When Darkness Reigns

The religious leaders of Jerusalem, in the day of Jesus, plotted his demise for a long, long time. Finally, their anger and contempt was beyond the point of constraint and they enticed Judas to betray Jesus and set up a sting operation. When the arrest went down it was not during the day when he was easy to find and apprehend, but at night, “when darkness reigns”.  (Luke 22:53, NIV)

That phrase is quite descriptive of the overwhelming nature of sin’s powerful hold over us.  Another portrayal was the darkness that encompassed the land when Christ died on the cross, bearing the sins of all mankind. When we live under the control of sin’s power we are living in darkness.  “Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.” (John 3:19)

When I sneak around, always in hiding,

When I lie, the truth to cover up,

When I delete so I won’t get caught,

And I wear a mask so nobody will know,

That’s when darkness reigns.

When all I can think is how I was mistreated,

When hurt and pain envelope my soul,

When I’m bitter and mean, plotting revenge,

And I wear a mask, thinking nobody knows.

That’s when darkness reigns.

Sin is often characterized by the seven deadly sins, or the three big ones listed by John – pride, possessions, and lust (I John 2:16).  We are oblivious to the fact that the two biggest traps, perhaps, that keep us in darkness are not any one of these, but rather shame and bitterness.  When I commit sin then shame begins to define my story, to enshroud my heart, and it drives me back into sin, over and over, to find release. When I am a victim of someone else’s sin against me then the dark cloud of bitterness controls my heart and my spirit, driving me to plot revenge, to be easily angered, to isolate myself. Neither shame nor bitterness can be ignored or managed.  They must be brought into the light for healing, trusting the love of God and others to meet my deepest needs.

“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin.”  (I John 1:7)

Light of the world

You stepped down into darkness,

Open my eyes, let me see.