It is confusing, tons of things suggest Luffy's powers are always active, but then others say they're not. For example, if he was always rubber…then a punch from him wouldn't hurt as bad as they apparently do as his knuckles would be rubber. Yet his arm can stretch and issue the punch without affecting the actual fist.
No it isn't confusing, you're just splitting hairs about a matter that really doesn't need to be explained to you.
Luffy is a strong as hell rubberman, that's it. Bringing up whether his knuckles of all things are rubber isn't going tom magically change what type of Devil Fruit he ate. It's a paramecia, close this thread.
Do some of you need every little thing explained? Jesus….no wonder this section has gone to hell.