The Ephesians are reminded that they have come out of darkness and are “light in the Lord;” and so Paul tells them they are to “walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). Paul then cautions them to “be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil,” and not to be “foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15). He says these things as he reminds them of their lives before they became Christians and how they now live in a society riddled with immorality and laced with uncouth talk. Reminds you of today, doesn’t it?
This contrast between light and darkness is often used to show the radical difference which should exist between the life-styles of Christians and those in the world—nothing could be further apart then light and darkness. John tells us that “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:6-7). We not only have to make the change from walking in darkness, to walking in the light, but we have to work hard to make it a consistent change, being careful how we walk. We must be as fundamentally different from those around us as light is from darkness.
When we were baptized into Christ we were raised to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4), and therefore we must heed Paul’s authoritative statement: “This I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk” (Ephesians 4:17). The new walk involves a shift of focus to the spiritual side of life which, according to Paul, means that we “walk not after the flesh but after the spirit” (Romans 8:1, 4). If we are earthly minded instead of focusing on the Spirit we become enemies of the cross. Listen to what Paul says: “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things” (Philippians 3:18-19). Shameful, earthly things do not allow our minds to focus on the spiritual things.
So we’re walking in the light, have renounced darkness with all its evil, are focused on the spiritual, and wonder what we’re supposed to do next. Here we encounter the need for fellowship with other Christians where we can “consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24). The Christian walk looks for the good that can be done for the Lord and for others: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). As you walk today, “be careful how you walk,” and be sure to make “the most of your time, because the days are evil.”