Once Darkness, Now Light

“...for once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.” Verse 8.

Darkness is one thing, but here Paul says that our entire being was once darkness. Darkness wrought havoc with mankind, and man became a “man of darkness” whose natural element is darkness—a man who does all his deeds in darkness. In this darkness Satan has power. This is why he is also called “the prince of darkness,” who rules and leads the man of darkness in the course of this world.

Even though darkness covers the works of darkness for the one who is in darkness, the Lord knows what happens in the darkness, because in Daniel 2:22 it’s written, “He reveals deep and mysterious things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.” This tells us that both the prince of darkness and the people of darkness, with all their deeds done in the darkness, are known and seen by the Lord. This is because light dwells with Him, and He shines His light into the darkness when it pleases Him. All things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

We have now been transferred from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God. Just as we formerly were “darkness” in the dark, we have now, in the light, become “light” in the Lord. It can be said of us that we have ceased being a “man of darkness” and have become a “man of light.” In this light we receive (to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the intensity of the light) abilities, like God Himself, to search out what is in the darkness. That’s why, when you cause light to shine into their darkness, these “men of darkness” say, “How could you know that?” They themselves were all tucked away in the darkness, supposedly well hidden; then suddenly their evil works are unexpectedly brought to light, and they say in amazement, “You are judging. Commit it all to God who shall judge.”

The light brought judgment and forced the man of darkness to say he felt judged. It’s as if he were to say, “Take the light away; let me remain in darkness, for the darkness covers me; it does not condemn me as you are doing with your light.” What Jesus said is so true: “And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19. Herein lies the real reason we will be hated by all men for His name’s sake: people hate the light and love the darkness, because their deeds are evil. Had their deeds been good, they would have loved the light instead of the darkness, for it would have been to their praise that such deeds became manifest so that they could be seen by all.