Back to Grace“Walk as Children of Light”: The Christian’s Conspicuous Lifestyle
Ephesians 5:8-14
When the world is dark, light stands out. In Ephesians 5:8-14, Christians are called “children of light.” We weren’t always that way—we once walked in darkness—but now our lives should reflect the light we’ve received. That kind of life will be noticeable to the people around us.
This passage highlights what is fitting for believers and what isn’t. Verse 3 speaks of what is “proper among saints,” verse 4 names what is “not fitting,” and verse 7 warns against joining in the lifestyle we left behind. Verses 8-14 then contrast light and darkness, showing how Christians should live—and how we shouldn’t.
There are things that a Christian should do.
There are certain things a Christian is called to do, and Paul begins by urging believers to “walk as children of light.” We are to live this way because, as Paul says, we are light in the Lord. Jesus Himself makes this connection in John 8:12 when He declares, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.” Later, in the Sermon on the Mount, He extends that identity to His followers: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden… nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house” (Matthew 5:14-15). In other words, Christians are meant to be visible expressions of God’s light in a dark world.
But what does it actually mean to “walk as children of light”? Paul explains in Ephesians 5:9 that the fruit of light consists of goodness, righteousness, and truth. Goodness reflects a heart that genuinely cares for the well-being of others—one that gives time, energy, and resources to help. Righteousness refers to upright living that aligns with God’s moral standards; it is the integrity that marks a life shaped by His character. Truth means that our words and actions match what is real and right. We speak truthfully, and we live dependably. Together, these qualities form the visible evidence of a life illuminated by Christ.
There are things that a Christian should not do.
There are also things a Christian must not do. Paul writes, “Do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness” (v. 11). This is a deliberate play on the earlier phrase in verse 9, “the fruit of the light.” The word translated “unfruitful” is almost identical in Greek to the word for “fruit,” except for one added letter at the beginning which negates it. Goodness, righteousness, and truth are the fruitful results of walking in the light; the works of darkness, by contrast, produce nothing of value.
Paul’s point echoes Romans 6:20-23, especially verse 21: “What benefit”—literally, “what fruit”—did you gain from the things of which you are now ashamed? The sins of our past often bring a sting of regret when we remember them. We cringe at what we once did, and yet those same temptations can still pull at us. Paul reminds us that such deeds bore bitter fruit then, and they will bear bitter fruit now. But verses 22-23 offer hope: we are no longer slaves to sin. Through Christ, we now bear the fruit of righteousness that leads to life. This is where the gospel shines—our identity and our power to live differently come from Him.
Instead of joining in these unfruitful works, Paul says we are to expose them. That is what light naturally does—it reveals what is really there. Jesus makes this clear in John 3:16-21, where He explains that light exposes the true nature of our deeds. The idea here is not harsh condemnation but clarity: when sinful works are brought into the light, they are seen for what they are. It’s like trying to get dressed in the dark—you don’t realize that you mismatched socks until you step into the light.
So what exactly are these unfruitful works of darkness? The immediate context gives us examples (5:3-6), and Paul has already listed others in 4:25, 28, 29, and 31. Consider the crude joke you tell or the profane meme you share—does that reflect the life you used to live, or the offering and sacrifice to God described in 5:2? Paul says, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice” (4:31). Instead, we are to walk as children of light: “Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you” (4:32).
Unfruitful works also include the way we use our words. When people struggle to trust what we say, or when we tear others down to build ourselves up, or when our speech cuts and belittles, we are walking in darkness. Paul warns, “Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth” (4:29). The alternative is the way of light: speak “only what is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” That is the fruit of the light at work in our speech.
There are things that a Christian must discern.
There are also things a Christian must discern. Paul says in verse 10, “as you try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord,” and later in verse 17 he adds, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Some matters in Scripture are straightforward—clear commands about what we should do and what we should avoid. But not every situation in life fits neatly into a black‑and‑white category. The Bible speaks to everything, but it does not speak about everything. That means believers must learn to apply biblical truth to situations that are not always explicitly addressed.
God desires for His people to cultivate the spiritual virtue of discernment. Discernment is the ability to take what we know from God’s Word and apply it wisely to real circumstances, evaluating whether a choice or behavior is pleasing to the Lord. From a human perspective, this can feel frustrating. If God wanted to give us a rule for every possible scenario, He certainly could have—but He didn’t, and that is intentional. Consider the context of Ephesians: Jews and Gentiles, with very different backgrounds and habits, were now united in one diverse body. Their daily interactions would have required constant discernment as they learned to live out their new identity together.
This is also why groups like the Judaizers gained influence so easily. Adding rules and regulations can feel simpler and cleaner. It removes the tension of wrestling with wisdom. But when rules are added to the gospel, they distort it. Sometimes God gives clear, universally agreed‑upon standards—like Ephesians 4:28: “The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather he must labor… so that he will have something to share with the one who has need.” Yet at other times, He gives principles rather than prescriptions. In those moments, we act in faith, guided by Scripture, doing our best to “learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”