Works Of Darkness??? A Word From THE WORD!!! #497

We are called to continually examine ourselves and our walk of faith and obedience to Jesus Christ our Lord!  The only way we can do that is to know God’s Word and order our steps in accord with what we see; to align ourselves with God’s ways rather than the ways of the world.  Our enemy is a liar; a trickster and we must prepare ourselves for the real battle.  Today I simply want to share some scripture with you that I pray will convict, grow and prepare each of us to walk in a way that pleases our Lord, especially when His return seems very near.

“Finally, my brethren,

be strong in the Lord,

and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God,

that ye may be able to stand

against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,

but against principalities,

against powers,

against the rulers of the darkness

of this world,

against spiritual wickedness

in high places.”  Ephesians 6:10-12

The Psalmist gives us some beautiful advice.

“Order my steps  

in thy word:

and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

134 Deliver me from the oppression of man:

so will I keep thy precepts.”   Psalm 119:133-134

“The steps of a good man

are ordered by the LORD:

and he delighteth in his way.

24 Though he fall,

he shall not be utterly cast down:

for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.”   Psalm 37:23-24

The key is to remember to whom we belong; who saved us; who keeps us; who will direct our steps if we will but hear and heed His leading (it comes easier when we dig into HIS WORD continually!!)!

“Giving thanks unto the Father,

which hath made us meet

to be partakers of the inheritance

of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us

from the power of darkness,

and hath translated us

into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption

through his blood,

even the forgiveness of sins:”   Colossians 1:12-14

When we come to Jesus in repentance of our sin and belief  in His Substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for sin!  God does a work to grant to us the new birth—as Paul says here, God has (I love the King James wording here) “translated” us into HIS Kingdom and “delivered us from the power of darkness”!  And it’s this power of darkness that I want us to consider today, are we walking in the power of Jesus’ redemption, or are we slipping back into the darkness of the world, because we have failed to pay attention to the battle we are actually in.  The book of Acts recounts some believers who got caught up in the darkness but heard from God and made an amazing decision to get back in the light!

“Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists,

took upon them to call over them

which had evil spirits

the name of the Lord Jesus, saying,

We adjure you by Jesus

whom Paul preacheth.

14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva,

a Jew, and chief of the priests,

which did so.

15 And the evil spirit answered and said,

Jesus I know, and Paul I know;

but who are ye?

16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was

leaped on them,

and overcame them,

and prevailed against them,

so that they fled out of that house

naked and wounded.

17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks

also dwelling at Ephesus;

and fear fell on them all,

and the name of the Lord Jesus

was magnified.

18 And many that believed

came, and confessed,

and shewed their deeds.

19 Many of them also which used curious arts

brought their books together,

and burned them before all men:

and they counted the price of them,

and found it fifty thousand

pieces of silver.

20 So

mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.”   Acts 19:13-20

So I don’t overload you, a couple of brief verses to remind each of us to stay in the light of Jesus, and to not be influenced by the dark!

“The night is far spent,

the day is at hand:

let us therefore

cast off the works of darkness,

and let us put on the armour of light.”   Romans 13:12

“For ye were sometimes darkness,

but now are ye light in the Lord:

walk as children of light:

9 (For the fruit of the Spirit

is in all goodness

and righteousness and truth;)

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship

with the unfruitful works of darkness,

but rather reprove them.”   Ephesians 5:8-11

Romans says is better than I can.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,

holy, acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world:

but be ye transformed

by the renewing of your mind,

that ye may prove

what is that good,

and acceptable,

and perfect, will of God.”  Romans 12:1-2

Amen and Amen!!!