*Ephesians 5:8* - “For once *you were darkness*, but now *you are light in the Lord*; walk as children of Light [*lead the lives of those native-born to the Light*].” 

 

*Spiritual Truths* 

1. You are were darkness, which is different from you were in darkness. 

2. You are light, which is different from you are in the light. 

 

*Spiritual Warfare God’s Way* 

 

Why do we need to understand who we are in the spirit?

1. Understand our composition as spirits

2. Knowledge of this makes us indomitable by the kingdom of darkness

3. Our fear is only the reverential fear of our Father

4. It makes us less susceptible to the wiles and cunning craftiness of the enemy

5. We understand how the enemy vets us in the spirit realm

6. Understand how to wage and win warfare in the spirit

 

*Genesis 1:2-3* - “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” 

 

*John 1:1-5* - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.  

3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  

4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  

5 And *the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it*.” 

 

*Spiritual Truths* 

1. The darkness that was in *Genesis 1:2* existed primarily because of the absence of light. 

 

2. There God established the need for the emergence of light, and darkness did not have answer for it. In other words, darkness could not comprehend it.  

 

*Very importantly, the only thing that darkness answers to is light. * 

 

3. Apostle John by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit helps us to understand in *John 1* that without the Word, nothing was made that was made. 

 

4. The Word is part of the Trinity that had the discourse in *Genesis 1: 26*  – “Then God said, “*Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness*; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 

 

Therefore, we are made in God’s image and also to function like our Father. 

 

5. According to *John 1:4*, “In the Word was life, and this life was the light of men. The life of the Word is the same as the light of men. This is the same light that shines in darkness, and darkness could not comprehend it.”

 

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying (in *Jeremiah 1:5*), “*Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you*…”  

 

This suggested that there is a part of man that existed before the physical part of man was formed. This part is the spirit. The component of this part is light. 

 

6. Again, Apostle John wrote in *1 John 1:5* - “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that *God is light* and in Him is no darkness at all.” 

 

7. If *God, who is Spirit, is light* and He has created us in His image and according to His likeness, then *the spirit component of man is light* too. 

 

8. If the only thing that darkness answers to is light, we can understand the reason God made man light. 

 

9. Hence, in the spirit realm, you are identified by the brilliance of your light. 

 

 

 

 

10. As God is our origin (*Genesis 1:26*), the glory of God is the Source of our light. This is underscored in *Isaiah 60:1*, “Arise, shine; for *your light* has come! And the *glory of the  Lord* is risen upon you.” 

 

11. This sentiment is further highlighted in the consequence of the Fall in *Genesis 3* highlighted in *Romans 3:23* - “For all have sinned and fall *short of the glory of God*.” 

 

12. Now we understand that though darkness does not comprehend light, Satan can, through deception, *cause man to do or engage in things that can cause is brilliance to become dim or to totally go out*. This is *the only way Satan can get to wage warfare against man*. 

 

In other words, if you understand and maintain your light (your spiritual component) and *refuse to give in to deception and to sin – disobey God and engage in unrighteousness - , Satan cannot overpower you*. 

 

13. When man gives in to deception, then Satan can successfully wage war against you in his own territory (darkness). 

 

14. Mathew 4 gives us a glimpse of spiritual warfare and how Jesus Christ handled Satan. Satan attempted to get Jesus to question his identity and hence his makeup, so that he could attack Jesus Christ. 

 

At every stage, Jesus Christ answered Satan with the inspired Word of God. He refused to give in to the deception of the enemy and do what suggests to Jesus Christ to do. He maintained his stand with the Word of God. Even in the form of a man, Jesus knew who He was described in *John 8:12* - “I am the Light of the World.”  

 

15. This echoes Apostle John’s description in *John 1:6-9* - “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  

 

7 This man came for a witness, *to bear witness of the Light*, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  

9 *That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world*.” 

 

16. The Light gives light to every man coming into the world. Declare today, “I am light.” 

 

 

 

 

17. If Jesus is Light and believers are light too, can we consider following Jesus’ example of how he engaged in spiritual warfare? 

 

18. What was Jesus’ main weapon of offense in spiritual warfare? *The sword of the Spirit, the word of God. Hence knowledge of Christ Jesus through the word of God, and appropriation of His blood to cleanse us of all unrighteousness will keep us one with Him as we dwell and remain in the Secret Place*. 

 

19. It is referred to as the sword of the Spirit, because the *Holy Spirit does the deep dive and gives to you the revelation of God’s word to use in spiritual warfare*. 

 

20. Even to Joshua, the commander of Israel’s army, the main instruction given by God to him in *Joshua 1:8* was that “This *Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night*, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” 

 

21. The word of God is equally important even in navigating and winning warfare in the physical. This is important because the origin of everything physical is spiritual. 

 

22. It is important to understand that, *Satan’s principal attack on you is to, through your own actions, make your light to go out*. He did it to Eve, he attempted a similar deception on Jesus, will continue to attack you with the same treachery. 

 

 

 

 

*Confession - I AM LIGHT* 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made, In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 

 

Though I was once darkness, now I am light in the Lord. I lead my life as a native-born to the Light. 

 

The life which was in the Word is my light. This light shines in the darkness, and darkness comprehends it not. 

 

As darkness can only exist in the absence of light, I receive the grace and help of God to make my light shine continually. I declare, the glory of the Lord has risen upon me because my light has come. 

 

As the only thing that darkness answers to is light, I declare, darkness is subject to my light in Christ. I am recognised in the realm of the spirit by the brilliance of my light. IJN 

 

From today, every sickness and disease answers to light. Lack answers to light. Anxiety and depression answer to light. Oppression answers to light. Failure answers to light. Confusion answers to light. Fear answers to light. Darkness answers to my light in Christ. IJN 

 

I am made in the image and according to the likeness of God, so I function like my Father. Before I was conceived in my mother womb, God knew me and ordained my destiny in Christ. 

 

God is my origin, and His glory is the Source of my light. Though born into sin due to the disobedience of Adam and Eve, Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary and restored to me the glory I lost when I was separated from my Father. I acknowledge Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. 

 

Because I have received Christ, he has given me the right to become a child of God. Because I belong to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, I can declare I am born of God. For God is light, so I am light too. I have no part or covenant with darkness or works of unrighteousness. The devil hence cannot find any legal ground to afflict me or my loved ones IJN. Every carnal or impulse of the flesh is brought under the subjection of the Holy Spirit in me.

 

Because I am born of God, I receive the help of the Holy Spirit to maintain my light and refuse to give in to deception, to sin, to disobedience or to engagement in the works of unrighteousness. 

 

As Jesus Christ employed the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God to conquer Satan in the wilderness, I receive this revelation through the word of God and appropriate the blood of Christ Jesus to cleanse me from all unrighteousness that I may be one with my Father as I dwell and remain in the Secret Place. 

 

Jesus Christ conquered Satan with the spoken word of God in the wilderness, therefore I declare the Holy Spirit quickens the rhema of God in me to overcome all the wiles and attacks of the enemy. I maintain my stand with the word of God. 

 

In life, in my ministry, and in the marketplace, I bear witness of the Light. The was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 

 

As the Light gives light to every man coming into the world, I declare today, I am light. My light shines brighter and brighter in Christ every day. 

 

I declare I attain to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge IJN.