In Ephesians 5:11, Paul instructs believers, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” Darkness has symbolized sin since the opening lines of Scripture. Before God spoke light into existence, “darkness” covered the face of the deep. Job later described how the wicked “rebel against the light.” He observed that the murderer rises before dawn, the adulterer waits for twilight, and thieves prefer the cover of night. “They are friends with the terrors of deep darkness,” he said. This vivid description portrays people who prefer concealment over clarity. Darkness hides what light reveals. Job’s words remind us that wrongdoing often flourishes where accountability is absent and truth is obscured. I have noticed that even minor missteps seem more appealing when they can remain unnoticed, which suggests that my own instincts occasionally prefer a dim room to a well-lit one.
That phrase, “friends of the terrors of darkness,” calls to mind modern fascinations with creatures of the night. Vampires, those fictional beings who gain strength by draining life from others, offer a fitting image. Proverbs 30:15 describes the leech with two daughters named “Give” and “Give,” endlessly consuming. Anything that drains life, attention, or devotion can function like a spiritual vampire. We do not need to commit dramatic crimes to drift toward darkness. Distractions alone can pull us away from what is true and pure. Our society is filled with captivating diversions that quietly erode focus and vitality. C. S. Lewis captured this strategy in The Screwtape Letters, where a senior demon advises that small distractions can be as effective as great sins. “Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick,” he wrote. The gradual path away from light often appears harmless at first. I confess that my own attention sometimes wanders down such gentle slopes without much resistance.
The New Testament consistently calls believers toward the light revealed in Jesus Christ. He declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Paul echoed this truth, writing, “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8). In Christ, darkness loses its hold and clarity replaces confusion. His light exposes what harms and illuminates what heals. Through Him, the pull of darkness is met by a greater and steadier illumination that guides every step.