The devil lives in the darkness and when we are in the darkness, that is where he will proceed to take his opportunities to influence me. Darkness in this sense is referring to evil. I want to be clear that I am not suggesting that I am evil, but I will say again that I am a sinner and will do evil from time to time in the form of sinning. That sinning comes from the place where I am not focused on the good that is God. I have to remember that where there is light, darkness is cannot be.
“5This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” – 1 John 1:5 (ESV)
You can see in the above verse that where God is, evil cannot exist. I have to remember to fill myself with light and let it shine.
“8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” – Ephesians 5:8 (ESV)
Now, walking in the light, as I mentioned, does not mean that I am without sin. I will still find myself in the darkness from time to time as I will become angry and upset with situations. When I am in the darkness the devil will take that opportunity to attack and lean on me to sin and commit evil acts. I am human and these times are going to manifest. However, it is my duty as a follower of Christ to avoid those times as much as possible and be aware of them to get out of them as soon as possible and lean of Christ to get me out with a focus on Him and the light He gives.
“31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” – Ephesians 4:31 (ESV)
“26Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and give no opportunity to the devil.” – Ephesian 4:26-27 (ESV)
I look at the above verses and see how I should approach anger and evilness. I have to let it go. I cannot hold onto the anger and bitterness. First, it is not healthy, and more importantly, it is not being the example of Christ. Anger that is justified is certainly okay to have, harboring that anger in a situation or about another is not the thing of Christians. I have to get past the anger and move to the place of love and forgiveness as the example of Christ.
“32Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)
When I am able to move back into the light and be the example of Christ’s love, I will remove opportunities from the devil in his quest to influence me. Yes, the devil will still be looking for his chances, but when I am in the light of Christ, those chances are few and far between.
When have you found yourself in the darkness and influence of the devil? Are you finding yourself in those situations often? What if you were to lean on the light of Christ and His light, where would the devil find his opportunities in your life?
Trevor's Thoughts 