This post was last updated on March 27, 2026

Day 5 (Year 2)

Several Transformations that Come from Believing in Jesus

Paul recalled that Jesus commanded him: “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:18 NASB)

God requires sinners to be transformed drastically to become His full-fledged children. Today’s scripture describes several vital experiences and changes involved in this process, each of which will be explored in turn. The first key point is that becoming God’s children requires profound transformation. This starts with opening believers’ eyes—particularly the eyes of our hearts. Jesus’ gospel can powerfully reshape our understanding of reality in a very different way, moving us from a material-focused worldview toward spiritual awareness. As a result, we can recognize both God’s presence and the spiritual forces at work in the physical world. Without this, it is difficult to grasp the true meaning of becoming a child of God.

Second, Jesus’ gospel redirects people from spiritual darkness into His light. This darkness corresponds to the spiritual blindness mentioned earlier—once believers’ hearts are opened, we can perceive God’s radiance and turn our spiritual darkness into heavenly light. Darkness itself is not Satan, but the devils operate within it. While believers should not overstate demonic power, we also should not underestimate its danger. The key is that darkness is real but temporary, depending on personal choices. Many reject the faith because they have inverted truths, preferring darkness to light. When we return to God’s light, it means all of our values have shifted— as we have chosen His light, we have learned to distinguish between light and darkness.

Third, there is a shift from Satan’s dominion to relocate ourselves under God’s authority. This challenges us most who felt in control before conversion, since we believed we were controlling our own lives rather than operating under Satan’s influence. Recognizing this typically requires God’s opening of our eyes in heart to see how we had been following our own separate paths. Many were actually walking alongside Satan or living under its deception and control, accepting its twisted ideas and destructive forces while thinking they were making their own choices. Those who experience Satan’s power more directly—sensing or even hearing demonic voices—are actually fewer in number. But they often find it easier to change from following Satan’s authority to God’s.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you feel that God has already opened the eyes of your heart, enabling you to perceive the spiritual reality the Lord has revealed?

2) Are you actively working to correct every distorted belief and understanding in your mind according to the teaching of Scripture? If you encounter difficulties, how would you rely on the Lord to overcome them?