Paths Of Darkness

[dave c]

HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #131at Re-Written 25APR09

Save Me Today—Part Forty Six: Paths Of Darkness

by rev dave c

First John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (NIV).

Light or darkness. Truth or lies. Obedience or sin. In a culture that is rushing to implement dualistic philosophies from our Greco-Roman heritage and to absorb the teachings of Eastern religions, it is becoming increasingly difficult to remember that by definition and by experience, there can be no commingling of contradictory aspects of existence (Ja 3:11&12)—not even in this fallen world. Darkness, lies, and sin are not necessary components of life. As a Christian, I am no longer a slave to fleshly desires (Ro 6:6&7)—I have been set free from the law of sin and death (Ro 8:2). This means that when I think, speak, and act in an un-Godly fashion, it is because I have chosen to deny my Savior and Lord at that moment, or in that situation. Whenever I declare my lack of love for Christ and for humanity by being disobedient to Christ’s commands, I am cutting myself off from God’s presence—I have left the realm of light, love, and logos. Without God’s presence, there can be no righteousness, there can be no peace, and there can be no joy. I cannot simultaneously walk in the light and in the darkness.

Francis Frangipane, in his book, The Three Battlegrounds (Arrow Publications; Cedar Rapids, IA; 1989; pp 11&12) has this to share regarding light and darkness: “When Satan rebelled against God, he was placed under eternal judgment in what the Bible calls ‘pits’ or ‘bonds’ of darkness. The devil, and the fallen angels with him, have been relegated to live in darkness. This darkness does not simply mean ‘lightless regions’ or areas void of visible light. The eternal darkness to which this Scripture refers is essentially a moral darkness, which does ultimately degenerate to literal darkness. However, its cause is not simply the absence of light; it is the absence of God, who is light.. [IP] It is vital to recognize that this darkness to which Satan has been banished is not limited to areas outside of humanity. Unlike those who do not know Jesus, however, we have been delivered out of the domain, or ‘authority’ of darkness (Col. 1:13). We are not trapped in darkness if we have been born of light. But if we tolerate darkness through tolerance of sin, we leave ourselves vulnerable for satanic assault. For whenever there is willful disobedience to the Word of God, there is spiritual darkness and the potential for demonic activity. [IP] Thus Jesus warned, ‘Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness’ (Luke 11:35 KJV). There is a light in you. ‘The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord (Prov. 20:27). Your spirit, illuminated by the Spirit of Christ, becomes the ‘lamp of the Lord’ through which He searches your heart. There is indeed a holy radiance surrounding a true Spirit-filled Christian. But when you harbor sin, the ‘light which is in thee’ is ‘darkness.’ Satan has legal access, given to him by God, to dwell in the domain of darkness. We must grasp this point: The devil can traffic in any area of darkness, even the darkness that still exists in a Christian heart.”

Frangipane is not teaching that Christians can be demon possessed, rather he is saying that Christians can be demon oppressed, demon ingressed, or even demon abscessed. The author’s point is that whenever I choose to willfully sin, and whatever areas of my life that I choose to with-hold from Christ’s dominion, I am providing the devil inroads into my life by establishing paths of darkness through pride and rebellion. We see this occurring daily within our own Christian walk, and within our churches. Every time I linger too long over a magazine cover, every time I “share” some information that is really gossip, every time I complain to others that my boss/my leadership is wrong, every time I cause dissention because praise & worship isn’t being conducted in the right way, and every time I feel superior to a brother, or a sister in the Lord—I am inviting Satan into my heart, into my head, and into my hands. I give the devil substance in this world. I give him voice. I give him the opportunity to propagate evil from the position of a “christian’s” mouth and behavior.

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. “Lord, please reveal the areas of darkness in our lives. Please give us a heart of repentance and forgive us our sins. Please strengthen our resolve to live in the light of Your love and glory. Please help us to live obedient lives of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Jesus, please save us today. Amen.”