"Put on the Armour of Light"

Do you struggle and fall in your walk in mortality? Do you keep stubbing your toe on the same stupid rock? Do you want to overcome sin, especially addiction, but can't seem to find the strength and/or desire to actually change? While in a discussion with my friend about forgiveness I received spiritual insight on an important element of repentance that is necessary but unfortunately not well known and understood.

Restitution
Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world, brings about the "restitution of all things". Restitution comes from the Latin word restatuere; re-, meaning again, and statuere, meaning set up. It means "a giving back of something that has been lost or taken away; restoration"(Webster's New World Dictionary). Jesus Christ, by means of His infinite atonement, makes restitution for wrongs done to us, with or without the restitutions of those who have wronged us. This is necessary to satisfy the demands of both justice and mercy.

Upon realizing what it really means to make restitution as our Savior does, I reflected upon the element of restitution required in complete repentance.

Romans 13:
8 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

The Spirit, during my pondering of the meaning restitution, recalled this scripture I had heard while listening to the New Testament in the shower a few days ago. As I studied it my mind was enlightened.

Notice the two parts I put in bold.
-Cast off the works of darkness
I believe this is implying in our awakening from our slumber of sin and ignorance, individual apostasy, we must put out of our lives that which is dark and of the devil. This means ceasing to sin.
-Put on the armour of light
This is making restitution. We learn that "the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light"(D&C 84:45). We know "that which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, recieveth more light"(D&C 50:24). What defines something to be "of God" is "every thing which inviteth to do good"(Moroni 7:16). To "do good" is the pattern established by the Lord to overcome evil. "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good"(Romans 12:21). I believe this could also be said "overcome [darkness] with [light]", for what is darkness but the absence of light? Therefore, you might say, put on the armour of good works.

Apply, Experience, and Remember
Do you find yourself stumbling over the same stupid sins again and again? Do you want to change, but can't seem to find the strength to make it happen? I have felt this way in my life, and looking back I can see an easier way than what I sometimes chose.

Perhaps you are too focused on "cast[ing] off the works of darkness" and not enough on "put[ing] on the armour of light". Perhaps, not knowingly, you are trying to dispell darkness without replacing it with light. This does not work, considering darkness is the absence of light. Light or darkness must exist in every space at any given time, there is no in between. Degrees of light do exist, but there is no third possibility of light and darkness.

Let us remember the examples of the sons of Mosiah who were "going about... seeking to destroy the church"(Mosiah 27:10). In response to the faith of a loving father, they gained a witness of the truthfulness of the gospel, and experienced a mighty change of heart. In their repentance process they "traveled throughout all the land... zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church, confessing all their sins"(Mosiah 27:35). Their restitution including building up the church, as an attempt to restore their wrongs. Therefore, in order for one to completely repent, one must make restitution for the sin committed to the best of one's ability, or in other words do the opposite of the sin committed.

In simple terms, focus less on avoiding sin and more on doing good. The more good you do, the more light you have. The more light you have, the less darkness has place in you. The less darkness has place in you, the better you are, the more joy you will experience, and the more of God's divine assistance you will experience in your everyday life. Go about doing as much good as you can. Especially try to do as much good against that which you have done wrong. For example this could mean showing respect for women by opening doors as an effort to make restitution for viewing pornogrophy. Or being a friend to someone else, when you once hurt a friend. Follow the Spirit as you seek to fully repent by "putting off the natural man" and becoming more saintly(Mosiah 3:19).

By following the example of our Redeemer, we can successfully "overcome evil with good" by means of restitution as we rely "wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save"(2 Nephi 31:19), for it is by grace, the enabling and strengthening power that comes through the bounteous love and mercy of the atoning Lord Jesus Christ, that we are saved from our sins. (2 Nephi 25:23; Helaman 5:10(9-11))