Walking in the Light

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

-John 8:12 (NKJV)

Jesus expressly reveals that He is the Light and that when we walk in Him, we will not walk in darkness but will instead experience the beauty of His light in our lives. The word of God shares with us that His Word, who is Christ (John 1:1-5), reveals to us not only where we are, but where we should be going (Psalms 119:105).

Light brings clarity, strength, joy, and life, while darkness conceals, oppresses, and allows life-draining forces to grow. I would be remiss to allow a space for the enemy to deceive if we pretend as if darkness doesn't offer something that satisfies our flesh.

Called out of Darkness

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 

-Ephesians 5:8 (NKJV)

We all once lived in darkness. Before Christ, darkness was familiar to us, so we didn’t always recognize what sin was, which separated us from the presence of God. But when Christ enters our lives, His light exposes what binds us, condemns us, and leads toward death. There is a part of us that is comfortable with darkness and desires what it holds, the flesh. We must explore the tension between who we were in darkness and who we are now called to be in the light, so that we do not allow the darkness to invade our days.

Flipping the Switch

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish

-Galatians 5:16-17 (NKJV)

I was reminded of my tendency to fall into walking in the flesh recently, after finishing a devotional. I was joyful, worshiping, and fully engaged with God—ready to serve and respond to whatever He asked. Later that same day, my mood shifted. I became irritable, inward-focused, and selfish. By walking in the flesh, I became more susceptible to drawing from the flesh and acting out of my old nature rather than my new one. I wondered how I could go from being so spiritually alive to a completely different mindset in such a short time.

When I asked God what happened, He said, “You flipped the switch.”  He revealed to me that I had become comfortable and confident in myself, and I had stopped drawing from Him as the day progressed. I returned to my default setting—I was dealing with everyday matters, doing laundry, making a grocery run, dropping off and picking up children, and I figured I had this, so I stopped drawing from Him. I relied on myself, and flesh had an opportunity to rise up and walk me toward darkness. As my day became routine, I stopped inviting God into my thoughts and actions. Like entering a familiar room and not turning on the light, I assumed I could manage without Him.

But God showed me that this is not how He wants us to live. That if we are to successfully contend with the draw of the temptations, the pressures of life, and the tricks of the enemy, we must continually abide in Him and allow Him to abide in us (John 15:4-5). As we abide in Him, darkness is automatically dispelled because we are in the light. The lust, temptations, habits, proclivities, and tendencies we have in the flesh are not given free rein to roam and build strongholds. We are kept in His arms and are empowered to bear much fruit, the fruit of His Spirit, which glorifies Him, edifies others, and benefits us.

Put on the Armor of Light

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

-Romans 13:12

When we stop walking in the light, darkness creeps back in—selfishness, negative thoughts, and old habits resurface. Scripture tells us that God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. He calls us to stay illuminated, continually connected to Him.

My encouragement is simple: keep the light on. Don’t return to default mode. Walk with God intentionally throughout your day—in your thoughts, decisions, and interactions. When we remain in the light, we stay aligned with who God has called us to be. It’s hard to wander away from someone when you are holding their hand. It’s easier to avoid a stumbling block and be kept from darkness when you are walking in the Light.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You that You do not leave us as we are, but encourage us to walk in Your fullness of life. Lord, may we be committed to staying in the light and living in Your presence. May we no longer allow our default setting to be set to walking in the flesh, but be walking in the Spirit so that we may produce the fruit of the Spirit and not be drawn into darkness and those things that would cause us to drift away from Your presence. Thank You for the Light of life, and may we reverence and delight ourselves in Him each day. Forgive us those times when we have picked up our bad habits and mentalities that bound us before the entrance of Your Light. Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer ( Psalm 19:14). In Jesus Christ's Name, Amen.