How We Respond to the Darkness –
Our response to the opportunity to walk in darkness – if you want to call it an opportunity – is a choice.
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
Ephesians 5:8-10
Ephesians 5:8 says, “walk as children of light.” If it were not still possible to walk as if we were in darkness, Paul would not have had to say that.
Consider the following:
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7
The word fear in 2 Timothy 1:7 means faithlessness.
We can have fear – a spirit of faithlessness, or we can have faith in God and His Word – Jesus. We cannot have both. We are either going to put God first, or we’ll put our fears first. When we have fear or a lack of faith, we often feel powerless, and unloved. We may not love – really love – others. We may even hate. If our response is hate, we are definitely in darkness.
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
1 John 2:9-11
Any time that we sow or let others sow fear and lies into our life, we are not choosing to walk in the light. We are choosing to walk in darkness. Lack of faith – or simply put, fear – and lies are blinding, and we often respond inappropriately when we are blinded.
If we let fear and lies control us, we can easily mire down in the darkness – afraid and hurting – and live a defeated life. Remember Proverbs 23:7. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he . . .”
Ineffective. That is right where Satan wants us.
We are not powerless to make a choice. When we choose to walk in the light, we are looking to produce fruit. We want to be effective for Jesus. We have a different spirit.
In II Timothy 1: 7, we read that fear or faithlessness is not from God. Instead, God gave us a spirit, “of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Yes, having faith is tough.
And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
Luke 17:5
How you respond to the attacks of Satan and the demons in your life is up to you, but remember it is a choice.
We need to strive to walk in the Spirit.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Galatians 5:16-18
LIFE APPLICATION
Spiritual battles can be challenging, but they are winnable with the power of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, we have a choice. We can choose to walk in power, love, and a sound mind, or we can walk in fear. We can pick up the armor of God (see Part 1 or Ephesians 6:14-18), or we can lay it down. What will you choose?