Romans 13:11-14

The reason why many fail in battle is because they wait until the hour of battle. The reason why others succeed is because they have gained their victory on their knees long before the battle came. Anticipate your battles; fight them on your knees before temptation comes, and you will always have victory.
— R. A. Torrey

The Apostle Paul serves as the divinely appointed spokesman for the present dispensation of grace. God entrusted him with the epistles that provide clear doctrine and instruction for the Body of Christ, enabling believers to navigate this unique period in which God has revealed His grace as never before.

There is no greater time in human history to be alive as a member of the Church than right now. In this dispensation, God is accomplishing a work that was hidden from previous ages and generations. As Paul writes to the saints in Rome, “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:7). This greeting applies directly to believers today, for Paul later declares, “And that, knowing the time…” (Romans 13:11).

This statement, “knowing the time,” is foundational. It reminds us that a proper understanding of Scripture — particularly how God has divided His dealings with mankind across the ages — is essential if we are to live faithfully in our present “But Now” time frame.

In Ephesians chapter 2, Paul outlines three distinct time periods for the Body of Christ:

• Time Past: “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2).
• Ages to Come: “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).
• But Now: “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).

The conjunction “But” marks a sharp contrast, placing the believer squarely in the present dispensation of grace. This “But Now” period is the current age in which salvation is offered freely to Jew and Gentile alike, with “neither Jew nor Greek” in the Body of Christ (Galatians 3:28), and “now is the accepted time… now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Paul uses the word “dispensation” four times in his epistles, underscoring that time and divine administration are inseparably linked (1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 3:2; Colossians 1:25):

1 Corinthians 9:17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Ephesians 3:2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

Colossians 1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God;

As we look at the word dispensation in the Bible we can see that time is a factor to the word dispensation. Paul informed us that this dispensation was committed unto him and given unto him. In Ephesians 1:10 it talks about the fulness of times. When everything is complete God will gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven (God’s heavenly people) and which are on earth (God’s earthly people)

In this dispensation of the grace of God committed to Paul (Ephesians 3:2), the next major event on God’s prophetic calendar for the Church is the catching away of the saints the Rapture described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Because time in this dispensation is limited, the urgency of the hour cannot be overstated. Paul declares that the Church is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15) and a “living epistle” read of all men (2 Corinthians 3:2-3). Our commission in this “But Now” period is clear: to renounce dishonesty, reject craftiness, and manifest the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:1-6).

This brings us back to Paul’s solemn exhortation: “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Romans 13:11). The Body of Christ has too often slumbered. The urgent call of Scripture Now is therefore twofold: first, to awaken believers to a clear, dispensational understanding of the Scriptures; and second, to equip them to live faithfully, preach the gospel boldly, and defend the faith in these closing moments of the Church Age.

When the Apostle Paul declares, “And that, knowing the time…” (Romans 13:11), he issues a profoundly urgent and authoritative summons to the Body of Christ. This statement is far more than a casual observation; it is a divine imperative that demands a clear, dispensational understanding of the Scriptures and a resolute response to the epoch in which we live.

Having surveyed the biblical framework of “time past,” “but now,” and “the ages to come,” we must recognize that God Himself has diagnosed a critical condition within the Church in this present dispensation: spiritual slumber. In an hour when the night is far spent and our salvation draws nearer than when we first believed, the apostolic command rings with unmistakable clarity: “now it is high time to awake out of sleep” (Romans 13:11).

This awakening is not a mere stirring of conscience, but a comprehensive response. The believer must first know the time discerning with precision where we stand on God’s prophetic timeline. Second, we must realize the urgency that it is already “high time.” Third, we must resist the natural tendency toward slumber and actively awake. Finally, we must put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14), clothing ourselves with His character, power, and armor as we run the race set before us.

Scripture Now exists to sound this very trumpet call. In these closing moments of the Church Age, may every member of the Body of Christ rise from spiritual lethargy with renewed zeal. Let us awaken to the glorious truths of this dispensation, embrace our high calling as the pillar and ground of the truth, and labor fervently in the gospel while the door of opportunity remains open.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Knowing the time, let us awake out of sleep and put on the Lord Jesus Christ for the crowns await those who run that they may obtain.