Ephesians: Walk as Children of Light
Ephesians 5:6-10; Genesis 3:1-5; 1 Peter 2:9-10 - Are you living to please the Lord?
“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”
Ephesians 5:6-10 NASB1995
Paul cautions the saints at Ephesus to not let anyone deceive them with empty words. Apparently, he was concerned that someone at the church there was filling their minds with deceit to give them cover to continue to be disobedient and sinful. To deceive also means to mislead, beguile or delude. Precept Austin has some excellent examples of what this means:
Illustrations of the danger of letting someone deceive you -
We are informed by chemists that one grain of iodine will give colour to seven thousand times its own weight of water. One indulgence in bad company is enough to communicate much of its contagion to your moral being. If you handle pitch with your bare hand it will adhere for days or weeks, so the connection which you may form with bad company, will pollute you in a way which a whole life may not suffice to remove. (John Bates in the Biblical Illustrator)
The Rev. John Elliot was once asked by a pious woman who was vexed with a wicked husband, and bad company frequently infesting her house on his account, what she should do? “Take,” said he, “the Holy Bible into your hand when bad company comes in, and that will soon drive them out of the house.” (K. Arvine in the Biblical Illustrator)
Steven Cole writes that...
Paul knew that many, including many Christian leaders, would say, “You’re under grace. God is a God of love who won’t condemn you. He understands your weaknesses.” By such enticing words, they lure unsuspecting people to eternal ruin (2Pe 2:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, esp 2Pe 2:18, 19, 20, 21, 22).
MacArthur writes that...
No Christian will be sinless in this present life, but it is dangerously deceptive for Christians to offer assurance of salvation to a professing believer whose life is characterized by persistent sin and who shows no shame for that sin or hunger for the holy and pure things of God. (MacArthur, John: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word Pub)
John Piper asks...
What does the deceiver say? Who do you think it is today that does what the deceiver does in verse 6. “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience”? I would answer that the deceiver is the person today who says that gospel obedience can’t be motivated by these words in verses 5 and 6. The deceiver is the person who says that the preaching of wrath belongs only to the law, and produces only legalistic fear. This is not true. If it were true, Paul wouldn’t warn his readers—professing Christians—about the danger of falling short of the kingdom and falling under the final wrath of God. The point of introducing the wrath of God and the danger of missing out on the kingdom of Christ is not to enslave people to unwilling and burdensome obedience. The point is this: evangelical obedience from a renewed mind and a heart brimming with joy and thanksgiving is not optional. (Ephesians 5:3-6: The Enthronement of Desire)
Some key takeaways:
Moral pollution is pervasive and takes very little agency, like the examples of iodine and pitch (chlorine bleach is another good example). Perhaps an even more appropriate example is the fact that a single neutron, impacting a large nuclei (like uranium) can cause a nuclear chain reaction. Another example: If you have seen “Pinocchio”, the classic Disney animated feature, it only took one beguiling but really bad kid to persuade Pinocchio to be bad, too, and be turned into a donkey.
The example by Steven Cole is a perfect one. Many mainstream “pastors” today tell their flocks that they are under grace and God indulgently smiles on their weaknesses (sins), so they are “ok”.
A supposed believer who shows no shame for sin or any hunger for holiness and righteousness is a son of disobedience.
As John Piper says, obedience from a renewed mind and a heart brimming with joy and thanksgiving is not optional. It is not an unwilling and burdensome obedience.
Satan used deceitful words from the very beginning:
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.””
Genesis 3:1-5 NASB1995
Did God really say…Watch out for those words!
We don’t partake with those who deceive. We were once darkness, but we are to live in light! Precept Austin has a handy table that has Bible references for the two types of families in this world:
Enduring Word also has good commentary on this passage;
a. For you were once darkness: As Paul condemned those who practiced fornication, uncleanness or covetousness as the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 5:6), he also recognized that this was the exact darkness Christians had emerged from. But now, having been enlightened, we are to walk as children of the light.
i. Again, the theme is repeated: you are children of light, so live like children of light.
ii. Paul doesn’t only say that we were once in darkness. He says we were once darkness itself. Now, we are not only in the light, we are light in the Lord.
b. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth: In contrast to the walk in darkness and wrath is the fruit of the Spirit, more fully described in Galatians 5:22-23. Goodness, righteousness, and truth should mark us because we have the Holy Spirit in our life.
Note the distinctions: We were not in darkness, we were darkness. Now, we are not only in the Light, we are the light!
In the AI image for today, the same man is seated on the left in shadow (before belief) and is walking into light in the center (after belief). I thought it was intriguing that the one in shadow is looking down, while the man in light is looking forward. From 1 Peter:
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
1 Peter 2:9-10 NASB1995
Light is an amazing thing! It is both particle (photons) and waves and extremely powerful, especially when coherent (like a Laser). I like this commentary quoted in Precept Austin:
AMAZING LIGHT - Light can do startling things! One single burst from a laser beam can drill a hole through a diamond. Such a ray of concentrated and amplified power can melt steelplate in a fraction of a second. A laser beam aimed at the retro-reflector placed on the moon by the astronauts has given the scientists greater ac-curacy in measuring the distance between the earth and the lunar surface. Medical science too is broadening its field in the use of light. A tiny laser aimed at cells diseased by cancer will in a split second destroy a great number of them. What amazing energy! I remember seeing (or was it hearing?) music transmitted on a ray of light in one of the “Sermons from Science” conducted by Keith Hargett of the Moody Institute of Science. That was an interesting demonstration — an uninterrupted flow of sharply focused electrons carrying a beautiful melody!
And divine Light—who can tell its great effect? Every child of God is not only the possessor but the reflector of it. Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world.”
Light must be concentrated and directed, however, to be most effective. Lives controlled by God’s Spirit will shine with a glowing witness, bringing spiritual health and blessing to others. Indeed, heavenly harmonies will be transmitted when the Lord Jesus shines in and through us. As the hymn writer reminds us:
Out in the highways and byways of life,
Many are weary and sad;
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife,
Making the sorrowing glad.Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may...glorify your Father, who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).
Is your life a shining witness
With a testimony true?
Could the world be won to Jesus
Just by what they see in you?
— AdamsThe light that shines farthest
shines brightest at home.
The fruit of the Light has all goodness and righteousness and truth; those who walk as children of Light want to do what is pleasing to the Lord. These last two commentaries, from William MacDonald and Steven Cole, quoted in Precept Austin, tell us what is pleasing to the Lord;
MacDonald writes that “Those who walk in the light not only produce the type of fruit listed in the preceding verse, but also find out what is acceptable to the Lord. They put every thought, word, and action to the test (1Th 5:21,22, Ro 12:2). What does the Lord think about this? How does it appear in His presence? Every area of life comes under the searchlight—conversation, standard of living, clothes, books, business, pleasures, entertainments, furniture, friendships, vacations, cars, and sports.
Two good tests of whether something is pleasing to the Lord…
(1). Will it make others stumble?
(2) Will I be ashamed if Jesus should return?Steven Cole - We do not determine what pleases the Lord by our own feelings, which fluctuate, or by what the world or other Christians say or think. We don’t even determine it by our own conscience, in that our conscience may be improperly informed. Rather, we learn what pleases the Lord through growing to understand His Word. Living to please the Lord is a fundamental difference between the believer and the unbeliever. An unbeliever may be a good man and even be somewhat righteous or upright, at least outwardly. He may be truthful. But, he does it all out of selfish motives, for his own self-respect, or so that others will think highly of him. But, only believers live to please the Savior. We have a new personal relationship with this One who snatched us out of a horrible pit. We now evaluate everything we do by the question, “Does this please the Lord, who loved me and gave Himself for me?” So, the first requirement for living in this dark world is to be children of light and to walk as children of light, doing everything to please the Lord. (Ref)
So much of what we do would not survive the intensity of His Light (movies and shows we watch, casual conversations, work habits, etc.). The two questions that MacDonald asks are really good ones, when examining whether or not we are children of Light.
My next devotional examines Ephesians 5:11-14 - Expose unfruitful deeds.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Help me to be Light, to focus Your Light on the darkness of this world. Guide me away from darkness in all things that I do. Amen.
Citations and Credits:
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.
Precept Austin was accessed on 06/01/2026 to commentary for Ephesians 5:6-10. Links to the source documents are provided where appropriate.
Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com.
Who should we call reverend?