The Unstoppable Power of God’s Light by John Paul Jackson

The light of God within us is a very powerful thing.

Intellect does not constitute this light that comes from knowing God, because if it did, only the most intelligent would be able to know Him; those who are not as intelligent would not be able to know Him.

Emotion does not constitute the light that comes from knowing God, because if it did, only those who are the most ecstatic would be able to know Him.

Willpower does not constitute the light that comes from knowing God, because if it did, only the most persistent would be able to know Him, and those who were not created that way would not be able to know Him.

Instead, His light is something more than these things. It is Spirit. We carry the One who searches the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:9–10). We carry the One who comes and breathes life into us when we choose to accept His salvation. That presence is the very presence of God, and that presence is light.

We do not carry our own light; we carry God’s light, and as His presence grows within us, we begin to radiate His light.

This is not a difficult process on our part, nor is it something that requires a precise combination of intellect, emotional reaction or willpower. Instead, it is simple, and as we live righteously before Him, the light we carry impacts everything around us.

God’s light and the Earth
God’s light within us affects our neighbors, coworkers and others we come in contact with, but its impact is not limited to people alone.

Acts 17:26 says that God determines where we will be born and when we will live. This means that we are where we are for a reason. He chose the exact street and the exact apartment or house number where each of us resides now. As miniscule as these details may seem to us, Scripture shows that they can be very important to Him.

Perhaps He takes such interest in the “small things” in part because He has a plan to influence our communities. And not just our communities, but the land inhabited by our communities as well.

The Earth is important to God’s heart. We see this many times in Scripture. One passage in particular is Mark 16:15, where Jesus told us to preach the good news to “all” of creation. It is interesting that He didn’t say to preach to humanity alone.

I believe He made this distinction because as we proclaim the Gospel, the Earth is relieved of the weight of sin. The burden of darkness is dissipated, and His light realigns the land with His purposes, His provision and His justice. His light orders what has been disordered. It heals, and it nourishes.

As bearers of His light, we play a significant role in revealing His nature to the Earth. Sometimes, this is no more difficult than simply being where He has placed us or going where He has sent us.

God’s light and the enemy
Everywhere we set our feet, we are bringing the light of God to that place, and the enemy has to formulate a response to our presence.

When we move to a city, country, state, area or province, the enemy cannot continue on his normal course. He must react to our presence, and he must also react to the way the Earth responds to our presence. As it was created to do, the land recognizes the light of God within us, and it responds to that light. Creation longs for God and His presence and whatever would reveal a true statement of His nature.

More than we expect
Again, our impact on creation is not brought about because of the prestigious level of our intellect, the strength of our emotions or the tenacity of our willpower. The impact occurs because we are, simply, children of God.

His Spirit came into us and made us alive. His light drove the darkness from us, and everywhere we go, we are revelations of His freedom. We don’t have to struggle and strive and try to achieve some heightened level of “power” in order to impact our environment — we are doing it now, simply because we belong to Him.

The light of God we carry is a very powerful thing, and its effect on us and the world around us is consistently more than we expect or imagine.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. — Ephesians 5:8