Do you sometimes feel doubts and discouraging thoughts weighing you down? Perhaps you feel the powers of darkness pressing about you.

Let us consider Christ, when He was fighting with the powers of darkness in the closing scenes of his life.

Imagine the darkness that swallowed Christ and his disciples as they made their way into the garden of Gethsemane. It was the time for Christ's last great conflict with Satan. Here, the fate of humanity was to be determined. If Christ failed here, humanity would be doomed. The anguish Christ endured is beyond words.

And Christ suffered... in darkness. Not only did the darkness of night enshroud the saviour, but the hellish forces of Satan were seeking to shut him in with doubts and the temptation to escape what he was about to suffer, and to leave humanity to suffer for their own sins.

Then that angry mob came to the garden to seize Jesus. What a contrast! The noble countenance of Jesus, stained with sweat and blood, and the coarse rough crowd, with their angry countenances.

Speaking to them, Jesus says:

"...this is your hour, and the power of darkness." - Luke 22:53

Truly, Christ experience the power of darkness, to the greatest extent. And He came off conquer, bringing light to this dark world.

Now let's travel back to the the very beginning:

"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." - Genesis 1:3

In the beginning, the all mighty creator, brings light out of darkness.

Now travel a few thousand years forward in time, and again God brings light into a dark world.

"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 1:4-5

Christ, the light and life of men, was sent during one of the darkest hours of human history.

Now, travel a few more thousand years forward into the 21st century. Right down until today.

Yes, right now there is another dark place on this planet. The human heart.

"The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?" - Jeremiah 17:9

My heart (representing my mind), is a dark spot on this planet. But the same power that shone light out of darkness in the beginning, that gained the victory over the powers of darkness at the cross, yes, that same power can bring light into my dark heart.

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." - 2. Corinthians 4:6

The same creator God who commanded light to shine out of darkness shines light (representing a true, experimental knowledge of God) into our hearts.

Where is this knowledge of God found? The verse says, "in the face of Jesus Christ".

This is a wonderful study in itself. But nevertheless, as we behold Jesus in the Bible, through study and prayer, we gain that true experimental knowledge of Him.

But even before we get to have a deep true knowledge of God, how does God reveal himself to us? How does that light start to shine in our hearts?

"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts" - 2. Peter 1:19

Wow! So here we have it, a more sure word of prophecy! The Bible has many many powerful and amazing prophecies. We should take heed to those prophecies as we would to a light that shines in a dark place. Until what? Until the day dawns, and the day star arises in our hearts.

So prophecy, leads us to the light! Prophecy teach us a lot about God. Prophecy reveals the love, mercy and justice of God. And His wisdom in being able to see the end from the beginning.

If Bible prophecies were studied aright, we would see a great revival of true Godliness among us today. Our faith would also be greatly strengthened.

So dear reader, If you feel trapped in darkness, with no hope.

1. Remember Jesus who gained the victory over the powers of darkness.
2. Remember the power that spoke light into existence from darkness
3. Remember that that same power can speak light into your dark heart
4. Study the amazing Bible prophecies (particularly in Daniel and the Revelation) revealing the character of God. And which also show the ultimate end to all the powers of darkness.