Ephesians 5:8
Thoughts from Pastor Stuart
Dive Deeper
“for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light”
Ephesians 5:8
Behind the Scenes
Ephesians is perhaps my favorite book of the Bible. It holds such a soft spot in my heart. I can’t tell you exactly why, but I think it’s because Ephesians is filled with these amazing identity statements and identity has always been a personal struggle of mine. In my walk with Jesus, I have wrestled so much (and still do) with my identity and believing what He says about me is true. Maybe you can relate to that. I think Paul understood that struggle too, whether because he struggled himself or because God called him to minister to so many who struggled (maybe both!)
One commentator noted that the book of Ephesians can be broken into three sections:
- Sit- Sit in who you are in Christ and what He has done for you.
- Stand- Now stand on the truth and stand against the enemy
- Walk- Walk in the identity of Christ
Littered through every section, chapter, and thought in Ephesians is a declaration of identity. And it’s in that new identity in Christ that we can sit, stand, and walk in Christ. The whole book is filled with statements that we can “put on”, as it says in Ephesians 4:24, the new image of Christ that we have been given. Today’s passage is one such statement, as well as a call to action.
Make it Real
If you have chosen to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and have given your life to Him, you now have a new identity. This verse tells us that we once were darkness but now we are light! What a powerful shift from one extreme to another.
I find it interesting that this verse doesn’t say you were “in” darkness. It says that you and I were darkness. Darkness was a part of our entire identity. And like darkness, we had no hope of communion with the God of light. But praise Jesus, through His blood we are washed clean and moved from darkness to light. We no longer have an identity of darkness. We have been reborn into light.
So, Paul explains, the natural result of that is to “walk as children of light.” Literally what he is saying is that you no longer have to walk as children of darkness. Anything that defines or marks a child of light is now yours. You are to walk as children of light walk, no longer choosing the ways or thoughts of darkness.
We are no longer held captive to the darkness. We are freed! But all too often, even as children of light, we are either too afraid of the light or too comfortable in darkness. We have the identity of a child of light but we have to put it on, own it, and make it ours. We have to choose it.
So, this week, I want to challenge you to evaluate your heart and your life. Where are you still walking like a child of the darkness? Where do you need to put on the light? Maybe you have never said yes to following Jesus, but this week is your week to step out of the darkness and into the light. We would love to walk through that with you! No matter where you are in this journey, you are never alone! We love you and we are here for you!
Crystal Garnett
ACF Digital Discipleship Team Lead
End in Prayer
Lord,
Thank You that I no longer have to be a slave to sin and darkness ever again. Lord, I recognize that there are areas of my life that either out of habit or fear, I have continued to walk as a child of darkness instead of putting on my new identity as a child of light. Please help me to do that today and to choose to walk in that new identity forevermore.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen