Spiritual Darkness and Light Col. 1: 13 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
This sermon is about spiritual darkness and light. Before a man gets saved he walks in darkness. The way of the wicked is as darkness [Prov 4:19]. Those who leave the paths of uprightness walk in darkness [Prov 2:13]. And they love the darkness because their deeds are evil [Jn 3:18-19].
When their lives on earth end, they are cast out into “outer” darkness [Matt 8:12, Matt 22:13, Matt 25:30] because they rejected the light of Jesus who is their only way out of darkness [Jn 12:35, 46]. The fallen angels are in chains of darkness [2 Pet 2:4] and in chains under darkness [Jude 6]. And in Jude 13 we find that they’ll have the blackness of darkness for ever. Notice in Rev 16:10 that the kingdom of the beast will be full of darkness at some time during the Tribulation [Ezek 32:7-8]. This reminds us of Pharaoh in Egypt and the darkness that fell over his kingdom in Ex 10:21.
So, in salvation [Acts 26:20] we are turned from darkness to light and from Satan [the ruler of darkness Eph 6:12] to God [1 Jn 1:5 God is light, and in him is no darkness at all]. He delivers us from the power of darkness and translates us into the kingdom of his dear Son [Col 1:13]. He called us out of darkness and into his marvelous light 1 Pet 2:9. Therefore, as he made the light to shine out of darkness in Gen 1:3 so he shines in our hearts [2 Cor 4:6-7]. First, then, it is vital that the light in us shines so that the lost can see the light of Jesus and be saved.
According to 1 Thes 5:5 we are children of the light and of the day and not of the night and of darkness. Second, then, we are to walk as children of light [Eph 5:8] and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them [Eph 5:11]. As light has no communion with darkness even so we are to have no fellowship with unrighteousness [2 Cor 6:14].
The danger for Christians is that we can be tempted by the devil to go back into darkness. The devil himself is transformed into an angel of light [2 Cor 11:14] and he has ministers who are transformed as the ministers of righteousness [2 Cor 11:15]. Therefore, many professing Christians today have been fooled into accepting darkness for light. Like Is 5:20 says, “Woe to them that put darkness for light and light for darkness.” What’s happened is that the ministers of the devil have “caught the eyes” of some believers and so their eyes are no longer single and their bodies are full of darkness [Lk 11:34-36]. Third, then, we must guard our light carefully so that we are not deceived into following the false light of the devil.
Conclusion: If you are saved, then take heed to what the Lord said and be sure that the light in you is not darkness. The light of the words of God will help you understand this for sure [Ps 119:130]. Just as you recharge your cell phone battery each day so that you won’t miss any calls or texts, so you must recharge your spiritual battery each day with the words of God until you are fully charged. If you are not saved, you are in darkness no matter how enlightened you feel and you are headed for an eternity of darkness. Receive Jesus Christ so that he can translate you from the power of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son.