Who is the Bad Guy?

Why do most stories have a villain? We see it all the time in cartoons or movies. The Terminator, Darth Vader, the Wicked Witch of the West; or how about the evil Hannibal Lecter or the Grinch that stole Christmas? And the crowd Boos!! The list could go on and on. The plot usually includes a damsel or colony in distress followed by a hero that comes to save the day. Villains play an important part in novels and movies to create the suspense necessary to showcase the hero. Without the bad guy, we wouldn’t understand the dangers a community or person is facing, thus not having someone to hate or blame for the evil. There are many villains in the Bible as well to read about as well. Delilah, Goliath, Pharaoh, King Herod… and the evilest one of them all, Satan. Do these villains serve the same purpose? Do they showcase the hero? Well for sure David’s story with Goliath and Samson with Delilah did. But what about that bad guy who makes all other villains look like Spongebob… Satan? This villain works in our story, in our daily drama. Our story, as everyone before or after us, is continually attacked by evil schemes to drag us into the dark shadows of life. The villain in our life, like in the movies, is appearing to have the upper hand.

We Find Hope

All of us become weak just like the Apostle Paul says… But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). We are made strong in our weakness by seeking our hero; we see this villain progression happening in our story more than we want to admit. This is when we reach out to our hero, Jesus Christ. It becomes paramount to be rescued daily from the villain in our life and Jesus is there each and every time to rescue believers from Satan’s grasp. We cannot do it alone. Neither can we step into a phone booth as Clark Kent and emerge as Superman. We must step into our “prayer booth” and speak to our hero, our savior, our redeemer, “ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6).

Jesus Saves the Day for All

The world needs to hear the redemptive story of Jesus. He already “saved the day” for all believers and gives us protection from sin and evil if we just ask through prayer and follow Him. The cross was His weapon, His blood our shield. The sequel includes us in the story when we seek, believe, and follow His Truth, for when He comes again the villain will be forever destroyed and we will enjoy eternal life with our hero, Jesus Christ. Lord cover me with the armor of God to help me combat the villain. Amen.