Word of Truth

Arise and Shine: Christ Overcame Darkness Forever

Written By

Pst Dr Nellie Shani | Founder, CEO

Published On

February 19, 2026

"Discover how the resurrection of Jesus Christ overcame darkness and empowered believers to walk in victory. A Bible-based message on light, freedom, and triumph in Christ."

Arise and Shine: Resurrection Power That Overcomes Darkness

AS the Son of Man hung on the cross of Calvary, ready to lay down His life for the salvation of mankind, darkness came over all the land.

“From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land” — Matthew twenty seven verse forty five.

This was not an ordinary darkness. It was the manifestation of a spiritual reality. The darkness that had long covered the earth — invisible yet oppressive — revealed itself openly as Jesus bore the sin of humanity.

For generations, mankind had lived under spiritual blindness. Sin had separated humanity from God. Fear, deception, bondage, and oppression had quietly ruled. Yet much of this darkness remained hidden.

At the cross, what was hidden surfaced.

The Darkness Isaiah Foretold

The prophet Isaiah had already spoken about this condition:

“See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples…” — Isaiah sixty verse two.

And again:

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” — Isaiah nine verse two.

Before Jesus Christ came, the world was in deep spiritual darkness. Religion existed. Activity continued. Life moved forward. But spiritually, humanity was separated from the Light.

When Jesus hung on the cross, darkness believed it had prevailed. The Son of God was dying. Hope seemed extinguished. From the weight of that moment, Jesus cried:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

It appeared as though darkness had triumphed.

But Calvary was not defeat — it was divine strategy.

The Resurrection: The Decisive Victory

If the crucifixion exposed darkness, the resurrection crushed it.

Isaiah prophesied what would follow:

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” — Isaiah sixty verse one.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ marked the turning point of history. It was not merely the restoration of physical life. It was the public declaration that light had overcome darkness forever.

John confirms this truth:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John one verse five.

Darkness tried to silence the Light.
The grave tried to contain Him.
Death tried to claim victory.

But the resurrection shattered every claim of darkness.

The resurrection is more glorious than the crucifixion because it declares triumph. The cross paid the price. The resurrection announced the victory.

Carrying Resurrection Light

Through the resurrection, believers now carry the same light that dawned on humanity that morning.

Jesus said:

“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Believers are not passive observers of this victory. We are participants in it. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now lives within us.

That means the darkness that once ruled your life no longer has authority over you.

You are no longer a prisoner of fear.
You are no longer bound by shame.
You are no longer controlled by spiritual blindness.

You are a carrier of resurrection light.

Darkness Cannot Overcome You

No matter how dark your circumstances may seem, remember this unshakable truth: darkness cannot overcome the light that is in you.

Situations may feel heavy. Challenges may arise. Opposition may intensify. But the outcome is already settled in Christ.

Second Corinthians chapter two verse fourteen assures us that God always leads us in triumph in Christ.

Always.

Triumph does not mean the absence of struggle. It means that struggle does not determine the final result.

The resurrection guarantees victory.

What It Means to Arise

Isaiah commands us to “arise.”

To arise is to stand up spiritually. It means refusing to live as though you are still in bondage. It means remembering your identity as a child of the Most High God.

To arise is to reject defeatist thinking.
To arise is to shake off discouragement.
To arise is to believe what God says about you rather than what circumstances suggest.

The light is already in you. Rising positions you to reflect it.

What It Means to Shine

To shine is to allow the resurrection power within you to be visible in your daily life.

You shine when you walk in obedience.
You shine when you choose integrity.
You shine when you respond with love instead of bitterness.
You shine when you remain faithful under pressure.

Shining is not striving. It is surrendering to the Light within.

In a world covered with confusion and despair, even a small light makes a powerful impact. The darker the environment, the more evident the light becomes.

Freedom Secured Through Christ

The resurrection also secured freedom.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” — Galatians five verse one.

Some believers are saved but still think like captives. They allow guilt, fear, or past failures to burden them again.

Standing firm means guarding the freedom Christ purchased. It means refusing to return to old patterns of thinking and living that contradict the finished work of the cross.

The resurrection empowers you to live free — in your mind, emotions, and will.

Walking in Ongoing Triumph

The resurrection is not merely a historical event. It is a present reality.

Every time you choose faith over fear, resurrection power is at work.
Every time you forgive, light overcomes darkness.
Every time you declare truth, deception loses ground.

Christ’s victory continues to manifest through His people.

You are not fighting for victory. You are fighting from victory.

You can Shine

Because Jesus Christ has risen, you can arise.
Because He conquered the grave, you can stand firm.
Because He triumphed, you can shine.

Arise and shine — your Light has come.

Prayer Points

One.

Ask the Lord to forgive you for any area where you have allowed yourself to be burdened again by a yoke of slavery in your mind, emotions, or will.

Two.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you walk boldly as light in the darkness, reflecting the resurrection power of Christ in every area of your life.

Three.

Thank the Lord for overcoming the darkness of this world so that you may walk confidently in His light without stumbling.

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Common Questions

Being born again secures your salvation—your sins are forgiven, and you belong to Christ. You don’t need deliverance to be saved.

However, even as a believer, you can still struggle with patterns, strongholds, or spiritual oppression from the past. Deliverance isn’t about salvation; it’s about applying Jesus’ freedom to those areas. If you experience ongoing struggles, prayer, renunciation, and pastoral support can help you walk fully in the liberty Christ has already won for you.
Breaking a generational curse, in a religious sense, is seen as a spiritual journey of repentance, faith, and deliberate action. It begins with acknowledging sin—both one’s own and, in some beliefs, the lingering effects of ancestors’ wrongdoing—and turning away from it through heartfelt repentance and prayer. This recognition is often accompanied by a conscious renunciation of the curse, verbally declaring that one no longer accepts the negative patterns or misfortunes that may have been passed down through the family line.

Faith plays a central role in this process. Believers rely on the power of God to intervene, heal, and restore, trusting that divine authority can break spiritual strongholds that have persisted for generations. Prayer, sometimes accompanied by fasting, Scripture reading, or intercession from spiritual leaders, is used to call on God’s guidance and protection.
When we receive salvation, our spirit is redeemed immediately. Our sins are forgiven, we are justified, and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 1:13–14). Salvation restores our relationship with God and secures eternal life.

However, the curses or effects of sin in the world—sickness, generational patterns, fear, poverty, or emotional wounds—are not always broken automatically. The reason is that while our spirit is saved, our body, mind, and circumstances still exist in a fallen world under the consequences of sin (Romans 8:20–22).
If you struggle with something but generally overcome it, it is not necessarily a spirit. The Bible shows that even faithful believers wrestle with sin and weakness—Paul himself admitted in Romans 7:15–20 that he struggled to do what was right even as he desired to obey God. A true “spirit” or demonic stronghold is usually characterized by persistent, overpowering opposition that cannot be resisted through prayer, Scripture, and obedience.

If you are able to resist, repent, and grow despite the struggle, it is more likely an area God is using to refine your character and strengthen your faith. Struggles can reveal patterns in our lives that need God’s grace, teaching us dependence on Him, humility, and perseverance. Victory is not about perfection; it is about continuing to walk in obedience, relying on God’s Word, and trusting His Spirit to lead you forward.
Yes, according to Scripture, the human spirit can be influenced, but it’s important to be precise about what that means. The Bible teaches that we are spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The “spirit man” is the part of us that connects with God, discerns spiritual truths, and communes with Him (John 4:24; Romans 8:16).

A demonic spirit cannot possess the spirit of a born-again believer because the Holy Spirit indwells them (1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 John 4:4). The Spirit of God protects and fills the spirit man, so it cannot be taken over. However, the spirit man can be influenced or oppressed by external spiritual forces if there is neglect, unrepented sin, or agreement with lies, which can affect our thoughts, emotions, and will.

Satan and his spirits can tempt, deceive, and oppress, but they cannot inhabit the spirit of someone truly born again. That’s why Scripture emphasizes guarding your heart and mind, staying in God’s Word, and walking in obedience—this keeps your spirit man aligned with God and resistant to attack (Ephesians 6:10–18; James 4:7).
consequences of sin, wrongdoing, or negative behavior can extend beyond an individual and affect their descendants. In this context, a generational curse is not merely about inherited traits or family patterns in a psychological sense, but rather a spiritual or moral consequence passed down through family lines.

For example, the Bible mentions in several passages, such as Exodus 20:5 and Numbers 14:18, that the sins of the parents can affect their children “to the third and fourth generation.” This is often interpreted to mean that unrepented sin or disobedience to God can create spiritual or circumstantial burdens like poverty, addiction, illness, or relational strife that may continue to manifest in subsequent generations.

Religious teachings often emphasize that generational curses are not inevitable. Through repentance, prayer, faith, and obedience to God, it is believed that individuals can break these curses and restore spiritual blessings to themselves and their descendants. In Christian practice, this might involve confession, seeking deliverance through prayer, or living a life aligned with God’s commandments to end the cycle of negative spiritual influence.
Feeling anger is not automatically a “spirit.” Anger is a natural emotion that God Himself expresses in certain circumstances (Exodus 32:10; Psalm 7:11). What matters is how you handle it. If you feel angry but do not act in sin, controlling your words, thoughts, and actions, this is not a demonic spirit—it is a natural human response being managed in obedience to God.

A spirit of anger in Scripture refers to a persistent, controlling, or destructive force that dominates a person’s behavior (Ephesians 4:26–27 warns against letting anger give the devil a foothold). If your anger arises but you remain calm, forgive, and do not allow it to control you, it is simply an emotion, not a spirit.
When faced with temptation, there are times to run and times to resist, and Scripture gives clear guidance.

You run from sin when it is dangerous, seductive, or beyond your natural ability to resist. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:18, “Flee fornication.” You remove yourself from the source of temptation—whether it’s a place, a person, or an opportunity—because staying there puts your soul at risk. Running is not cowardice; it is obedience and wisdom.

You resist when you are confronted with pressure or attack that you can face through God’s power. James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Resisting means standing firm in faith, speaking Scripture, and relying on the Holy Spirit. This is active confrontation, not passive endurance.

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