When God created the heavens and the earth, as recorded in Genesis, the first thing He created after observing that darkness was upon the face of the deep was light (Genesis 1:3–5).
Night is the dark part of the 24-hour day when direct sunlight is absent. You must be aware that there are different time zones. It may be daytime in the USA while it is nighttime in Africa. As the earth rotates on its axis, it causes night and day by turning different parts of the planet towards and away from the sun. When the side of the earth where you are faces the sun, you receive sunlight, which is experienced as daytime. As the earth rotates and your location turns away from the sun, it falls into a shadow, and nighttime begins.
The characteristics of nighttime include darkness. Objects like the moon and stars become visible. Temperatures become lower because the ground and the air lose heat from the sun. Biologically, the sleep cycle is triggered in humans and animals, as darkness causes the brain to release melatonin, making the body feel tired. Nocturnal activities increase as certain animals wake up to hunt and forage in the dark. The duration of nighttime varies depending on your geographical location, latitude, and the time of the year.
The information above is mind-blowing when presented in line with biblical statements concerning nighttime. Now, let’s look at some passages of the Bible.
Job 36:20 tells us one thing that happens at night: *”Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.” Being “cut off” here does not necessarily refer to physical death.
The time of darkness is a time when you cannot see; therefore, you lack certainty. With light, you can see where you are and probably identify the paths available for you to take. But with darkness, this becomes impossible.
When you are in a spiritually dark place, you lack understanding and certainty in your decisions. Hence, you are tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. Because of the uncertainty and challenges that accompany darkness, fear comes in.
Psalm 91:5–6 says:
“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.”
This is not just fear but terror, which is an intense, overwhelming, or extreme state of fear. Of course, you will definitely find yourself running helter-skelter in search of a solution and thereby falling into the trap of the enemy.
Fear is one of the offspring of darkness. The kingdom of darkness uses it a lot. Fear is a natural, unpleasant emotional response triggered by real, anticipated, or imagined danger, pain, or harm. Fear paralyses.
In Isaiah 41:10, the Bible says:
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
The devil wants you to see imaginary danger at every point. When you are afraid, you cannot think or behave rightly. As a child of God, you are only permitted to fear God. The fear of God does not paralyse. It is a profound, holy awe, reverence, and humble respect for God’s supreme authority, majesty, and holiness (2 Timothy 1:7). The word fear appears so many times in the Bible, and we are admonished to FEAR NOT.
Verse 6 of Psalm 91 goes further to tell us that there is pestilence during this dark time. When you do not know where to go or what to do, you will definitely go the wrong way. In such a place, you may come into contact with contagious, virulent, and fatal epidemic diseases. These are not necessarily physical diseases. And because they spread, the possibility of infecting others close to you is very high—your spouse, children, family members, colleagues, etc.
The times of darkness are full of the works of darkness.
As stated earlier, nighttime is when some animals forage. When the heat derived from your fellowship with God and His Holy Spirit is reduced, what would not ordinarily be able to fasten itself to you now has the opportunity to do so because of your lukewarmness and lack of fire. Your life becomes their foraging ground. It is easy for Satan and his demons to sense your spiritual state.
Indeed, the time of darkness is a time of sleep, a time of weakness and tiredness. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8:
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
Matthew 13:25 says:
“But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.”
Spiritual melatonin is being released every hour by the kingdom of darkness, looking for whoever will desire its dainty offerings.
It is nothing; it cannot hurt you. It is free. Others are doing it. You are not a child anymore. Your parents are too spiritual. You need to enjoy your life now that you are young. All men are polygamous by nature. One woman cannot satisfy a man. All married women have affairs. It is not a sin. Just taste it. You don’t have to do it; just follow us.
So many forms of spiritual melatonin are making the rounds. They have a purpose:
* To make your body feel tired.
* To reduce your desire to fight and remain spiritually on fire. How can you pray when you are tired?
Beloved, the works of darkness cannot be hidden forever. Whatever you engage in during this time will be made manifest, and there will be a reward. Be not deceived (Galatians 6:7). There will be a reward.
The Bible warns us in Ephesians 5:11:
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”
The time of darkness is a time when all children of light should run away from darkness and do everything within their means to stay in the light.
The time of darkness is also a time that tests your ability to rely on God and His Word. The devil wants you to believe that God is not concerned about you or that He is far away from you. He will dangle a lot of things before your eyes and tell you that he can give you everything you want. His condition is simple: just go to sleep. From there, he will continue to administer melatonin until one day he demands that you bow to him and deny God.
WHAT, THEN, DO YOU DO WHEN YOU NOTICE THAT YOU ARE IN A DARK MOMENT?
1. Look for light.
Ideally, when you are in a dark room or cave, all you need to do is introduce light. Switch on the electric bulb if there is electricity. Switch on your torchlight. Light a candle. Just get some light!
Psalm 119:105 says:
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Fill your spirit with the Word of God (see also Psalm 39:9, Proverbs 4:18, Isaiah 58:8, Matthew 5:14–16, and 2 Corinthians 6:14).
Study the Word every day. Listen to messages from true servants of God. Attend gatherings of Bible-believing people. When you are filled with light, darkness has no place to hide.
2. Purpose to grow.
God’s nature in you is the will He has given you. Use it well. Determine to grow and seek God with all your heart. Invest in your growth. The devil is afraid of your growth. Keep growing. You cannot grow too much, and there is no end to learning.
3. Continue following Jesus.
John 8:12 says:
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
Follow men who follow Christ. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1:
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”
Let the Word of God dwell richly in you. Measure your life by the standard of God’s Word. Jesus is the Light (John 1:4–5). You cannot be fully immersed in light and still give darkness a place around you.
1 Thessalonians 5:5 says:
“Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”
4. Fight the good fight of faith.
Ephesians 6:12–13 says:
“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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
You cannot afford to remain in darkness. That is where the powers of darkness reside.
1 John 1:5 says:
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”
You cannot afford to sleep, for Matthew 13:25 says:
“But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.”
You cannot afford to be complacent.
Do not assume that you are perfect or that you are standing securely. As 1 Corinthians 10:12 warns us:
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
There is a saying by Stephen Hawking that has really blessed me: “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance but illusion.”
An illusion is a false impression, a distorted perception, or a misleading image that does not correspond to objective reality.
It is well.