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Darkness Cannot Overcome the Light!

8.03.09

And the light shineth in darkness;and the darkness comprehended it not.- John 1:5
I know of no great Christian leader who hasn’t faced some kind of opposition as he or she sought to do God’s will. But the truth is that darkness does not have the power to over come light! Every believer can overcome any attack if he or she won’t quit first!

John 1:5 says, “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” The word “comprehended” is the Greek word katalambano. It is a compound of the words kata andlambano. The word kata carries the force of something that is dominating or subjugating. The word lambano means to seize or grab hold of. When the two words are compounded, they meanto seize, to pull down, to tackle, to conquer, or to hold under one’s power. Therefore, this verse could be translated, “Darkness does not have the ability to suppress or to hold the light under its domain.”

This doesn’t mean that darkness won’t attempt to overcome the light. However, its efforts will be frustrated and unsuccessful because the light of God always prevails, even in what seems to be the darkest hour or the bleakest situation. Darkness simply doesn’t have the power or ability to put out God’s light. Since you are a child of the light (Ephesians 5:8), this means darkness doesn’t have the ability to put out your light either!

As the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), the devil may try to use the world around us to do battle with us. But regardless of what weapon Satan uses or how he attempts to combat you and me, First John 5:4 declares that we have a faith that overcomes the world! This means we have a faith that overrides and supersedes any organization, any event, any circumstance, or any difficult dilemma Satan would try to employ against us. He may be the “god of this world,” but we have a weapon so powerful that we can shoot him down every time he shows up uninvited.

John 1:5 makes it absolutely clear that darkness does not have the ability to suppress or to hold the light under its domain. Darkness may try to prevent the light from shining, but it never holds back the light permanently. Eventually it always comes shining through.

This is true of you and your dream, vision, or calling as well. You may feel hindered from time to time in your attempts to fulfill the call God has given you, but don’t despair. Those hindrances won’t last long. The only way the devil can steal your dream, vision, or calling is if you surrender to him first! If you hold on and refuse to give up, your faith will overcome every encumbrance the devil tries to set in your path!

Tim Carlisle