One way the Bible depicts reality in our world is warfare between darkness and light. This world is a realm of darkness into which Jesus has brought light: “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (John 12:46).
The darkness is very real. When the risen Jesus appears to the apostle Paul, he explains why he is sending him to hostile lands: “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:17-18).
Scripture repeatedly describes salvation as a transfer from darkness to light. Peter says followers of Jesus have been called “out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). And Paul says it most directly: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Eph. 5:8).
But the Bible makes it clear: spiritual forces of darkness are relentless in their attempts to keep you from living out your new identity and purpose.
They know that you are an important part of Jesus’s plan for bringing his light into this world. God does not bring light into the world only through pastors, programs, or platforms. He brings his light through ordinary believers who remember who they are and live like it.
So, the spiritual forces of darkness will do everything they can to keep their strongholds of darkness by keeping you from living as Jesus’s light.
And their strategy to keep you from living your true identity and purpose operates on a fundamental principle: they cannot change or steal your identity in Christ, but they can work relentlessly to get you to forget it.
All of life, moment by moment, really is a spiritual war. And because you inhabit a fallen world with a persistent spiritual enemy, pervasive deception, and temptation all around you, you live in a war zone.
Neil Anderson, in his book The Bondage Breaker, provides an illustration that I’ll modify just a bit for this topic.
Imagine the Christian life as a narrow street. At the far end stands Jesus, calling you to keep your eyes on him as you walk the path before you. Nothing in the street can block your path.
But from the windows on either side, voices call out. They have no power or authority to block your path or even slow your step, so they hang out of the windows calling at you, trying to distract or derail your attention from the path Jesus has for you.
Some of those voices are tricky because they come to your mind disguised as your own thoughts: “I don’t need to go to church today.” “I’ll pray about it later.” “I don’t have time to read the Bible right now.” “I deserve this.” “God loves others, but I don’t think he loves me.”
Such self-talk may not be self-talk at all.
Not every stray thought is a spiritual attack. But Scripture teaches that we do have an unseen enemy who lies, accuses, tempts, and deceives. All are designed to make you forget who you truly are.
When you decided to follow Jesus, you were born again as a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). A “child of light” (Eph. 5:8).
Jesus now calls you “the light of the world” (Matt 5:14).
You are now a “co-heir with Christ” who shares his inheritance (Rom 8:17).
You are now “a temple in which God dwells by his Holy Spirit who is in you” (1 Cor 6:19).
You are now an actual “saint” — made holy (Eph 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2).
You are now a citizen of heaven (Phil 3:20) who is seated in heaven with Christ right now (Eph. 2:6).
You are now “chosen of God, holy and dearly loved” (Col. 3:12; 1 Thes 1:4).
And you are now someone who will reign on this earth when Christ returns (Rev. 5:10).
To be distracted and derailed from your new identity and purpose as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ would be the single greatest tragedy in your life.
When a thought pulls you toward isolation, shame, resentment, prayerlessness, or despair, do not merely think, “This is how I feel.”
Ask, “Is this keeping me from living as the child of light that I truly am?” If so, answer their lie with the truth God has spoken about you.
Remember, the darkness is relentlessly trying to make you forget who you truly are. But you can know better.
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Eph. 5:8).
In a world so out of tune to the spiritual realm it can be hard to know what to believe or how to interact with the topic. Hear more from Dave about the unseen realms in a sermon from the series, Keep Christianity Weird.