Halloween is approaching and you now see people decorating their houses with lights. It has become such a commercial holiday. But not only is it about candy and costumes, we are more and more glorifying the horror that represents it. In Hollywood, zombies and ghosts are no longer these feared things. We have movies that glorify them and make them cool. I have a friend who is really into zombies and horror video games. She loves that stuff! I see bars having “The Walking Dead” nights and downtown zombie walks. I honestly feel like I’m missing out on something because I don’t watch the shows. But in reality, evil is very real and it is in the world. It’s not something to adore and we as believers need to be alert and ready.
How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”
Isaiah 14:12-14
Not everything bad comes from come from Satan (we like to blame him for everything). The root of evil is pride – the pride we have in our hearts. In this passage, Satan was once the most beautiful angel in heaven. But he fell because of his pride, because he wanted to be better than God. Self-centeredness, bitterness, jealously, idolatry, greed – Pride comes from the evil in our own hearts. Satan likes to tempt us to act on these things. Evil comes from our choices when we let the desires of our hearts overcome us.
Satan likes to work in the complexity of our lives –
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”
– C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
How did Jesus defeat evil? He became nothing. As Satan tried to control Him, Jesus let’s go. How do we defeat evil, become nothing. Let go. Become weak and follow Jesus. We have God’s power in us to overcome Satan.
For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.
2 Corinthians 13:4