But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

--Parallel verses:
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬-‭21‬
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

What does darkness represent in this passage? Low light, things that are hidden, things that are dirty, isolation, things that we are ashamed of. Fear plays in our minds and deceives us. It represents evil.

Light represents warmth, purity, wholesomeness, honesty, community, joy, redemption. It represents the good things in our life.

When I look back at the sin I have committed over my life, most of it has been done in secret or in the darkness. Why is this? It goes all of the way back to the Garden of Eden. “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬-‭10‬)

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they were afraid and hid from him. Have you ever wondered why fear can have such a grip on us? It is a result of our sin and not having a righteous view of God. God loved Adam and Eve. Allowing him to see their sin would not change his love for them. But just like a lie convinced them to sin, so fear convinced them to isolate, separate, and hide from God, the very one who loved them and wanted to help them. Fear and lies are the tools of the Devil.

And so it is when our pride takes over. We pretend that we are powerful enough on our own to resist sin and be godly. But we fall short time and again. So the call is to be alert and sober.

We are to put on righteousness as a breastplate, for it protects our heart. We are to put on faith too. And salvation as a helmet that protects our mind. We must clothe ourselves each day in prayer and the word of God. And we must step into the light!

When we step into the light, we can receive help for the things we wrestle with and others can encourage us. We will also naturally shy away from evil, because all can see it.

Lord, may I be a transparent man. Clean my heart and purify my soul. Teach me to know how to model stepping into the light for my children. I am weak on my own. With your strength, then I am strong! Guide me to a life of victory in you!