If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practise the truth.

1 John 1:6

Here is a person who claims to have fellowship with God. He will give you the clearest testimony. He will tell you that he is reading his Bible. He will say he wants to honour the Lord in all that he does.

But notice the word “while.” This person claims to have fellowship with God while he is walking in darkness. These two things are happening at the same time.

What does it mean to walk in darkness? It means we hold onto something that God calls sin and refuse to let it go. No confession. No repentance. Just excuse, justification, or concealment.

Notice John says, “while we walk in darkness.” He’s not saying, “If there is sin in your life, you’re not a Christian.” He cannot mean that because he also says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves” (1:8).

Walking is a continuing action. Walking in darkness means staying in darkness. And fellowship with God is impossible for a person who walks in darkness.

John says, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practise the truth” (1:6). The lie here is that sin does not matter, that we can have fellowship with God irrespective of how we choose to live. John is saying, “If you think that you have fellowship with God while you are walking in darkness, you have bought into a lie.”