Walking in the Light:

“One of these days some simple soul will pick up the Book of God,
read it, and believe it.
Then the rest of us will be embarrassed.”
Leonard Ravenhill

“For the word of God is living and active
and sharper than any two-edged sword,
and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit,
of both joints and marrow,
and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 NASB

Walking in the Light:

“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.”
1 John 1:7 NASB

We are called to be reflections of “the light of the world,” Jesus Christ.
To be a light for the Lord is a continual responsibility
and often an ongoing battle against the forces of darkness of this world.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the powers,
against the world forces of this darkness,
against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12 NASB

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh,
but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing
raised up against the knowledge of God,
and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NASB

I don’t know about you
but there are times when I can feel a bit weary in this battle.
Darkness has a way of invading into our thinking
and assaulting the light of Christ in us.

Here are ten Scripture principles
That can help to fortify us in the battle,
Allowing us to bring the Light of Christ into a darkened world:

1. Turn away from darkness.
Turning from darkness is a choice we must make every day:

If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and righteous
to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 NASB

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
Psalm 27:1 NASB

“to open their eyes so that they may turn
from darkness to light
and from the dominion of Satan to God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins
and an inheritance among those
who have been sanctified by faith in Me.”
Acts 26:18 NASB

2. Expose all things to the light

“Light arises in the darkness for the upright;
He is gracious and compassionate and righteous.”
Psalm 112:4 NASB

“Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time,
but wait until the Lord comes
who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness
and disclose the motives of men's hearts;
and then each man's praise will come to him from God.”
I Corinthians 4:5 NASB

3. Look unto Jesus

“Many are saying, Who will show us any good?’
Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD!”
Psalm 4:6 NASB

“How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance.”
Psalm 89:15 NASB

“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,
who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2 NASB

4. Forgiving all offenders

“The one who says he is in the Light
and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness
and walks in the darkness,
and does not know where he is going
because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
I John 2:9, 11 NASB

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass,
you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness;
each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:1,2 NASB

“If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death,
he shall ask and God will for him give life
to those who commit sin not leading to death…”
1 John 5:16 NASB

“My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth
and one turns him back,
let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way
will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."
James 5:19-20 NASB

5. Engrafting the Word of God

“Ýour word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
The unfolding of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
Psalm 119:105, 130 NASB

6. Put on the armor of light

“The night is almost gone, and the day is near
Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness
and put on the armor of light.
Let us behave properly as in the day,
not in carousing and drunkenness,
not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality,
not in strife and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
Romans 13:12-14 NASB (my emphasis bold)

7. Have set times of fasting

What is fasting?
Isaiah 58 (esp. 6-12)
"Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
7"Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8"Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am '
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
10And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
11"And the LORD will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
12"Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

8. Have a generous eye

22"The eye is the lamp of the body;
so then if your eye is clear, your
whole body will be full of light.
23"But if (B)your eye is bad, your whole body
will be full of darkness.
If then the light that is in you is darkness,
how great is the darkness!
Matthew 6:22-23

22A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth
And does not know that want will come upon him.
Proverbs 28:22

9"Beware that there is no base thought in your heart,
saying, 'the seventh year, the year of remission, is near,'
and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother,
and you give him nothing;
then he may cry to the LORD against you,
and it will be a sin in you.
Deuteronomy 15:9

9. Show your love with good works

10The one who loves his brother abides in the Light
and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
I John 2:10

17But whoever has the world's goods,
and sees his brother in need
and closes his heart against him,
how does the love of God abide in him?
I John 3:17

10And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
Isaiah 58:10

10. Gather with other believers.

7but if we walk in the Light
as He Himself is in the Light,
we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus His Son
cleanses us from all sin.
I John 1:7

16Then those who feared the LORD
spoke to one another,
and the LORD gave attention and heard it,
and a book of remembrance
was written before Him
for those who fear the LORD
and who esteem His name.
Malachi 3:16

30

fkj