Unbound: Freedom in a Digital WorldSample

“He has rescued us,” Paul says from his imprisonment, “from the dominion of darkness.” What an ominous phrase! Paul comes swinging with political rhetoric right out of the gate. There are two opposing kingdoms that vie to rule over us. One is the kingdom of darkness, the other is the kingdom of light. That war still rages today. We know as Christians that we have been redeemed from the dominion of darkness. Yet, this darkness still rages to take us captive again. We watch it waiting to take hold of us and resist it to the best of our abilities. In honesty, most of us will admit to being captured too often by the dominion of darkness despite our earnest desire to be free in the light.

I want to suggest today that part of the reason we so often fall into the dominion of darkness is because of our perspective.

I have what is referred to as “Dark Mode” on my phone. All Android-based phones do this, though they might be called black mode, dark theme, night mode, etc. This setting changes the default from dark text on a white screen to white text on a dark screen. Everything is the same except the perspective has dramatically changed.

I think too often we see the world as this dark place full of sinfulness waiting to take us captive. Darkness surrounds us from all sides and waits to consume us if we take one wrong step. We vigilantly watch for where it is creeping in, trying the best we can to resist.

In the opening lines of Colossians, Paul gives us a different perspective. There is hope stored in heaven waiting for us. From this storage unit, God pours out love and faith into the world. The darkness is not winning. Instead, “the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world,” just like it has done in our own life. God’s Spirit, his enduring presence, is filling us with wisdom and understanding to live a life worthy of God. God’s Spirit is “bearing fruit in every good work,” growing us in the knowledge of God and strengthening us with endurance, patience, and joy.

Actually, we aren’t even on the battle lines any more. This war isn’t raging within us. Paul says we are sharing already in our inheritance as “saints in light.” The NIV translates this phrase as “holy people in the kingdom of light,” but the word kingdom doesn’t exist in the Greek. It literally means “saints in light.” "We are saints in light!"

We need to turn off dark mode and get back into light mode. We need to change our perspective. We are saints in light. We are the bringers and fillers of light in the places where the dominion of darkness still reigns. We don’t fear the power of darkness any more than a flashlight fears a dark room. Light shines in the darkness.

Practice light mode today by changing perspectives. Be intentional about seeing yourself as a saint of light that shines brightly. Even if you don’t feel like a “saint” today, know that God has made you one. You shine in the light that is charging through you. Don’t worry about the darkness. Actually, ignore it altogether today and let the kingdom of light give you freedom from worry, anxiety, and fear. See the world today as full of God’s light radiating out everywhere.