there will some shorter silences as part of the sermon. Because those, who keep walking in darkness and keep doing the works of darkness and obey and serve sin and death through their flesh, shall not walk in the light. Strong's 3696: An instrument; plur: arms, weapons. Probably from a primary hepo; an implement or utensil or tool. As well as protecting us from things outside us against the kingdom, the armour of light can also protect us from our own inner darkness and fears. All of us know that there are things we are afraid of, or that we dislike, within ourselves. The armour of light shines in such a way as to protect us from them. And just like Jesus, the sons of God should also walk in obedience to the Word and the Holy Spirit, to resist the devil and don’t give into his deceptions and temptations, which lead to sin.

When will the next Ken Follett book be released?

The breastplate of righteousness": all holiness, inward and outward. And as the breastplate defended the vital parts, so whatever injuries we may sustain, they cannot reach the conscience while this breastplate is there. And when the conscience is kept pure, all is safe.