The ways of darkness are the ways of the evil man and the man that speaketh froward things, Prov 2:12.  These men “leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness”, Prov 2:13.  And they want you to leave the paths of uprightness and walk along with them in the ways of darkness.

Right now, here in this place with us, you can walk with us on the paths of uprightness.  This is one of the great things about being with Bible believers in a Bible-believing local church.

Here you can find sound doctrine, good friends, and strong support you need to stay on the paths of uprightness.  Here, men are not leading you astray.  We are teaching you wisdom, knowledge, discretion, and understanding, Prov 2:10-11.  We are being good examples to you of how to walk in the paths of uprightness.  You are seeing the benefits of staying on these right paths in our lives.

Away from here, there are evil men who speak froward things who would love for you to leave these paths of uprightness.  They want you to walk in the ways of darkness.  They rejoice to do evil and delight in the frowardness of the wicked, Prov 2:14. Do you see?  They present you with things in which they rejoice and delight, as if they are having a better time in their evil than you are in your uprightness.

But there are some very real and unseen problems on their paths.

These are Satanic ways.  Prov 4:19 “The way of the wicked is as darkness…”.  We are armed with the armor of God against “the rulers of the darkness of this world”, Eph 6:12.  When Jesus was arrested, he said, “this is your hour, and the power of darkness”.

In that darkness, you are in Satan’s realm.  You are under his influence.  His deception, lies, errors, and temptations will take you down when he is ready to destroy you.  He’ll let you have some fun in the darkness. But his aim is to ensnare you, and destroy you.

In Acts 26:18 Paul said of his ministry, “to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.  If you walk off the paths of uprightness to enter the paths of wickedness, you walk away from God and into the power of Satan.

These are hazardous ways.  Prov 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

There are all kinds of trip hazards out there to take you down.  You can stumble over philosophy and vain deceit. You can fall for the tradition of men and the rudiments of the world, Col 2:8.  Or you can stumble into the snare of the devil, 2 Tim 2:26.  Perhaps, you’ll fall headlong into temptation or a bad relationship.  In any case, you’ll have no light to guide you.

Furthermore, the Lord could trip you in that darkness.  Jer 23:12 (when the prophet and the priest were profane) “Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them,… saith the Lord”. In the dark you can’t tell whose out to get you.

These are fatal ways. Jn 3:19-20 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved”.

Once you start loving that darkness, you aren’t going to come to the light.  In time, you’ll hate the light.  People quit reading the Bible, drop out of church, and get away from God’s people. Most of the time, they never come back.  Prov 21:16, “The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead”.

Furthermore, those who never get saved will spend their eternity in the lake of fire in outer darkness.  Matt 22:13, “Cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”.

Instead of leaving the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, start following Jesus. Stay on the paths of uprightness.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life”, Jn 8:12.  Jesus is God manifest in the flesh.  And in 1 Jn 1:5, God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  You will never be in darkness when you’re following Jesus on the path of uprightness.  And in his light he will always protect you from the devil, the evil man, and the man that speaketh froward things.

He will guide you by the light of his words.  Ps 119:130 “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple”.  And the more you follow him and what he says, the brighter the light and the clearer your path.  Prov 4:18 “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day”.

Conclusion: you have a choice to make today.

• Choose to trust Jesus Christ as your Savior.
• If you are saved now, then commit to never leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness.
• If you’re walking in the ways of darkness, repent and turn back to God and the paths of uprightness.