“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” — Ephesians 5:8
Read that again slowly. Ephesians 5:8 captures the before and after transformation that happens to us as God’s children. Your life before and after Christ. And you can notice what Paul does not say in that verse of scripture. He does not say you were in darkness. He says you were darkness. And he does not say you are now in the light. He says you are light. There is a clear difference between something you are moving toward and something you already carry inside.
I love how the passion’s translation puts it –
“Once your life was full of sin’s darkness, but now you have the very light of our Lord shining through you because of your union with him. Your mission is to live as children flooded with his revelation-light! – Ephesians 5:8TPT
This bible verse is talking about a complete, irreversible transformation of who you are at your core. The old you who once lived without Christ was not simply standing in a dark place. She was darkness itself.
And to you dear woman who is reading this today, who has accepted the Lordship of Jesus over her life, these words are for you – You are now light. Let it sink. This is what God calls you now. When light comes, darkness always disappears. Your life before Christ is no longer who you are now. But the question is – are you living like light in a dark world?
You Were Once darkness
Have you noticed that there is always some kind of discomfort associated with the word ‘darkness’? A little child will likely scream out in fear if left alone in a dark room. A lot of evil deeds and atrocities have taken place under the thick cover of darkness. No one will ever feel safe walking on a lonely bush path in the dead of the night.
However, the word ‘darkness’ in this context as written by the Apostle Paul symbolizes a life full of sin, ignorance, shame, all kinds of evil and a life separated from God. And the thing is that when you are in darkness, you do not see what is missing. Your life was once full of sin’s darkness, but the good news is that there was a complete transformation when you encountered Christ.
Colossians 1:13 reminds us that “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.
‘Dominion’ meaning darkness once had authority over us. It had a claim over our lives and future. But thank God for Jesus who broke that claim completely. The woman you were before Christ is not who you are anymore. And it does not matter how deep in sin you were. You are now light. Let this truth sink in your heart today.
You Are Now Light in God
Think about what light does when it enters a dark room. It simply shows up and darkness has no choice but to disappear. I love how John gives clarity to this experience as he describes Jesus – the living word of God.
John 1:4-5 declares this : ” In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” The presence of light always dispels the darkness. And the moment light arrives, darkness loses its power completely. Jesus the true light came and pierced through the darkness of sin by His death and resurrection to save us and give us a brand new life. And that same undefeatable light now lives inside you. Jesus, the true light is alive in you and darkness cannot stand His Light in you.
Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:8 states a fact about our new identity in Christ. – “Now you are light in the Lord.” As a child of God, you are not trying to be light or hoping to be touched by light. You are LIGHT. This is your new Identity in God and a bold declaration of your Faith. You are living in the finished work of Christ. Jesus the Light of the world has taken up residence inside you. And you cannot carry the Light of the world within you and remain in darkness.
Dear Sister, are you still struggling with embracing your God-given identity? Today is a good day to start afresh and embrace who God says you are. Do not let the enemy hold you captive in a false identity because of your past. Take God at His word and declare this truth from scriptures in faith – You are no longer darkness. You are now Light in the Lord. Matthew 5:14 settles it – “You are the light of the world.” I want you to know that the world needs the Light that you carry. Take a moment and declare these words out loud:
“ I am Light. I have God living inside me and this light within me dispels every trace of darkness. I am the Light of the World and I am shining brightly.”
What Walking in the Light Looks Like Daily as God’s Child?
To know who you are is one thing, while walking and living in the light of who you are is a different thing altogether. Ephesians 5:8 does not end at the declaration. It moves straight into the instruction – “Live as children of light.” This is because the truth of who you are, your new Identity in God was always meant to be visible. Light cannot be hidden. Your life as a child of God is a light that can bring hope and life to dark places, brighten and transform a very dark world.
Paul reminds us that it is not enough to embrace your new identity in God. You must start living like the new ‘YOU’. Your life, character and actions as a child of God ought to reflect the light of God that you now carry inside you. Ephesians 5:9 gives us a beautiful clue – “For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.”
Light always changes the atmosphere of every room it enters. It is time to let your light shine through in your home, your workplace, your words, your relationships and your community. Walking in the light is not about being perfect. It is about being intentional and choosing daily to live in alignment with who God says you are. So, what does that look like practically? Ephesians 5:9-11 gives us three expressions of a life lived walking in the light and living as children of Light.
1. Transparency: Living Openly Before God
“But if we really walk in the Light that is, live each and every day in conformity with the precepts of God, as He Himself is in the Light, we have true, unbroken fellowship with one another (He with us, and we with Him), and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin by erasing the stain of sin, keeping us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations. – 1 John 1:7 AMP
Walking in the light begins with living each day conscious of God and staying connected to Him in unbroken fellowship. Your life becomes an open book before God. Nothing is hidden anymore. You are no longer ashamed before Him. Your heart yearns to do His will and it is your desire to live a life that pleases Him.
Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. – 1 John 2:6
A woman walking in the light brings everything into the open before God. Whether she is afraid and struggling, or in doubt about what the future holds, she brings it all into the open before God.”. She knows that the light of God does not expose her to condemn her. God’s light in her is always working in her heart, purging it and renewing her mind to be in alignment with God’s plan and purposes. When you walk in the light, the blood of Jesus will keep doing its purifying work in your life. God wants to transform us into a pure, blameless people who can stand confidently and without shame in His divine presence.
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. – Hebrews 9:13–14
2. Fruitfulness: Producing What Light Produces
“For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.” – Ephesians 5:9
“And the supernatural fruits of his light will be seen in you — goodness, righteousness, and truth.” – Ephesians 5:9TPT
God’s light in you does not only dispel the darkness – it floods your heart and transforms you from the inside out. And Paul tells us exactly what a light-filled life produces – goodness, righteousness and truth. These are the natural fruits from the overflow of a life surrendered daily to the Holy Spirit.
As you walk in the light, goodness, mercy and kindness begins to characterize the way you treat people. Righteousness (the nature of God) in you begins to shape the choices you make when no one is watching. And truth from scriptures becomes the foundation of how you speak to God in prayers, to others and to yourself.
You will not always get it right but God’s grace is ever sufficient. You choose to become intentional about bearing the fruits of God’s Spirit now living inside you. Ephesians 5:10 says: Find out what pleases the Lord, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you do those things daily. {Emphasis mine}
And this is what fruitfulness in a child of God looks like — living a life that is consistently producing something good. And shining the light of your heavenly father to your world – in your thought life, through your words, character and actions.
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. – 2 Corinthians 4:6
3. Discernment: Exposing What Darkness Hides
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” – Ephesians 5:11
Light exposes what was once hidden. Ephesians 5:13 says this – “But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible.” As we walk in the light, we get to see those areas in our lives that are still hidden in dark corners. The Holy Spirit shines the spotlight on your thoughts, words and character. His voice becomes your accountability partner as he leads you as you grow in your walk with God.
A woman walking in the light develops a growing sensitivity to things that do not belong in her life and character anymore. She begins to recognize the habits, the influences (both internal & external), the relationships and the thought patterns that are inconsistent with who she is in Christ. And rather than embracing them, she has the courage to name them and change them with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Earlier on in Ephesians 5:3-4 TPT, Paul instructs believers not to partake in ungodly behaviour and names some of those things that characterize a life full of darkness. ( Lust, Greed, sexual immorality, careless and obscene talks etc)
“And have nothing to do with sexual immorality, lust, or greed—for you are his holy ones and let no one be able to accuse you of them in any form. Guard your speech. Forsake obscenities and worthless insults; these are nonsensical words that bring disgrace and are unnecessary. Instead, let worship fill your heart and spill out in your words.”
Sometimes these things creep in quietly through what you watch, what you allow, and what you tolerate in your life. However, discernment is a gift from God that helps you see those things for what they are. The Holy Spirit helps you to see what needs to improve and what needs to be purged from your mind, words and character.
Dear sister, you are light. And light and darkness simply cannot occupy the same space. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you purge your heart, renew your mind and transform your character.
Declare this today — ‘Holy Spirit, shine your light into every dark corner of my life. Expose my blind spots and show me what needs to go. Renew my mind and help me fix my thoughts on things that are pure and godly. I choose to walk in the light fully, boldly and without shame.”
Conclusion: Walking in the Light and Living as Children of Light
There is a reason Paul does not just say you are light and leave it there. He also says live as children of light. Because embracing your new identity is not enough. God wants your light to be visible – in your home, in your relationships, in your workplace, in your community and in the world around you. Remember this Christian song we sang as little children – “This little light of mine, I am gonna let it shine. Let it shine; Let it shine’ Let it shine.” God wants you to shine your light. Be a bright and shining light in the world today.
Also, remember that you are not alone on this journey, you have the Holy Spirit as your guide and the Word of God as your anchor. So today, choose to live and walk in the light. God called you out of darkness into His marvelous light and has made you someone new. And this new life in Christ deserves to be lived out shining God’s nature, love and character to your world.
Dear sister, the world needs the light you carry. Do not let shame, fear or the enemy’s lies convince you that you are still darkness. Do not keep this God given light hidden. You are Light. Go and shine.
A Prayer for You
Father, I thank You that I am no longer darkness or in a dark place in my life. I thank You for the miracle of what Christ has done in my life. He took my darkness and gave me His light in exchange. Today I ask that You help me walk in that light consistently. Where I have been hiding, give me the courage to be honest and transparent before You. Where I have not been bearing fruit, let Your Spirit overflow in my life that I might bear good and worthy fruits. And where darkness has crept in quietly, give me the discernment to recognize it and the boldness to deal with it. Lead me precious Holy Spirit and open my ears to hear Your Voice. I refuse to live less than who you have called me. I declare this truth again and again – I am Light and darkness has no power over my spirit, mind or body. I receive grace to keep walking in the Light and living as a child of light every single day. In Jesus Name. Amen!
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