In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:1-5 (KJV)

Most of us know that the Word is Jesus. He was known as the Word before He came to earth as a man. An interesting thing about this passage is the word comprehended. For a long time I thought that it meant that the darkness, or the devil, did not understand what Jesus was doing on earth. And it’s not entirely wrong to interpret it that way, since the devil really did not know, or he would have never crucified Jesus and sealed his own doom.

However, if we look at the original Greek meaning of the word comprehended, we see something else as well. It is the word katalambano, which means to take eagerly, to seize, to possess, to overtake. So, we see that not only did the devil fail to understand Jesus’ plan, but he also failed to overcome, overpower, and seize Him. Darkness can never overpower light. Jesus rose, and the devil’s total defeat was accomplished.

No matter how thick and heavy the darkness, the light of one match can penetrate it. Darkness cannot win as long as light is present. This is why we are so important to the plan of God. Jesus is the Light, but we are also called to be salt and light.

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. Matthew 5:13-15 (New Living Translation, NLT)

As long as we are living for Jesus and shining our light, we cannot be overtaken by darkness. In other words, we cannot lose if we let our lights shine. So, shine, my friend, shine!