Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (Ephesians 5:11)

by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News

The tagline for Health Impact News, as displayed in our banner, is: Shining the Light of Truth into the Darkness of Deceit.

This is our foundation and mission that drives everything we publish on the Health Impact News network.

According to the ancient Biblical literature, we live in a world system that is controlled by Satan, who is referred to as “darkness,” and this darkness is described as being based on deceit and lies.

Jesus, in speaking about Satan, or “the Devil,” stated:

He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)

In contrast to Satan, Jesus said this about himself:

I am the way and the truth and the life. (John 14:6)

When Jesus came into the world system headed by Satan, it was a direct confrontation between truth and deception, or to put it another way, between light and darkness.

In John chapter 1, Jesus is referred to as “the Word.” The “Word” here represents “light” and life.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. (John 1:1-5)

Those walking in the darkness are deceived, because they cannot recognize the light that conflicts with their experience and knowledge from living in the realm of darkness in the world system where Satan rules.

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. (John 1:9-11)

All of us are born into the world through the physical seed passed down through our parents, and we begin our physical life as members of the world system of darkness, ruled by Satan.

Jesus had both a physical seed at his birth into this world passed down through his mother, but he also had the prophesied “spiritual seed” from God, because he had no human father.

This spiritual seed, first prophesied in Genesis 3:15, came into the world through Jesus, and then was passed on to those who received the truth in him and became his disciples, and experienced the “spiritual birth” which brings us into the light, the Kingdom of God.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:12-13)

The “spiritual birth” that takes us out of Satan’s world system of lies and deceit, and puts us into the light where truth reigns in the Kingdom of God, is explained in several places in the New Testament section of the Bible.

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13-14)

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:18-20)

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.” (John 8:31-38)

Once we are rescued from Satan’s world system of darkness through the spiritual birth, we then have a duty to shine the light of the truth into the darkest corners of deceit in Satan’s world system, which includes everything that operates the world system today: politics, economics, education, religion, the military, and especially today, medicine, which in the original Greek language of the New Testament is pharmakeia, and is translated into the English Bible translations as “witchcraft, sorcery, etc.”

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

Therefore do not be partners with them.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible.

This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:6-16)

Confronting evil and darkness by exposing it through the light of truth, is a job that very few people are willing to do, including those who claim to be followers of Jesus and claim to have experienced the spiritual birth.

The reason for this is because to take on this mission of exposing the darkness, is to be willing to give up everything this world has to offer, even your own family, and to invite those who rule in the kingdom of darkness to come after you, to try to silence and destroy you.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Jesus said:

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.

As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (John 15:18-19)

This is why Jesus said in Luke 14:33 that if anyone wants to be his disciple, they have to give up everything this world has to offer:

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple.

And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’

Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.

In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-33)

Desiring the things that this world has to offer is called “idolatry” in the Bible, because God presents himself as the only one who is able to completely meet all of our needs in this life.

When I start feeling sorry for myself because of all the things and people I have lost in this life, I always go back to Psalms 73:25, the anti-idolatry verse (it is in bold below):

When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. (Psalms 73:21-25)

When we are born of the Spiritual Seed and choose to walk in the Spirit, and not the ways of this world, exposing the darkness with the light of the truth, we are choosing the lonely path that very few dare to walk. Jesus said:

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew chapter 7)

We are not called to an easy life if we are disciples of Jesus. We are called to warfare, and to expose Satan’s lies, and those who serve him while pretending not to.

Pain, suffering, persecution, loneliness: these are all the things we are called to experience, just as Jesus experienced the same things when he came to earth to expose the darkness ruled by Satan.

We can have “joy” and peace in our hearts from knowing we are on the right side and doing God’s will, but we are not called to a life of happiness or ease in this evil world system.

We spend what few years we have to walk in this world system by investing in the future, not the present, as we wait in hopeful expectation for the promises of God to be fulfilled.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?

Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans Chapter 8)