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How Can Light Be Darkness? - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) October 28, 2025
Jesus warned His disciples, saying, Make certain, then, that the light in you is not darkness (Luke 11:35 GNT). With those words, He revealed to His listeners that many would think they carried true light when, instead, what was within them was far from it. That caution remains important today, given the deception that has filled the world. So much that was once wrong is now right, and even Christians struggle to know the difference.
The Bible reveals that satan pretends to be an angel of light in 2 Corinthians 11:14. It also desires to send as many people to hell, which explains why it fosters confusion about even the most mundane things. If the devil can cause people to be ignorant of what is right and wrong by God's standard, then they will live in sin and lose access to heaven. The prime targets are those who don't study God's word and don't allow it to change them because they are stiff-necked.
Some might think this could only happen to unbelievers. However, Jesus taught that even those who do miracles and cast out demons in His name risk going to hell because they don't belong to Him (Matthew 7:21-23). Only those who obey His teachings belong to Him and are His disciples (John 8:31). Many Christians will sadly miss heaven because they don't apply His instructions and ignore the warning to ensure their light is not actually darkness.
Fortunately, we can heed the warning since we know He is the light. John 8:12 - When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Therefore, with Jesus in our lives, the light in us will be true and will not be darkness.
To achieve this, we cannot subscribe to a false Jesus and gospel, because once we do so, the 'light' within us changes. Paul said Christians are introduced to a false Jesus and gospel when they listen to false teachers (2 Corinthians 11:4). These sorts may even 'teach' from the Bible, but they share empty words, and encourage hypocrisy, which is a way light becomes darkness.
Giving our lives to Christ is the first step in protecting us from what Jesus warned about. However, we also need to obey His instructions. This requires an intentional choice each day to live by His word, and the Holy Spirit is key to our success in this area. He will help when the darkness comes via sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. He will steer us away from the lies that can choke God's word out of us and cage us in false religion and ungodly ideas that seem true but are intended to deceive. God's Spirit within will also guide us to repentance and help us fight the flesh so we don't continue to sin and thereby welcome darkness into our souls.
God uses His Spirit to help us put our faith to work and hear Him telling us which way to go (Isaiah 30:21). And as we obey Him, we become God's children. The Holy Spirit will also ensure we know the truth of the light at work in us and what could interfere with it. He will remind us what Jesus taught and help us to put it into practice so we live in the light. Jesus died on the cross to keep us from being deceived by the devil and its darkness. God does not want anyone to perish in hell but wants all whom He created to live in His light, which is completely free of darkness.
The only question then is, do you want the light in you to be God's light? Since 2 Corinthians 6:14 states that light and darkness have nothing in common, by the grace of God, we shall have the light and truth of the Lord in us, and there shall be no darkness, IJMN Amen.
As you wait for fellowship at 12 Noon EST, consider reading the following previous P&P messages: