As is often done in biblical language, the present evil age is spoken of as night while the time of God’s salvation is spoken of as day. However, the metaphor of contrast between night and day is not universal. It may be advisable to change the metaphor to a simile—for example, “it is as though the night were almost over, and the day about to begin” or “it is as though the night was getting light and the day was almost to come.”
The change from night to day demands a change in one’s way of life. Let us stop doing the things that belong to the dark is literally “let us put off the works of darkness.” The verb is aorist and has the force of initiating an action which is not yet begun; therefore, let us stop…. “The works of darkness” means “the things that one does in the darkness.” Paul mixes his figures of speech here by speaking of actions as clothing worn at night that one must take off so that he can put on the clothing appropriate for the daytime. Since these mixed metaphors are difficult for the reader to grasp, the Good News Translation translates them as a single metaphor by changing “let us put off” to let us stop doing.
A form of admonition, introduced by let in English, must often be translated as a form of obligation in other languages—for example, “we must stop doing the things that belong to the dark.” However, it is not always easy to put across the idea of “the things that belong to the dark.” It may, in fact, be necessary to expand somewhat this expression so as to make the reference clear: “the things that people normally do in the darkness of night” or “those evil things which people do in the darkness.”
Similar observations may be made with regard to the last part of this sentence. Take up the weapons for fighting in the light is literally “put on (that is, dress ourselves in) the weapons of the light.” The verb here is also aorist and has the same force as the previous verb. It is easy to see why “the weapons of the light” is translated as weapons for fighting in the light.
It is not always easy for readers to comprehend exactly what is the significance of the weapons for fighting in the light. Some translators would prefer to use a more neutral expression such as “those things of the light,” but the fact is that Paul in several passages uses terms for weapons and frequently employs the analogy of fighting and conflict. Therefore, it is probably more satisfactory to use the expression weapons both here and in verse 14 and to provide a satisfactory series of cross reference so that the reader may understand the broader implications of what Paul is trying to say. One can always suggest that this metaphor must be understood in a purely figurative sense by introducing a phrase such as “as it were” or “as it seems”—for example, “we must take up, as it were, the weapons which are used in the light” or “… in the daytime.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .