Out Of The Darkness

Out of the Darkness and Into the Light

Do you remember as a child being afraid of the dark? Maybe it’s because you saw creepy shadows or heard mysterious noises. Maybe it’s because your imagination got carried away and as you were peering into the darkness you wondered what kind of evil monster was lurking there, just waiting to pounce on you. Whatever it was, that fear was real in your mind.

Even as adults we sometimes fear the dark because it limits our ability to see what’s around us We might miss things that would be pleasant to behold and at the same time we are not able to see things that might harm or even destroy us. A lot of people have a real fear of the dark.

But today, I want to talk about another form of darkness that doesn’t really seem to bother a whole lot of people-- in fact, most people choose to abide in this darkness, unaware that this particular form of darkness is much more serious and potentially deadly. I’m talking about spiritual darkness.

In 2 Corinthians 4:4, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Satan has blinded the hearts and minds of a lot of people to Jesus who is, the Light of the World.

Light is a major theme in the Bible. The Bible says in 1 John 1:5, that “God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all.” The very first command that God gave is in Genesis 1:3, “Let there be light” In John 12:46 Jesus says, “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” As you look at that last verse let me ask you, do you think that it is possible to believe in Jesus and still abide in darkness? Not only is it possible, but it’s actually very common.

You see many people want the benefits of being in the Son without actually “being in the Son.” They want ‘heaven without the hassle’. So it is pretty common for people to believe in Christ and yet still walk in darkness. In 2 Corinthians 11:14, “And no wonder! For Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” His purpose is to deceive and to destroy -- and many are being overcome by his schemes.

In Andrew Lloyd Webbers “the Phantom of the Opera” The phantom becomes infatuated with a chorus girl. So, he poses as an angel of music, hides behind her dressing room, and gives her voice lessons. At one point he takes her under the opera house. While down there, he sings these words to her:

Close your eyes, for your eyes can only show the truth… And the truth isn’t what you want to see…

In the dark it is easy to pretend… that the truth is what you want to be . . .

Open up your mind… let your fantasies unwind… In this darkness, which you know, you cannot fight… The darkness of the music of the night…

Close your eyes and let music set you free… Only then will you belong to me… For I compose the music of the night…

So he’s singing:

“Close your eyes, don’t see the truth, let darkness overwhelm you.” Then, interestingly, he proposes that this disregard for the truth will set her free.

Posing as an angel of light Satan wants us to close our eyes to the truth as well -- so that we too will be overcome by the darkness. But God wants us to open our eyes, and to walk in His light so that we can overcome the schemes of the devil. And God has given us everything we need to do that.

So, let me share 3 keys that will help you step out of the darkness and into the light.

I. Be Strong

A. For us to be strong we must realize where are strength comes from. We can stand in His light but only through His might. Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might”. It’s not our strength that equips us to stand; it is God’s strength invested in us when we submit to Him. That’s why James 4:7-8, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The devil doesn’t flee from our power, but from God’s power within us.

We have the promise that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Resistance is no longer measured by our strength, but the strength of God who draws us out of temptation. To make sure we don’t miss the point, James 4:8 concludes with the instruction to “cleanse your hands you sinners; and purify your hearts you double-minded”.