1-2. (a) Under what circumstances was the letter to the Ephesians written? (b) What questions will we consider?

 WHILE he was under house arrest in Rome, the apostle Paul wanted to encourage his fellow believers. He could not visit them in person, so he wrote letters. He wrote one of these in about 60 or 61 C.E. to the Ephesians.​—Eph. 1:1; 4:1.

² Almost ten years earlier, Paul had spent quite some time in Ephesus, preaching and teaching the good news. (Acts 19:1, 8-10; 20:20, 21) He loved his brothers very much and wanted to help them to remain faithful to Jehovah. But why did he write to anointed Christians about darkness and light? And what lessons can all Christians learn from this counsel? Let us consider the answers to these questions.

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

3. What metaphors did Paul use in his letter to the Ephesians?

³ Paul wrote to the Ephesian Christians: “You were once darkness, but you are now light.” (Eph. 5:8) Paul here used the metaphors of darkness and light to explain contrasting or opposing conditions. Let us consider why Paul could say that the Ephesians were “once darkness.”

4. In what sense were the Ephesians in religious darkness?

⁴ Religious darkness. Before learning the truth and becoming Christians, the Ephesians to whom Paul wrote were enslaved to false religious ideas and superstitions.  The city of Ephesus was home to the famous temple of Artemis, which the ancients considered one of the seven wonders of the world. The people who worshipped there were steeped in idolatry. The fabrication and sale of false religious shrines of the goddess Artemis was a lucrative business. (Acts 19:23-27) In addition, the city was well-known for magical arts.​—Acts 19:19.

5. In what sense were the Ephesians in moral darkness?

⁵ Moral darkness. Ephesus was famous for its gross immorality and brazen conduct. Obscene talk was commonly heard in the city’s theaters and even at religious festivals. (Eph. 5:3) Many of its inhabitants were “past all moral sense,” an expression that literally means “having ceased to feel pain.” (Eph. 4:17-19) Before learning what was truly right or truly wrong, the Ephesians did not feel pangs of conscience or think that they had any accountability to Jehovah. Paul could thus describe them as being “in darkness mentally and alienated from the life that belongs to God.”

6. Why could Paul say to the Ephesians that they were “now light”?

⁶ Some of the Ephesians, though, did not remain in darkness. Paul wrote that they were “now light in connection with the Lord.” (Eph. 5:8) They had embraced the light of Scriptural truth. (Ps. 119:105) These Ephesians had abandoned their false religious practices and immoral conduct. They had “become imitators of God” and were doing their best to worship Jehovah and to please him.​—Eph. 5:1.

7. In what way is our situation similar to that of many Ephesian Christians?

⁷ In a similar way, before we learned the truth, we were in religious and moral darkness. Some of us celebrated false religious holidays; others of us pursued an immoral lifestyle. But once we learned about Jehovah’s standards of right and  wrong, we made changes. We began to bring our life into harmony with his righteous requirements. And as a result, we have enjoyed many benefits. (Isa. 48:17) Now, though, we face ongoing challenges. We need to stay away from the darkness that we left behind and “go on walking as children of light.” How can we do so?

AVOID THE DARKNESS

8. According to Ephesians 5:3-5, what did the Ephesians need to avoid?

⁸ Read Ephesians 5:3-5. In order to stay far away from moral darkness, the Ephesian Christians had to continue rejecting practices that displeased Jehovah. That included not only sexually immoral conduct but also obscene talk. Paul reminded the Ephesians that they had to avoid such things if they were to have “any inheritance in the Kingdom of the Christ and of God.”

9. Why should we reject any exposure to immorality?

⁹ We too must continue to fight against becoming entangled in “the unfruitful works that belong to the darkness.” (Eph. 5:11) Time and again, experience has shown that the more a person looks at, listens to, or talks about unclean, immoral things, the easier it will be for him to fall into wrongdoing. (Gen. 3:6; Jas. 1:14, 15) In one country, several dozen brothers became “friends” in an online chat group. Many of them started out in their chats talking about spiritual things. In the course of time, however, the chats became unwholesome. They began to revolve around sex. Several of these individuals later admitted that this unclean talk led them to commit sexual immorality.

10. How does Satan try to deceive us? (Ephesians 5:6)

¹⁰ Satan’s world tries to deceive us, to make us believe that what Jehovah calls immoral and unclean is not wrong at all. (2 Pet. 2:19) This is no coincidence! One of the Devil’s long-used tactics is to confuse people so that they are unable to discern what is right and what is wrong. (Isa. 5:20; 2 Cor. 4:4) It is no wonder that many movies, television shows, and websites promote ideas that go against Jehovah’s righteous standards! Satan is trying to deceive us into thinking that unclean practices and lifestyles are not only acceptable but also enjoyable and harmless.​—Read Ephesians 5:6.

11. How does Angela’s experience highlight the need to apply the wise counsel found at Ephesians 5:7? (See also picture.)

¹¹ Satan wants us to associate with people who make it harder for us to stick to Jehovah’s standards. Accordingly, Paul urged the Ephesians: “Do not be sharers with them,” that is, with those who practice what is wrong in God’s eyes. (Eph. 5:7) We need to remember that our association is not limited to those we spend time with in person. It includes those we interact with on social media, a danger that the ancient Ephesians were not exposed to. Angela, a who lives in Asia, found out how dangerous social media can be. She admits: “It can be a trap, subtly numbing your senses. I reached the point where it did not bother me to have ‘friends’ who did  not respect Bible principles. Eventually, I started to think that it was OK to pursue a lifestyle that displeased Jehovah.” Thankfully, loving elders helped Angela to make needed changes. She says: “I now fill my mind with spiritual things rather than with social media.”

12. What will help us to stick to Jehovah’s standards of right and wrong?

¹² We must fight against the world’s thinking that immoral conduct is acceptable. We know better. (Eph. 4:19, 20) We do well to ask ourselves: ‘Do I make it a point to avoid all unnecessary association with workmates, classmates, or others who do not respect Jehovah’s righteous standards? Do I courageously uphold Jehovah’s standards even though some may call me intolerant for doing so?’ As indicated at 2 Timothy 2:20-22, we may also need to be careful when choosing our close associates within the Christian congregation. We bear in mind that some may not help us to remain faithful in our service to Jehovah.

WALK “AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT”

13. What does it mean to “go on walking as children of light”? (Ephesians 5:7-9)

¹³ Paul encouraged the Ephesian Christians not only to continue rejecting the darkness but also to “go on walking as children of light.” (Read Ephesians 5:7-9.) What does that mean? Simply put, it means to conduct ourselves as true Christians at all times. One way to achieve this goal is by diligently reading and studying the Bible along with our Bible-based publications. It is especially important to pay close attention to the example and teachings of Jesus Christ, “the light of the world.”​—John 8:12; Prov. 6:23.

14. How can holy spirit help us?

¹⁴ We also need the help of God’s holy spirit so that we can keep conducting ourselves “as children of light.” Why? Because it is a definite challenge  to remain clean in this immoral world. (1 Thess. 4:3-5, 7, 8) Holy spirit can help us to combat the thinking of the world, including its philosophies and viewpoints that conflict with God’s thinking. Holy spirit can also help us to produce “every sort of goodness and righteousness.”​—Eph. 5:9.

15. In what ways can we receive holy spirit? (Ephesians 5:19, 20)

¹⁵ One way we can receive holy spirit is by praying for it. Jesus said that Jehovah will “give holy spirit to those asking him.” (Luke 11:13) And when we praise Jehovah together at Christian meetings, we also receive holy spirit. (Read Ephesians 5:19, 20.) The wholesome influence of God’s holy spirit will help us to live in a way that pleases God.

16. What will help us to make wise decisions? (Ephesians 5:10, 17)

¹⁶ When we have important decisions to make, we need to perceive “what the will of Jehovah is” and then act in harmony with it. (Read Ephesians 5:10, 17.) By identifying Bible principles that apply to our situation, we are actually seeking God’s thinking on the matter. Then as we apply his principles, we will more likely make good decisions.

17. What is involved in using our time wisely? (Ephesians 5:15, 16) (See also picture.)

¹⁷ Paul also counseled the Ephesian Christians to use their time wisely. (Read Ephesians 5:15, 16.) “The wicked one,” our enemy Satan, would like to keep us so busy with this world’s pursuits that we have no time for our service to God. (1 John 5:19) It would be all too easy for a Christian to put material possessions, secular education, or his career ahead of opportunities to serve Jehovah. Were that to happen, it would indicate that he is being affected by the  world’s thinking. Of course, these things are not wrong in themselves, but they should never take first place in our life. To walk “as children of light,” we need to be “making the best use of [our] time,” focusing on what is truly important.

18. What steps did Donald take in order to make better use of his time?

¹⁸ Be alert to any opportunities to serve Jehovah more fully. This is what Donald, who lives in South Africa, did. He says: “I looked at my situation and supplicated Jehovah to help me be more productive in the ministry. I prayed for work that would allow me to have more time for preaching. With Jehovah’s help, I did find appropriate work. My wife and I then started our journey of full-time service together.”

19. How can we continue to walk “as children of light”?

¹⁹ Paul’s letter to the Ephesians must really have helped them in their Christian course. And that inspired counsel can help us too. As noted, it can aid us in choosing our entertainment and our associates wisely. It can motivate us to continue immersing ourselves in the light of truth by having a consistent program of Bible study. And it emphasizes the importance of holy spirit, which can produce fine qualities in us. Applying what Paul wrote can help us to make wise decisions, ones that are in harmony with Jehovah’s thinking. By doing these things, we will be able to avoid the darkness of this world and remain in the light!