A Friendly Reminder to Fight Evil
It's a demonic free for all out there
It’s Halloween, and this year my family’s pulling no punches. We're dressing up as the adults from Stranger Things—Joyce, Hopper, Murray, and Alexei. Why? Because I am getting sick and tired of sitting on my hands while the forces of evil do whatever the heck they want. I am in the mood to hunt monsters. Somebody has got to stand up to all this evil.
Am I talking about the election. Yeah. And Gaza? Sure. And injustice and racism and the reckless pursuit of personal freedom. The raping of creation, unkindness, selfishness. And also, I’m just going to say it, the skeletons and witches in everybody’s lawns. What are we doing, you guys? It’s a demonic free for all out there.
Speaking of demons, I’m getting a lot of questions about them lately, mostly from college students who’re starting to bump up against things they don’t understand in Scripture and dark things they don’t understand in real life. They know, somehow, that they’re not alone. That they’re being stalked. Haunted. Recruited, even.
This is not a post about demon possession. It’s hardly a post at all. It’s just a quick friendly reminder that you, Christians, are people of light. You should not be so chummy with the forces of darkness. They’re real. And they’re coming for you.
Should you be scared? No. You’re a conqueror. More than a conqueror. But you should take the first chance you get to chop their proverbial heads off (a best practice for dispensing with snakes). Be the conqueror you are.
I’ve been reading a biography of Martin Luther. It’s not a surprise that he nailed the 95 theses to the church door on Halloween—it’s an epic flex against the forces of evil. God likes little coincidences like these. Luther’s theses weren’t supposed to be such a big deal when he posted them. He just wanted to start a conversation about indulgences and papa authority and letting people with power get away with evil. Instead he almost got himself killed and completely changed the landscape of Christendom—mostly because other people overreacted and escalated the situation.
One thing I’ve noticed reading is that Luther mostly attacks ideas. At first, especially. He doesn't say (again, at first) that the pope is a devil. He says the idea that the pope can override Scripture is evil.
The pope (and his emissaries), however, quickly make a devil out of Luther.
In case you’ve misunderstood the drift of my message so far: People aren’t devils. Devils are devils. And the only way to save people from devils is to love people and fight devils.
In fact, loving people IS fighting devils. It’s the way Jesus overcame, and it’s the only way we will.
That’s why I’m dressing up as mom in a red t-shirt who refused to let her son be stolen by the forces of darkness. It’s why I’m trying to listen more than I talk when election issues dominate the conversation. It’s why I don’t say a single negative thing about the meadow my husband’s growing in place of a pretty lawn. It’s why I give up Wednesday nights at home to drive my daughter to small group. It’s why I’m trying to call my parents more. It’s why I let my husband pick the shows we watch. It’s why I buy used clothes more often than not. It’s why I get up in the middle of the night to pray for my kids. It’s why I invite strangers into my home for meals.
Because I am trying to love. To love God. To love His people. And to love His creation.
Because love (real, self-surrendering love) is the magic spell that overcomes the world.
-JL
This is just so so good. Read this out loud on the drive to school this morning to Moses. Was crying by the end. Thank you for being such LIGHT.
ah, yes.....such good observations and thoughts....thank you!
(wish there'd been this silent disco thing around when i was a bit younger - could so have jumped in with both feet!)
{and y'all look plumb cute}