May 29

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness.—Col. L. 13.

HAVING shown in a preceding exercise, Who the deliverer is, and what sort of persons they are who had been and are delivered; it now remains to explain from what they have been delivered, From the power of darkness; that is, from the power of the devil, of sin, and of hell; or, in one word, from the state of corrupt nature, under which all those things are comprehended; or, as others are accustomed to say, from the darkness of ignorance, of unrighteousness, of misery. All these come to the same point: we need not therefore labor for words.

1. We are said to be delivered from the power of darkness, because we are delivered from the power of the devil, who is the prince of darkness, and labors more and more to darken and to blind his subjects. We are all born under his kingdom and power, so that before our deliverance he worketh in us according to his own will. Thus in the Ephesians, Wherein in times past ye walked according to the prince of this world. Wherefore one of the Fathers said, "That a throne, as it were, was erected for the devil in the heart of every ungodly man:" and those who are not yet liberated he terms, "the horses of the devil; because he drives them hither and thither at will." But this prince of darkness is bruised under the feet of the faithful, to whom by the Spirit of God, new strength is administered to trample upon this unclean spirit.

2. God hath delivered us from the power of sin, which hath blinded the understanding, corrupted the will, and placed us in a condition of darkness both as to knowledge and to spiritual and saving practice. Ye were sometime darkness. The light shineth in darkness; but men loved darkness, namely, the darkness both of ignorance and wickedness. Now from this darkness God hath rescued us, whilst he pours in the light of faith, whilst he imparts the Spirit of holiness; which blessings being bestowed, this power and dominion of sin is dissolved. For sin shall not have dominion over you. The body of sin is destroyed, that henceforth ye should not serve sin.

3. He hath delivered his people from the power of hell, that is, from the miseries and calamities which arise from the guilt of reigning sin. For hell is described as a place of darkness, Cast ye him into outer darkness. From the power of this infernal darkness they are delivered by the divine mercy, for there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. In every case, therefore, God hath delivered his people from the power of darkness.

1. Observe for instruction: that the whole world is involved in darkness under the devil, neither is there a spark of saving light to be found in us before deliverance; for we are in the power of darkness; that is to say, spiritual darkness hath dominion over us.

2. Observe for caution: that the godly, being delivered, ought to have no fellowship with the works of darkness; for they are rescued from the power of the devil and of sin, and therefore by serving these they show themselves to be deserters. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

3. Observe for consolation: that although the godly are often oppressed by temporal calamities, yet they are delivered from that greatest misery, which consists in the horror and guilt of eternal death, in comparison to which, all external evils are light and trifling.