The Bible and the world both convey what it means to be a Christian. The living Word gives an account that stands in truth and light. The world’s definition of a Christian is the deceptive version in the same vein as the serpent delivered to Eve in the garden, and it is the account lived out by those in darkness. According to the Gospel, few walk with God. Most self-identifying Christians have convinced themselves of many things, all of which are rooted in the wisdom of humankind—man’s own form of gospel. The Christian produces the fruit of the Spirit, thereby living in the light of Christ. The deceived walk in darkness, and we know them by the works of the flesh. The Word tells us, “Ye shall know them by their fruits … Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit” (Matthew 7:16-17). Christians have scrutinized themselves first and proven themselves by the Word of God. It is what Paul urged the followers of Christ to do when Paul said, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). If the Holy Spirit has cast off the blinders from our eyes, we who are in the light will “believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God …” (1 John 4:1). Individuals who are obedient to God’s commandments live in light, bring forth good fruit, and are the Lord’s. Corrupt people are not the Lord’s children because they walk according to the course of this world.

God Knows the Hearts of Humanity

God sees all and knows all. He is the Creator of all things who once destroyed the earth because he had become so fed up with the evils of humankind, sending a flood to swallow them up. “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Evil is still running rampant on the earth and shows no signs of slowing down. The hearts of men and women have not changed for the better through the years. The holy God sees straight through our public personas and carefully constructed facades, with all knowledge of every human heart and all that fills it. How do we know this? The book of wisdom attests that God knows all. It says, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).

Living in Light

We have read that every human being on the face of the earth exhibits certain behaviors that God either considers good or bad. Either we produce good fruit or bad fruit. Pretensions do not factor in because the Spirit can see through craftiness. Men and women who walk with God “are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). We also know we have a responsibility to discern the spirits. Not everyone can separate the good from the evil. The Christian prays, communes with God, studies the scripture, and applies it to their lives.

The soul that lives in light resembles Jesus. The fruit they bear “is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23). The godly man and woman live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. They are the blessed of the Lord because they “do hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Matthew 5:6). We will know the people of God because they are merciful, having the light and mind of Christ. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). God’s grace saved us by rescuing us from our once wicked ways and by bringing us into the light. The brightness of God is the light that shines in us. In Jesus, we walk in newness of life.

Walking in Darkness

Souls that walk according to the course of this world are dead. Their celebration is in sinful things. They bask in their wickedness and are scornful of those who walk in the light. To trick others, they wear varying facades that mimic godliness but, upon closer inspection, are full of unrighteousness and wickedness. They know what words and labels to use to get others to fall for their lies. Unrepentant sinners talk about God, read and quote scripture, play to the evils of man’s heart, and subtly change the truth for a lie. Darkness is on full display in the world. Children of darkness are masquerading as children of light while they trap, murder, divide, and do all manner of wickedness against humanity.

Being in darkness, the evildoer bears the works of the flesh.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Wickedness is a part of this world. The soul walking in darkness doesn’t know it is walking in darkness. The god of this world, who is also the prince of the power of the air, has blinded their minds, as the scripture says (2 Corinthians 4:4). Because of their unbelief, they are spiritually blind, even though they may call themselves Christians.

The wicked are most cunning, and their influence is terrifyingly deadly. The wisdom of evildoers is the rot of their own souls. Yet, for a while, they prosper. Let us understand that in this lost world, where its god is the devil, sin reigns. It is enticing to the unbelieving soul because they see the power of the wicked as perpetual. Jesus issued blistering words to those who walk in darkness. He said, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44). They will learn scripture to twist and use it against the believer in hopes of leading them into darkness or to keep the unbeliever a blind slave to sin. Their words and actions, if we carefully listen and dissect them by the Word, are from hell.

Knowing the Difference

Only the child of God produces good fruit. The true believers walk in the light of Christ and are not given to deceit and are not slaves to sin. They know the Word and live by it. Followers of Christ fellowship together and are of the mind of Christ. “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:6). On the other hand, those who walk according to the darkness of this world “call evil good, and good evil … put darkness for light, and light for darkness … put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20). Pay close attention to the words and actions of everyone, especially in this evil and cruel world where darkness rewards hatred and all manner of wickedness and calls righteousness evil. Hold everything up to the Word, because God’s gospel shines the light on every soul. Let us, like King Solomon, pray to God for “an understanding heart to judge thy people, that [we] may discern between good and bad” (1 Kings 3:9).

This post was previously published on walkinginlovetruthandpower.blogspot.com by Leon M. Kelly on 01/19/2026.

All Scriptures are from the King James Version