Out of the darkness and into the Light

The dark night of the soul or La noche oscura del alma is a concept developed by Spanish Roman Catholic mystic Saint John of the Cross.  It references a time in a religious persons life where there is considerable doubt, loneliness and desolation.  It is bleak, it is dark, it is scary.  For most people it lasts a long time, for example: Saint Paul of the Cross lasted 45 years in the 18th century, but he reportedly recovered.  The most notable person to have suffered with it was Mother Theresa, lasting from 1948 to nearly her death in 1997.  Scary!  

This is something most Christians go through and will go through.  For the vast majority it will not last 5 decades, it could be weeks, it could be months, it could be a few years.  But ultimately Christians get to rest in the comfort of knowing that even in their darkest periods the Light of Christ shines brighter and burns longer than the duration of time spent in the darkness.  It is no secret that Satan seeks to reek havoc upon God's people.  So whether you're a Mother Theresa or a Joe Nobody in the local town congregation Satan is out to get you.  "Oh but that sounds so middle ages and nonsensical, how could you believe in such a bogey man?"  Call me old fashioned, but I take scripture serious.  And in scripture it says our battle is not with humans but with spirits, it is a spiritual warfare (Romans 7, Galatians 5, Ephesians 6).

Satan is still prowling around like a lion looking to devour and on the one hand this terrifies us. But we should know and we should rejoice that those who belong to Christ Jesus in their baptism have no need for worrying about Satan because he is rendered powerless in the face off the cross.  The cross is what defeats Satan, and the cross is what has defeated sin, death, and the devil.  Come out of the darkness and into the Light where Jesus our Savior is waiting.  That is the Christian message, that His light shine on throughout, even in the darkest of moments that we may encounter.