Walking in darkness is a biblical metaphor that refers to living a lifestyle disconnected from God’s truth and righteousness. 1 John 1:6 warns, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” This verse indicates that those who claim to know God but continue in patterns of sin and unbelief are deceiving themselves. They are living in spiritual darkness rather than walking in the light of Christ.
Throughout Scripture, light represents truth, wisdom, and holiness, while darkness signifies falsehood, ignorance, and sin (John 3:19-21). Those who walk in darkness reject the light of Christ and prefer the fruitless works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11). Just as it is dangerous to walk in literal darkness, it is spiritually dangerous to live apart from the illumination of God’s Word and Spirit. A few key characteristics of those who walk in darkness include:
- Practicing sin and lawlessness (1 John 3:4-6)
- Rejecting or distorting biblical truth (John 8:45)
- Exhibiting unrighteous anger, hatred, or unforgiveness (1 John 2:9)
- Rejecting conviction from the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-9)
- Denying Christ with their actions (Titus 1:16)
- Failing to love fellow believers (1 John 2:9)
- Hypocritical living (1 John 2:4)
- Habitual sin and impurity (Ephesians 5:3-7)
- Desiring worldliness rather than God (1 John 2:15-17)
- Disobedience to God’s commands (1 John 3:24)
In contrast, those who walk in the light live openly and truthfully before Christ. Their actions match their profession of faith (1 John 1:7). While they still struggle with sin, they allow God’s light to expose and transform those areas of darkness (1 John 1:8-9). Signs of walking in the light include:
- Obeying God’s Word (Psalm 119:105)
- Pursuing holiness and purity (Isaiah 35:8, 1 Timothy 4:12)
- Exposing works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11)
- Producing spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23)
- Walking in love (1 John 2:10)
- Confessing and repenting from sin (1 John 1:9)
- Abiding in Christ through spiritual disciplines (John 15:1-11)
- Serving God wholeheartedly (Colossians 3:23-24)
- Contending for biblical truth (Jude 1:3)
Understanding Darkness in 1 John 1:6
In 1 John 1:6, the Greek word for “darkness” is skotia, meaning spiritual blindness or ignorance regarding eternal truth. It describes living apart from the glorious light of Christ. Earlier in John’s gospel, Jesus declared Himself to be “the light of the world” (John 8:12). Those who reject Him walk in darkness, while those who follow Him experience the light of life (John 8:12, 12:35). By using the metaphor of light and darkness, John emphasizes the stark contrast between righteousness and wickedness, truth and error.
Throughout his first epistle, John explores what it means to walk in darkness or in the light. He makes clear that light and darkness are incompatible and cannot coexist. A genuine believer will walk in the light of God’s love, truth, and moral purity. If someone claims enlightenment while persisting in wickedness, their profession is false. Ongoing sin reveals a heart that hates the light (John 3:19-21). Although followers of Christ still stumble (1 John 2:10), the overall trajectory of their lives is toward the light.
In summary, “walking in darkness” refers to the lifestyle pattern of someone estranged from God. Although they may associate with religion, their unrighteous behavior exposes their true spiritual state. Persisting in falsehood and wickedness is incompatible with genuine saving faith in Christ. Only those who accept God’s light and walk in it have fellowship with Him.
Exegesis of 1 John 1:6
Exegeting the verse in context provides additional insight into walking in darkness:
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:6-10)
John warns against claiming to know God while walking in darkness. True fellowship with Him requires walking in the light, which results in cleansing from sin and the ability to confess failings honestly. Light comes through accepting Christ’s blood sacrifice for sin. A pattern of unrepentant darkness, however, reveals someone unenlightened by gospel truth. They are deceiving themselves about their relationship with God.
In summary, this passage teaches:
- Those in darkness are self-deceived about their spirituality.
- Fellowship with God requires walking in His light.
- Christ’s blood sacrifice enables confession and cleansing from sin.
- Rejecting one’s sin is incompatible with walking in true light.
- Only those enlightened by the gospel walk in light and experience its benefits.
John’s teaching warns against easy, empty professions of faith not backed up by moral transformation. Walking in darkness while claiming enlightenment is dangerous self-deception. True fellowship with God must translate into walking in the light of His truth.
New Testament Teaching on Spiritual Darkness
The backdrop for John’s warning is the New Testament’s larger teaching about darkness and light. A survey of other passages on darkness reveals:
- Darkness envelops the minds of unbelievers. They are estranged from God’s life and truth (Ephesians 4:18, 1 Peter 2:9).
- Satan’s kingdom operates in darkness. Evil flourishes under the cloak of darkness (Luke 22:53, Colossians 1:13).
- Unrepentant sin loves darkness. Evil hides from the light of exposure (John 3:19-21).
- Christians are called out of darkness. At salvation, they enter Christ’s kingdom of light (1 Peter 2:9).
- Darkness must be exposed. Followers of Christ are to reprove fruitless deeds of darkness (Ephesians 5:11).
John’s readers would have been familiar with this biblical background equating darkness with Satan’s realm of sin and deception. By walking in darkness while claiming fellowship with God, they were reverting back to their pre-Christian state. A profession of faith meant nothing without the moral transformation of entering the light. By issuing this stern warning, John sought to jolt them back into the reality of their spiritual condition.
Metaphors of Darkness in John’s Writings
John’s symbolic language about light and darkness did not originate in 1 John. Both his gospel and his Revelation visions develop these word pictures extensively:
- In John’s gospel, Christ is the “light of the world” (John 8:12) bringing light to darkness (John 1:5) and enabling believers to walk in light (John 12:35).
- Those rejecting Christ love darkness rather than light (John 3:19) and will be judged for hating the light (John 3:20).
- In Revelation, darkness signifies God’s judgment (Rev 16:10) and the final state of the lost (Jude 1:13).
- Conversely, God’s city contains no night or darkness (Rev 21:23-25, 22:5). Believers will ultimately walk in unending light.
John’s symbolic language about spiritual darkness had deep roots in his prior teaching. For John, darkness conveyed the moral and spiritual bankruptcy of a world estranged from its Creator. Those rebelling against the light of Christ deliberately pursued spiritual blindness. But John always held out gospel hope of God’s light triumphing over the darkness.
Old Testament Background
John’s imagery of spiritual light and darkness drew heavily from the Old Testament. Key passages develop this theme:
- Darkness symbolizes God’s judgment. Supernatural darkness fell during the Egyptian plagues (Exodus 10:21) and when God judged the wicked (Isaiah 5:30).
- God is light with no darkness. God’s character is wholly pure, just and true (Psalm 27:1, Isaiah 5:20, James 1:17).
- Wisdom enlightens; folly darkens. Wise living brings God’s blessing and illumination (Proverbs 4:18), while foolishness leads to deeper gloom (Ecclesiastes 2:13).
- Light represents deliverance and joy. God’s light brings rejoicing (Psalm 97:11), while its absence signals his displeasure (Micah 7:8).
John drew from this rich vocabulary of Old Testament word-pictures about light and darkness. His warnings against “walking in darkness” echoed Israel’s prophets who rebuked those calling evil good and darkness light. For John, only those illuminated by God’s saving light through Christ could walk righteously.
Implications and Application
What are some key implications today from John’s warning against claiming enlightenment while walking in darkness?
- Self-deception is real. Like John’s original readers, we can easily convince ourselves that we are in God’s light when we are actually embracing spiritual darkness.
- Sin loves darkness. Walking in darkness means harboring attitudes and patterns of behavior incompatible with God’s character.
- Truth is needed. We should regularly expose ourselves to God’s Word to evaluate if we are walking in His light.
- Confession is required. Honestly admitting our sins is vital to walking in the light and appropriating Christ’s forgiveness.
- Change is possible. Sinful habits and addictions can be overcome as we bring them into the light of God’s truth.
John’s call to expose and renounce darkness remains relevant today. Scripture memory, honest self-examination, accountability relationships, and repenting from sin all help us walk in God’s light. We escape darkness by affirming that Christ alone is the light of the world.
Conclusion
Walking in darkness refers to a lifestyle divorced from God’s righteous standards and truth claims revealed in Scripture. Those lost in sin and deception stumble blindly, unable to see and walk in moral light. Tragically, some deceived persons even claim to see clearly and know God while persisting in wicked works. But only those transformed by Christ’s redemptive work walk in the light of His truth, love, and wisdom. Believers must guard against drifting back into spiritual darkness by allowing God’s pure light to continually cleanse and renew them.