The “dark night of the soul” began as a mystical phrase from John of the Cross for a painful journey toward deeper union with God. Dark nights are hardships God uses to refine our faith, strengthen endurance, and shape us to be more like Christ.
The phrase “dark night of the soul” comes from a sixteenth-century poem by the Spanish Catholic mystic St. John of the Cross. He used it to describe a painful spiritual journey in which the believer passes through confusion and inner struggle before reaching what he saw as a deeper union with God. Though connected with Catholic spirituality, Protestants later used it more generally to describe seasons of discouragement and doubt.
Scripture teaches that even genuine believers still struggle with sin (Romans 7) and face the trials of life, which can cause real suffering and doubt (Psalm 13; James 1:2–3). Indeed, trials and sin can disturb a person’s confidence and raise hard questions about God’s nearness or one’s own salvation. Yet these experiences are part of life and do not indicate that some mystical, spiritual enlightenment is around the corner. Instead, God uses hardship to strengthen faith, develop endurance, and help believers mature (2 Peter 1:3–11). As believers grow in obedience and closer to God, even in periods of darkness, they will experience God’s joy as they allow Him to transform them from the inside out (John 15:9–11; Galatians 5:22–24; Romans 8:6).
Loneliness and discouragement can affect anyone, including believers. But the truth is that believers are never really alone. The faithful God of the Bible is working in your life right now. God carries His people through weakness, confusion, and sorrow, and He will carry you as well. In the dark night of the soul or seasons of darkness, it is not because God is not there; we just often don’t see Him. This is why it’s so important to continue abiding in God, no matter what the season. We must seek Him and hold on to what we know is true in seasons where we are not sure where He is and what He is doing. We must continue trusting His promises and obeying Him.
Praise God that He has given us many ways to stay connected to Him: reading and studying the Word, praying, worshiping in song, walking through nature, taking time to unplug, and living in community, just to name a few. We are not meant to walk through difficult or dark seasons alone. God designed us to live in community with other believers, and He often strengthens His people through the care and prayers of the family of God. Share your struggles with someone who loves Christ and can walk with you. Let others encourage you, remind you what is true, and help you bear your burdens. God often brings comfort through the very people He places around you.
Even in dark seasons, we can trust that God is working out everything for your good and His glory (Romans 8:28). One day, when we see Him face-to-face, we will understand why He brings us to and through tough times. And as unlikely as it feels now, we will thank Him for it!