Continuing about light...
As part of New Testament truth we are told* 'you were before darkness but now you are light', and not to err in what we believe, for when we fall into tests, trials and temptations it isn't God doing it to us*, for from Him flows only every good and perfect gift for He is the Father of lights (us), and there is no variableness nor hint of shadow (duplicity/ulterior motive) in His character. *Ephesians 5:8, James 1:1-18
These and many more verses throughout the Bible blur the lines between the spiritual truth that God is light and the physical light we see with our eyes (and those wavelengths we can't see):
Moses' face shone after spending 40 days and nights on the Mount with the Lord*, when the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the Shepherds* 'the glory of the Lord shone round about them'. When Jesus was transfigured* before Peter, James, and John a bright cloud overshadowed them and Jesus became bright light, and the Lord said He was going to return to the glory He had with the Father before the world was.* (*Exodus 34:29-35, Luke 2:9, Mark 9:3, John 17:5)
The unseen point where spiritual light and physical light meet is found in the person of Jesus Christ:
"...Who (Jesus) being the brightness of (the Father's) glory, and the impressed image of (the Father's) person, (Jesus) upholds (carries) all things by the Word of (the Father's) power, when He had by Himself purged out sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high..." *Hebrews 1:1-3
(Note: That is not 'the power of the Word', but rather the 'Word of the Father's power'. Perhaps a future 'Weekly Thoughts' about the difference is in order?)
And this: "...for by Him (Christ Jesus) all things were created, invisible and visible, and in Him all things consist." (Greek, 'in Him all things stand/are held together). Colossians 1:16-17
And: "For by faith we understand the worlds were framed (fit/put together) by the Word of God, so that things that are seen were not made of things that are visible." Hebrews 11:3
Look at this as more than figurative speech and metaphors
There are 94 uses of the root word 'light' in the New Testament (KJV), the vast majority are about either God's light, us being light, letting our light shine, or something related to those 3 subjects.
What if for instance, in Matthew 5:14-16 when Jesus tells us we are the light of the world, and that no one lights a lamp and hides it under a basket but rather lets it shine to give light to their whole house, and that we should let our light shine so that others can see the goodness of the Father God - what if that is both figurative speech and at the same time a spiritual reality in the unseen realm?
Our light shining and how demons work
I was in worship one night when suddenly I was in the Spirit, and the Lord stood before me: "I want to teach you some things about how demons work." Immediately we were standing in the dark maybe 20 feet (6m) behind a Christian man who was unaware we were watching him. He was looking straight ahead, and was encased in a sphere of light that was emanating from him, extending out about 10 feet (3m) in all directions. It resembled a fuzzy white light rather than intense bright white, more like a glowing fog.
The light was an unbroken sphere extending into the darkness that I knew represented the spiritual darkness in the world, and though we were standing and walking, the light did not stop at the floor. I say floor though I had no idea if there was one as Jesus and I could walk around and beneath and at his 2 o'clock level above his head or at waist height or below him looking up at the soles of his feet at will. In fact the Lord and I walked all around the man while the Lord explained to me many things about how we are born of the Father by the Spirit and are therefore beings of light, and what that means in real life experiences.
One of the most lasting things the Lord said to me as we circled the man was this:
"Notice how he is of light and is bathed in light, but he barely recognizes who he is in Me. Watch and see how easily he is distracted from the light and life in him:"
Just then I noticed a demon coming out of the darkness and he began circling the sphere of light, looking so intensely for a way through he didn't even notice the Lord and I standing some 10' (3m) behind him. The demon was about 2 1/2 feet tall (0.76m) and looked like a small person or perhaps a monkey - his face was smaller than a toddler's as was his whole build - thin and no fat at all on his wirey naked frame. He circled the sphere as we did, top to bottom, side to side always looking at the man, like a lion might stalk an antelope, probing for a weakness.
The Lord continued: "The man walks with Me, but about every 2 weeks or so he starts thinking about a favorite sin, for he has not disciplined himself to control his desires of the flesh. He knows his tendencies and weaknesses, and so does the demon who has watched him for years, who therefore entices him. And because his flesh likes the sin, he entertains thoughts and imaginations about that sin."
Just then the man started looking around instead of straight ahead, which reminded me of Peter walking on the water who broke his eye contact with Jesus to look at the wind and waves and began to sink. I knew somehow the man was turning his eyes from the Lord in this one small area and thinking about that sin, and again somehow I knew the process was going on over the course of several days in the man's life - like he started thinking about it on a Monday for the plan to do it on Friday, sort of thing. The Lord continued: "Now watch what happens when his desire for sin combines with the enticing:"
Sin enters
Just then a piece of the sphere of light pulled back, opening up in shape like a slice of pie from top to bottom, about 2 feet wide (0.6m) at the equator on the outside and narrowing to maybe 6 inches (15cm) at the man's shoulders. It was the man's doing as he entertained thoughts on the sin, allowing his light to withdraw in this one little area of his life.
I could see this man's imagination racing with thoughts of his sin as the demon turned sideways as he edged closer to the man, careful to not allow the light of the sphere to touch him - and just before reaching the man he made a leap onto his shoulders and started talking to him.
As the demon sat on the man's shoulder enticing him, one of the things the Lord brought up is that is when you are aware of your light and you come across a person with a demon, you become aware the demon in them knows you know who you are in Christ and they don't want to be exposed. The demon becomes afraid of you, but as long as the person wants them there, you can't cast it out, yet they fear.
It often manifests in that person not wanting contact with you because the demon inside them doesn't want to be around you (meaning it would be cast out/the person would have to deal with their issue). That person may only know why on a subconscious level, though they will often make up a childish excuse or accusation against you in the natural, but they know and have to make their own way.
The Lord taught me how most people are delivered simply by walking with Him and hearing His voice only, and even long time in the family demons will then find no opening and so go off looking for another prey. But how at first it can be a battle of wills; how much does this person want the light of righteousness vs how much do they want the known and comfortable sin with associated demon, and so much more.
He talked of how darkness and demons retreat from the light and how a believing spouse influences their unbelieving family, how families can affect neighborhoods, and much more, all related to spiritual light affecting the darkness and demonic realms. Let your light shine...a reality in you!
"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness', made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the Father's glory which is displayed in the face of Christ." II Corinthians 4:6
Next week part 3; the light of heaven. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]