Ephesians 5:11 (ESV) — Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

The dark can be scary. Most children are scared of the dark. Some adults remain scared of the dark their entire lives. Why is that? Because there is something in us that knows the darkness is telling us something true about the world.

We live in a world filled with darkness. There are spiritual beings that rise up against the knowledge and glory of God. There are people who follow in the way of these demons to rebel against God. They are creatures of the darkness. The people of God, in contrast, are to be people of the light, and the light expels the darkness. 

Our passage today illustrates this concept. Paul writes to the church of Ephesus: “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” This is a very relevant word in our own day. We must not partake or engage with the unfruitful works of darkness. We cannot participate in sin and rebellion that goes against the Word of God. It doesn’t matter how popular, sanitized, or accepted the practice is. Children of the light do not take part. 

We must, however, go beyond simply refraining from participation in these dark works.  We must expose them.The church engages in exposing works of darkness. We proclaim truth to the world. Our task is to help expose these works of darkness so that people will not live in them or participate in them. Exposing darkness is not popular. Many people regard it as unkind or unloving.  Some folks would rather just sit out of any controversial issues. We don’t want to be thought of as troublemakers, but our task is to expose the darkness. And that means shining a light on it.

Don’t be afraid to expose darkness when you see it. Expose it to your friends, your spouse, your children, your classmates, your family, and your other brothers and sisters in Christ. Together we can both avoid partaking in the darkness and expose it to the Light so that the world can see the truth.

Reflection & Journal: 
- What are some examples of unfruitful works of darkness?
- How can Christians expose darkness?
- What traps or pitfalls do we need to be cautious of as we do this?

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