DarkInHisOwnShadow2

'When a man stands in his own shadow he wonders why it is so dark'. In the Book of James, the Lord is described as the source of Light: "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no shadow of turning"(1). In the Book of John, Jesus says "I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life"(2). Christ is the true and undiminished source of all spiritual Light and nothing spiritually shines outside of His being, thereby causing a shadow to be cast from Him. Man stands in his own shadow when the 'forms and figures of his unrighteousness' obscure Christ's radiant light from shining into his heart and on his ways. Man's unregenerate nature has long been the origin of his internal shadowiness, while at the same time external 'powers of darkness'(3) have attempted to hinder man from receiving God's redeeming love, merciful forgiveness and gracious gift of eternal life. How inordinately difficult it is to coax unregenerate man out of his own shadow! Only through the power of the Holy Spirit's prompting (convicting presence) and the truth of the gospel(4) is unregenerate man able to emerge from the penumbra (eclipsing shadow) in which he lives. No matter how ornate a sundial may be, it has no redeeming purpose in the shade; and so it is with man's soul left in darkness outside the Light of the gospel of Christ.

Whatever stands between a man and Christ will cast its shadow across man's path, diminish Christ's brightness in his life and allow the darkness of spiritual strongholds, like mushrooms in a cave, to flourish. Spiritual strongholds, false doctrines, areas of unbelief and unrepentant sin cast long shadows which clearly blur, if not obfuscate, our spiritual vision. Those who do not walk by faith(5) and do not have a spiritual knowing of the Lord's will can expect to grope in shadowy corners, with poorly illuminated understanding, while they search for His purpose in these end-times.

"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."(7) The Hebrew concept of "perish" here implies the people are "let loose, are unrestrained. Without prophetic revelation from God, people are unrestrained and fall under judgment"(8) The darkness that continually attempts to fall across the threshold of the church, and portals of man's heart, is a relentless invader that will not be driven back without the power of the light of the gospel(9) being preached in its unabridged completeness. The more secular the trappings a ministry employs, in an effort to enhance the light that abounds, the greater the likelihood its focus is on its man's well-being and self-aggrandizement. "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God"(10). It is incumbent on the church to "shine His light" into the darkness of man's heart or it ostensibly has no redeeming value beyond its own entertainment amplification.

This is not a time to live in the 'cover of our own shadow' nor ignore the prophetic warnings given in scripture regarding the approaching end-time increase in spiritual darkness. The allures of the secular world have never been greater to draw our eyes off " the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."(11) The shadows of man's unrighteousness parallel the beam in his eye mentioned in Matt.7:4: "How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a beam in your own eye?" "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another"(12). We in the body-of-Christ need to seek out mature believers who are able to help us take inventory of our spiritual well-being and identify our own areas of unrighteousness. Man is inherently unable to clearly perceive his own spiritual imperfections, especially when many have grown accustomed to 'standing in the shade of their own shadow'. If you still dwell in the length of your own shadow, you will not be able to discern the shadow of an unbeliever as you walk into his presence ... 'darkness overlaps darkness'. Only the light of Christ shinning in and through you will dispel your own shadow and empower you to walk as a shinning light in the dark places indwelt by the unsaved.