Charles Spurgeon Commentary 1 John 1:6

"If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:" — 1 John 1:6 (ASV)

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

Mark here, this does not mean walking in the darkness of sorrow. For there are many of God's people who walk in the darkness of doubts and fears, and yet they have fellowship with God. Indeed, they sometimes have fellowship with Christ all the better for the darkness of the path along which they walk; but the darkness meant here is the darkness of sin, the darkness of untruthfulness. If I walk in a lie, or walk in sin, and then profess to have fellowship with God, I have lied, and do not the truth.

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

Note here, this does not mean walking in the darkness of sorrow, for there are many of God's people who walk in the darkness of doubts and fears, and yet they have fellowship with God; indeed, they sometimes have fellowship with Christ all the more because of the darkness of the path along which they walk. But the darkness meant here is the darkness of sin, the darkness of untruthfulness. If I walk in a lie, or walk in sin, and then profess to have fellowship with God, I have lied, and do not the truth.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth;

He who walks in ignorance and sin, is in fellowship with the powers of darkness; but he is certainly not in fellowship with God, who is light.