The Reality Of Darkness

With Halloween just around the corner, I wanted to spend one more week writing about the topic of light and darkness. We’ve dealt with the positive sides. Jesus is indeed the light of the world, and we, as reflecting lights, are instructed to shine for him. We know ours will be a dim reflection at best, but it’s light all the same, and light is what this ever-increasingly dark world needs.

I’ve never liked focusing on dark things, yet as a Christian, I can’t ignore the fact that they exist. The devil is real, just as God is real. We know this because the Bible teaches us about how Satan, who was once an anointed angel serving around the heavenly throne, became puffed up with pride, and was cast out from heaven down to the earth. In Isaiah 14, verse 12, he is referred to as “morning star, son of the dawn”, and we are told in verses 13 and 14 of the prideful boasts he made, which I like to call the 5 I will statements. “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of the assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the most high.”

Notice here that the emphasis is on what he will do. By comparison, particularly in John’s Gospel, we see Jesus making his “I am” statements, because Jesus doesn’t have to try and make himself anything. He is God, Lord over all, and totally in control. The devil is a created being, where as Jesus is the creator. So, we need to keep things in context when we consider our enemy.

I once heard a very good quote, which basically said there are two main dangers when it comes to the devil. Firstly, we can pretend he doesn’t exist, and go through life ignorant of the spiritual battles fought all around us. This would be foolish, and rather naive. However, equally wrong is to spend too much time focusing on Satan, or giving him more credit for things than he deserves. Not everything that goes wrong in our lives is due to our enemy. Sometimes, it’s simply down to our own bad choices, the influence of others, or many other factors. So, it’s not good to be obsessed with him, or to go through life pretending he doesn’t exist. AS in all things, we need a healthy balance.

As Halloween approaches, people’s minds are being inadvertently turned toward dark things. Just look at some of the children’s costumes, or the masks you can buy. However, this isn’t just limited to one day of the year, because a lot of the popular films and TV programs today contain dark themes. When I was a child, I was afraid of anything that seemed dark or scary, but children today dismiss these things, because they have become a part of everyday life. Have we lost our sense of healthy fear? That is a question only we as individuals can answer, as we meditate upon these things during our time with the Lord.

I am so glad our church offers an alternative kind of party on 31 October, which we call a light party. There are no dark costumes, and the children aren’t encouraged to think about witches or ghosts, but they still have a great time playing rowdy games, doing crafts, and of course, eating party food.

Another quote that has always convicted me is: “It’s better to light a candle than to curse the dark.” I don’t know who said that, as it’s been accredited to a number of people over the years, but it has made a massive impact on the way I think. It’s helped me realise that the best way of fighting the darkness is to simply shine our lights. We don’t need to expend our energy battling against the devil and his influences. Instead, we need to focus more intensively on Jesus, the light of the world. That’s what he called himself in one of his “I am” statements in John 8.

The darkness of this world shouldn’t surprise us. The Bible is full of warnings of the increase of evil as the day of Jesus’ return draws ever closer. 2Timothy 2: 13 warns us that evildoers and imposters will go from bad to worse. WE need to be aware of the devil’s schemes, but always remember Jesus is in control, and our goal is to spread his love and light, no matter how dark things get.

There are people in this world who do things I can never begin to understand. Yet, as a Christian, I am called to love, whilst in no way condoning the sin in my own life, or in the lives of anyone else. Part of being a light in the darkness is to separate the person from the sin. Those who are deeply involved in acts of darkness or even outright devil worship need Jesus desperately, and you and I are his ambassadors.

So, during this spiritually dark season, as many will be celebrating witchcraft, black magic, and the like, let’s remember the words of Paul in Philippians 4 verse 8. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.” Let’s pray for Christians who are providing healthy alternatives for children who simply want to attend a party, and let’s continue to pray that those living in darkness will come into the light.