"Hello Darkness my old friend, I've come to talk to you again..." - Paul Simon
What happens, when God's children, children of the light, are drawn to the darkness? How can this even be?
As one who has wrapped himself in darkness as a cloak, I understand how something which promises comfort quickly becomes a straight jacket. Satan's design is to isolate us from the pack and leave us vulnerable. Satan has lost your soul, believer, so he desires to destroy you and your calling.
Every so often, I get the feeling of being disconnected from God. Discouragement leads to withdrawal, withdrawal leads to isolation and isolation leads to vulnerability to the lies of the enemy. There were times I would go months with little or no social interaction.
I recall, being in the midst of active ministry, relating to Christopher Walken's character in the film Prophecy when he, an angel, lamented, "He doesn't talk to me anymore" The thing about feeling disconnected and isolated is God never moved, God never hid Himself, and God never stopped speaking, I stopped listening, trading the light of God for the darkness of self.
Like Adam, fruitlessly hiding in the Garden, I thought I could avoid God's attention. According to Genesis, God was in the habit of visiting Adam in the Garden of Eden. Adam, ashamed of his sin, attempted to hide himself from God. Notice, God was right where He always had been, it was Adam who moved, it was Adam who hid.
In dark times, I enjoyed feeling sorry for myself and embraced my own shadow. My life seemed to cycle through spiritual ups and downs, where I would have amazing moments with God and slowly slip back into a spiritual slump.
If this sounds familiar to you, know that you are not a hopeless cause or too far gone for God to draw you back. Though the darkness beckons and draws you promising refuge, the refuge becomes a prison. God offers freedom from the darkness.
One of Satan's great lies is discouragement. Even the superstars of scripture were susceptible to discouragement. King David, arguably the most victorious king, suffered bouts of discouragement and darkness. Major prophets like Jeremiah and Elijah did as well. Jeremiah even wrote a book called Lamentations! Go read Solomon's opus, Ecclesiastes and you will realize no one is immune.
What is the remedy? There is no magic pill that will instantly transport you out of the darkness. Steadfastness, prayer and honest fellowship are necessary factors to breaking free. Recognizing, as the Christ centered metal band Place of Skulls puts it: The Black Is Never Far, helps you avoid the trap.
Darkness has always, and still calls to me and has been a false place of comfort and refuge, even as it hindered my ability to lead my family in the ways of righteousness.
As long as my eyes were on me and my circumstances, as long as my heart was set on my desires, I cycled through one spiritual roller coaster after another.
God knows the darkness lurking in the hearts of men. God understands the enemy, Satan, comes to kill, steal and destroy. Satan who disguises himself as an angel of light, offering us darkness packaged as light and freedom. Satan's bogus gift to us is hopelessness and despair
Scripture tells us, 1 John 1:7 - 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 cleanses us from all sin.
God calls us to walk in the light because He knows our penchant for the dark. In the dark is isolation, fear and confusion. This is the perfect place for the mortal enemy of our soul to lead us in order to destroy us. This is why the Apostle Paul asked the Corinthian church, "what fellowship has light with darkness?"
Scripture tells us: 1 John 1:5 - God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. In God, through Christ, we can escape the darkness and drive it out. Fellowship with other believers, serving with purpose according to your design ( for more about that CLICK HERE ) and keeping your eyes focused on God will not only help you avoid the siren song of darkness but help lead you out of the suffocating blackness, as well.
Satan is the father of lies and the peddler of darkness. If you hear the deceptive call of darkness, as I do, you know how appealing it can be, if you embrace the offer of comfort in isolation, as I have, you know what kind of debilitating prison the darkness can become. Scripture tells us, if we submit to God and resist the devil, he will flee from us.
The light of God can and will, not only chase away darkness, but extinguish it as well. Jesus calls us to an abundant life. Just as important as repentance, acceptance of God's love and forgiveness are fundamentally key to freedom. God loves you, nothing you have done or has been done to you, can separate you from the love of God. Accept God's love and forgiveness, know that when your heart condemns you, God is greater than your heart and Jesus died for and cleansed you from all condemnation, according to Romans 8:1.
Yes, for some, the black is never far, and darkness does call like an old friend, only to envelope those who heed the call in the deafening sounds of silence, but we are victorious in Christ and His light can and will extinguish the darkness. Embrace the light and watch the darkness fade away.
Now, go live as Christ... and give the devil hell!
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