As one of the greatest civil rights leaders of all time, Martin Luther King, Jr. knew what it was like to experience the oppressive darkness of pain and suffering. He encountered hate and persecution on a regular basis, despite his noble attempts to fight for freedom and equality in the name of justice. He was often misunderstood, misjudged, and mistreated. He could have retaliated with more of the same, as many people would do; he could have fought darkness with more darkness. But instead, he chose to fight darkness with light. He chose to lead with love in a sea full of hate. And he was ultimately victorious in his pursuits because of it.

How did he know the most effective strategies for conquering an uphill battle? As a man of God, he learned everything he knew about overcoming darkness with light from the world’s greatest teacher: Jesus.

Jesus knew all about pain and suffering, hatred and persecution. He, too, encountered torment because of His mission to bring hope to a dying world. But despite His undeserved abuse, He never surrendered the greatest weapon in His fight against the darkness: the light of His salvation.  

Because of His victory, Jesus could confidently say to His people: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). He wasn’t promising a life free of trouble, for He already knew the inevitable suffering their stories would hold. He did, however, promise to overpower the darkness of their pain with the glorious light of His love every single time. He promised never to leave them in the depths of their despair.

And His promise still stands for you, today. 

A war is constantly being waged against our minds, our hearts, our souls. The enemy would love nothing more than to convince us to succumb to the darkness, to give in to the anxiety and depression, the fear and the doubt that is constantly clawing at our faith. But take heart, friend. Jesus has already overcome everything you’re currently facing. He wins in the end. And, by default, that means you win, too – as long as you abide in the Light.