Ephesians 5:13b – Flipping the Switch

— and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.

Summary: Understanding the metaphor of light and dark opens up a world of understanding about the spiritual realm.

It makes sense that everything exposed by the light becomes visible. Without light, our eyes are useless. When even the tiniest bit of light appears, the eyes can function: We can see.

While the first part of Paul’s sentence makes sense, the second half is less straightforward. What does he mean by “everything that is illuminated becomes a light?” Paul is speaking metaphorically. For his metaphor to work, it has to be true in the physical world. Is it true that everything illuminated becomes a light?

What we see with our physical eyes are two kinds of light: direct light, and reflected light. Direct light is the light coming from its source, such as the sun. Reflected light is the light that bounces off things in the world around us.

How can “everything” become light in Paul’s metaphor? The answer is that reflected light brings awareness of our surroundings, both good and bad. When we “see” the spiritual things around us in the light of God’s Word, we understand that they are there. (They were invisible in the dark.) The only task left is to discern the good from the bad, the white light from the dark light.

Paul uses the Greek word “phos” for “light.” Like many words, it has multiple meanings. One of the less commonly used meanings is the “power of understanding” (Strong’s G5457). Used this way, it can mean that when something is illuminated, the reflected light tells us what kind of thing it is.

Jesus uses the same word, “phos,” when he preaches about light and darkness as metaphors for good and evil (Luke 11:33-38). At one point, he says, “See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness” (Ibid, v 35).

How can “light” be “darkness?”

In the spiritual realm, when reflected light reveals something that opposes God, we say that thing is evil. If the reflected light reveals something pleasing to God, that thing is good.

John’s Gospel account begins with these words:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

Then he adds, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5)

Light and dark equals Good and Evil.

It feels like I just flipped a switch, and the light went on.

Application: Jesus is the source of all light. Stay close to the light!

Food for Thought: How do we get more light in the world?

8 Replies to “Ephesians 5:13b – Flipping the Switch”

  1. How do we get more light in the world?

    Revelation 22:5 ESV And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

    My mind wonders “what is that going to “look” like?” I suppose there are two possibilities that come to mind: the Glory of God shines and illuminates everything, or perhaps, we won’t need physical eyes, as the Glory of God will shine from within us, and we will be spiritually-cognitively aware of everything through God. I don’t want to detract from today’s devotion, but only bring this up to say that I believe there is external “light”, and internal “light.” External light doesn’t absorb into our bodies, inside our organs is a very dark place indeed. It’s the same inside our hearts spiritually.

    When we recognize the love of our Creator, when we understand how our sin has separated us from Him, when we see how Christ has given us everything of Himself to bring us back to God and submit to Christ as Lord of our lives, we allow Christ to live inside of us, His light shines out of us. Like a blackout curtain with a spotlight behind it, as we submit our lives the curtain is slowly opened and the brightness behind the curtain pierces the darkness to those we come into contact with.

    1 Corinthians 13:3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

    It is such a powerful verse that reminds me that I am incapable of merely “doing” and “deciding” to love. That sense of obligation gets in my way. Only in Christ have I known pure love and how to love. purely. That is light.

    Reading God’s Word, prayer, giving Jesus our thoughts and feelings, listening to the Holy Spirit, letting go of our agenda, submitting our will to Him, it all strengthens our connection to Him, and His light shines out of us into the world in greater measure as our will submits to Him in greater measure.

    I am reminded of Moses in Exodus 17:

    11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

    It wasn’t the physical act of holding up Moses’ hands that brought victory, but the faith and submission to God that God delivered His power to bring the victory.

    If we want to bring more light into the world, it starts with our submission to Christ, and when He says “raise your hands” we raise our hands in faith. We may find ourselves one day serving as missionaries, as church leaders, witnessing to others, but all of that will be born from the love we have in our hearts that is shared between us and Jesus. A love we can share, a love that is light.

    1. Chris,

      Thank you for your thoughts today! I don’t think they “detract” from today’s devotion at all. They are excellent words and speak well to the question at hand. We are the lamps and Christ is the light (Matthew 5: 14-16).

  2. 08-22-2023, How do we get more light in the world?

    God is light, the source of all light. He came to earth in a physical body to give light to all who would choose to follow Him. Believers come out of darkness and become children of light. A chosen race, a royal priesthood belonging to God to proclaim His excellencies, as we let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven.
    1 John 1:5, Genesis 1:3, John 8:12, Ephesians 5:8, 1 Peter 2:9, Matthew 5:16

    1. Ron,

      Thank you! You are a “bright spot” in my day today. 🙂

      Excellent verses, too. I added a link to your comment so people can get to them easily.

  3. My mind went to a couple of the verses that R2T2 already shared. I think it is critically important for us to remember that we are lights that reflect the truth of Christ and shine in a dark world like stars shining against the backdrop of a dark sky. Philippians 2: 14 – 15.

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