Light, in the Scriptures is defined as the emblem of purity, truth, knowledge, prosperity, and happiness-as darkness is of the opposite. John said that "God is light" not the light, not a light, but light itself; that is, he is himself all light. God is the source and fountain of light in all worlds. He is perfectly pure, without any admixture of sin. He has all knowledge, with no admixture of ignorance on any subject. He is infinitely happy, with nothing to make him miserable. He is infinitely true, never stating or countenancing error; he is blessed in all his ways, never knowing the darkness of disappointment and adversity. What light is in the natural world, comparatively, God, the source of even material light, is in the spiritual world. God is the fountain of wisdom, purity, beauty, joy, and glory. Just like all material life and growth depend on light, in the same manner, so does all spiritual life and growth depend on God.
The “light” expression here is designed to affirm that God is absolutely perfect; that there is nothing in him which is in any way imperfect, or which would dim or mar the pure splendor of his character, not even as much as the smallest spot would on the sun. The language is probably designed to guard the mind from an error to which it is prone, that of charging God with being the Author of the sin and misery which exist on the earth; and the apostle seems to design to teach that whatever was the source of sin and misery, it was not in any sense to be charged on God. This doctrine that God is a pure light, John laid down as the substance of all that he had to teach; of all that he had learned from him who was made flesh. It is, in fact, the fountain of all just views of truth on the subject of religion, and all proper views of religion take their origin from this. In the Gospel of John 1:4- 9, The Apostle John lets us know that in Jesus, there was life, and this life was the “light” of men. The light of Jesus shone in the darkness of this world and the darkness that’s in this world could not understand his light. God even sent a “forerunner to Jesus, John the Baptist to bear witness; to testify about Jesus, the Light of the world that men might believe in him. John the Baptist knew that he was not the light and said so when he was asked by the religious leaders to identify himself. John the Baptist reaffirmed that Jesus gave light (eternal life) to all men who would believe in him.
This phrase means that by God’s very nature there is absolutely no darkness in his character. There cannot be any darkness because God is the very source of real wisdom, knowledge, holiness and happiness. There is no inkling of ignorance, sinfulness, imperfection or misery. God is light and this means that in God is everything purity is, knowledge will ever be, perfection and grace projects and truth personifies. In Galatians 5: 22- 23, God’s character is embodied in the “fruit of the Spirit. Each one of these fruit embodies the light of God. Darkness by its very definition is the opposite of light. Darkness represents everything imperfect, everything that brings misery, strife, sin and destruction. Darkness is error of perception and it distorts everything that comes through our senses on all levels: physical, psychological, as well as spiritually.
Remember: Man is imperfect. Man life is best described by Job: "A man that is born of a woman is of a few days and full of trouble"! Man's ways are not like God's ways and man's thoughts are not like God's thoughts. So, when a man or woman walk in their own perceptions, their own views of right and wrong, in their own will, and refuse the will of God and submission to the move and power of the Holy Spirit, they walk in darkness based upon their error of what they percieve of God. Satan distorts evereything that come through their senses both mind and body and spirit, and as you see in many instances, their lives become another tragic statistic of misery, strife, sin-ladened and ultimately, they are destroyed! Jesus came that you might have life and have life in abundance.....I beg of you....please walk in the illumination of the life of Jesus. God Bless and keep you......