Ephesians 5.14-Paul's Use of the Light-Darkness Motif in Ephesians 5.6-14
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday June 2, 2026
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:14-Paul’s Use of the Light-Darkness Motif in Ephesians 5:6-14
Lesson # 349
Ephesians 5:6 Continue to make it your habit to never let absolutely anyone cause any one of you to be deceived by means of words devoid of truth because these things are the reason why the one and only God’s wrath is and will be exercised for His own glory against those members of the human race characterized by disobedience. 7 Therefore, each and every one of you as a corporate unit for your own benefit must continue to not make it your habit of conducting your lives as fellow partakers with them. 8 For each and every one of you as a corporate unity formerly were characterized by spiritual darkness. However, each and every one of you as a corporate unit now at the present time are characterized by spiritual light. Like enlightened children, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of living your lives. 9 For the fruit, which is unique to the light and produced by the light, exists in the state of being characterized by the fullest expression of the practice of goodness, which is divine in quality and character, resulting in the practice of a righteousness, which is divine in quality and character, resulting in the practice of truth, which is divine in quality and character. 10 Consequently, each and every one of you as a corporate unit are demonstrating what is characterized as pleasing for the glory of our Lord. 11 Correspondingly, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of not participating in the unfruitful activities produced by those who belong to the darkness. In fact, on the contrary, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of exposing them. 12 For these unfruitful activities being practiced by them secretly are a shameful disgrace to even mention. 13 However, because each and every one of these things are being habitually exposed by those who are characterized by spiritual light, they are being habitually revealed (as sin to those characterized by spiritual darkness and disobedience) by those who are characterized by spiritual light. 14 For anyone who for their own benefit makes it their habit of revealing (to those characterized by spiritual darkness that their unfruitful activities practiced secretly are sin against a holy God) is characterized by spiritual light. Therefore, it says, “Those who sleep, awake forever! Correspondingly, rise from the dead ones! Consequently, the one and only Christ will as a certainty shine upon you.” (Lecturer’s translation)
In Ephesians 5:6-14, the apostle Paul is employing the light/darkness motif to describe the relationship between the members of the Christian community and the non-Christian community.
The light is of course used to describe the holy character of the Christian community because of their union and identification with Jesus Christ, which sanctified them to accomplish God’s purposes.
The darkness is used of the ungodly character of unregenerate humanity which is enslaved to the sin nature as well as to Satan and his cosmic world system.
In these verses, the non-Christian is described as being characterized by disobedience (cf. Eph. 5:6) and spiritual darkness (Eph. 5:8).
On other hand, the church age believer is described as being characterized by spiritual light and enlightened children (Eph. 5:8).
Paul uses this motif in order to persuade the members of the Christian community to avoid living in a manner, which is inconsistent with that of being enlightened children of God.
He also uses it to persuade them to not imitate the ungodly lifestyle of members of the non-Christian community.
Lastly, he uses it to persuade them to remain faithful in obeying His Spirit inspired apostolic teaching.
This use of the light/darkness motif appears elsewhere in Paul’s writings.
Romans 13:11 So then, all of continue making it your habit of practicing this because all of you are well aware of the significance of this particular period of history characterized by urgency and opportunity, demanding immediate action, namely that, it is now already the moment for each and every one of you to be awake from sleep because our deliverance is now nearer to taking place than when we believed. 12 The night has drawn to a close. Indeed, the day is approaching. Therefore, let us for the duration continue to lay aside for ourselves the activities, which characterize those who belong to the kingdom of darkness. Indeed, let us for the duration continue to clothe ourselves with the weapons, which characterize those who belong to the kingdom of light. 13 Let us for the duration continue to conduct our lives properly as those who, as an eternal spiritual truth, exist in the state of being in the day, not by means of drunken parties, not by means of licentious promiscuity, not by means of jealous contention. 14 But rather, I solemnly charge all of you to make it your top priority to clothe yourselves with the Lord, who is Jesus, who is Christ. Also, all of you continue the discipline of not allowing yourselves to make provision with regards to the lusts produced by the flesh. (Lecturer’s translation)
1 Thessalonians 5:1 Now, brothers and sisters, concerning those particular distinguishable periods of time, yes, specifically, those particular distinguishable prophetic events, each and every one of you possesses absolutely no need whatsoever for any of us to write to any one of you at this particular time. 2 For you yourselves, each and every one of you possesses an accurate comprehensive knowledge that the Lord’s day, in the same way as a thief during the night, is certainly about to take place. 3 While, they are saying, “peace and security,” then sudden destruction will certainly come against them like the labor pains experienced by a pregnant woman. Consequently, they will not by any means whatsoever enter into the state of escaping. 4 But each and every one of you, brothers and sisters absolutely do not belong to those who live in the darkness so that the day would take any one of you by surprise like a thief takes someone by surprise. 5 For each and every one of you belong to a particular group of individuals who are sons possessed by that which is characterized by the light. Consequently, each and every one of you belong to a particular group of individuals who are sons belonging to that which is characterized by the day. Each and every one of us absolutely does not belong to those who are sons belonging to that which is characterized by the night, nor sons possessed by that which is characterized by the darkness. 6 Indeed therefore, each and every one of us must continue to not be asleep as the rest. But rather, let each one of us continue to stay alert namely, let each one of us continue to be sober-minded 7 because those who are asleep, sleep during the night. Correspondingly, those who are drunk, are drunk during the night. 8 However, because each and every one of us belongs to a particular group of individuals who are sons belonging to that which is characterized by the day, let each one of us continue to be sober-minded. Specifically, by clothing ourselves with a breastplate which is faith as well as divine-love, likewise a helmet which is a confident expectation of salvation. 9 For the one and only God by no means whatsoever appointed each and every one of us for the purpose of experiencing His wrath. On the contrary, He appointed each one and every one of us for the purpose of experiencing the acquisition of salvation as a permanent possession through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 yes the one who died for the benefit of each and every one of us as our substitute. So that the one and only God’s purpose would be accomplished of each one of us entering into the state of being alive together with Him whether each of us are alert or asleep. 11 Therefore, each and every one of you continue to make it your habit of exhorting and encouraging one another. Consequently, each one must continue to make it their habit of building up the other just as each one of you are in fact continuing to make it your habit of doing. (Lecturer’s translation)
Warren Wiersbe writes “When you think of light, you think of waking up to a new day, and Paul presented this picture (Eph. 5:14), paraphrasing Isaiah 60:1. You have the same image in Romans 13:11–13 and 1 Thessalonians 5:1–10. That Easter morning, when Christ arose from the dead, was the dawning of a new day for the world. Christians are not sleeping in sin and death. We have been raised from the dead through faith in Him. The darkness of the graveyard is past, and we are now walking in the light of salvation. Salvation is the beginning of a new day, and we ought to live as those who belong to the light, not to the darkness. ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ The believer has no business in the darkness. He is a saint, which means he is a partaker ‘of the inheritance of the saints in light’ (Col. 1:12). He is a king, because he has been delivered ‘from the power of darkness’ and has been translated ‘into the kingdom of His dear Son’ (Col. 1:13). He is ‘light in the Lord’ (Eph. 5:8).”
