Sprachen 
Light enables life, light lets us see, light drives out darkness. In the Bible, light is an image for God. God is the light. The light that leads us to life. Jesus says:
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life ” John 8,12
There is both, light and darkness in the world. There are different powers at work. Darkness separates us from God, light leads us to God. Jesus is the way we can get to the light of God. By dying on the cross, Jesus conquered the forces of darkness and reestablished the connection to God. Man was separated from God through the fall of man and the works of darkness. Jesus sacrifice has taken on the sin of the world and everyone who believes in him becomes a child of God, a child of light. We are called to follow the light and to walk as children of the light.
“For you used to be darkness; but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light; the fruit of light is all goodness and righteousness and truth. Try what is pleasing to the Lord, and do not have fellowship with the sterile works of darkness; rather, covers them at “Ephesians 5: 8-11
Works of darkness are destructive, evil, deceptive and lead to death. The works of light are good, true and lead to life. In the world we see both and every day we can choose whether to follow the darkness or the light. We are called to examine everything and to live in the will of God. Not all works of darkness are evident. Some works are camouflaged in the light and want to deceive us. I am thinking of esotericism, for example.
“Nobody should be found among you … nobody who practices divination, no sorcerer or conjurer or magician …; for everyone who does these things is an abomination to the Lord. Deuteronomy 18: 10-12
From my own experience I can say today that such things do not come from God. Through esotericism it is not the spirit of God that works, but the spirit of the adversary. The problem in esotericism is that although the divine is assumed, God is presented as impersonal, as a kind of energy and not as a personal God. There is no personal relationship with God. In esotericism, creation, nature is made a god, everything is divine, everything is energy. Even humans can develop further and become divine themselves. This teaching contradicts the Bible, which describes that God is the creator and man is the creature, nature his creation. How I distinguish works of darkness from works of light today:
- Darkness: Man goes his own way, he puts himself in the center, defines his own truth, wants to be God himself, wants to always get ahead through his own achievement and merit, he has no personal relationship with God
- Light: Man goes God’s way, he puts God in the center, follows the truth of God (Bible, Word of God), subordinates himself to God, lives by grace and does not have to do anything to earn God’s love. The love of God is a gift (it is done). Man lives in a personal relationship with God.
“For with you is the source of life, and in your light we see the light.” Psalm 36:10
“The people who live in the dark see a bright light.” Isaiah 9: 1
Where we meet Jesus, the light, there is change, healing, restoration. We can flourish in the presence of its light. Jesus drives out all darkness. Even in difficult circumstances, his light is consolation and salvation for us. With him we see everything in a different light. We don’t have to stay in the dark, the light lets us know God’s love for us. Jesus, following the light, will bring forth good fruits in our lives: goodness, righteousness and truth.
I lock myself up again in your fatherly loyalty and protection and heart. The earthly business and all dark forces drive away through your closeness. (Protestant hymn book 481.3)
