Victory Over the Villain

Picture this...

In an enchanted wood full of fairies and talking bunnies and sunlight, a beautiful maiden kneels among the dancing lilies singing a trite song about kitty-cat whiskers and gumdrops… lalalalalalala… happy as a lark.

Little does this little maiden know – she’s actually a damsel in distress.

Right above her head swings a long, green, nasty string of drool oozing from the nostrils of a beast – an ugly, fire-breathing, sharp-toothed dragon poised to pounce with the intent to destroy.

At this very moment, the damsel fails to see her peril. She doesn’t even know she’s in need of a hero.

Now let’s say the drop of snot falls and smacks Miss Damsel in the cranium, startling and confusing her. Spreading trembling fingers and examining the sticky, stinky goo that now covers her from head to toe impeding her movements and threatening to smother every molecule of air, she has to figure out where it came from.

One option is to assume it’s raining… some really funky rain.

Another option is to look up and discover mortal danger breathing down her neck.

Now what does she do?

Even if she’s spunky, there’s no way she’s fighting the dragon by herself because winning is impossible, especially drenched in all that nastiness.

Death snarls, she cowers.

But then…

The Hero enters and saves the day.

Okay, that part always gives me chills.

But today’s story is about the villain, not the Hero. Well, it is about the Hero, it’s always about the Hero, but let’s consider the Hero in relation to the villain…

First, I’m staggered to find out how many people don’t believe there’s a villain. They’re the ones who think it’s just raining the nasty gunk.

Let me be clear, the villain exists. He’s scary, intent on unleashing evil on you. And yes, it’s personal. Don’t think for a second you’re exempt for any reason. The villain wants to chomp you up. (1 Peter 5:8)

Then there are those who see the villain but think they can battle him in their own power.

Uh… Let’s get real. If something as big as a typhoon or as small as a clogged artery can conquer a man, believe you me, this villain can annihilate him. We are powerless to fight evil. (2 Co. 4:7) (Rom. 5:6)

Unless…

We team up with the Hero.

On one hand, even though it’s fathomlessly annoying to an I-can-carry-it-myself kind of girl like me, fairy tales showing the constant damsel in distress simulate life because we are indeed powerless against evil and the snot it has blown all over us.

But when we join forces with the Hero, our Perfect Lover, we are transformed from cowering little maiden covered in gunk into stunning warrior princess. First, He applies the only remedy for the yucky slime, freeing us from its incapacitating effects. Second, the Hero gives us indestructible weapons that enable us to share in the victory over the villain. We are empowered to kick some serious villain booty! (Isa. 61:10) (2 Co. 6:7, 10:4) (Eph. 6:10-17)

How fun.

But remember, it’s one of those benefits of being betrothed to the One with the remedy and the weapons. Maintaining an intimate relationship with our Love is essential to #1 – obtaining and utilizing the weapons and #2 – having the Hero to depend on for the fatal blow, which we are unable to deliver in any case.

So…

Believe in the villain. He’s real.

But, oh, what a Hero! He’s victorious!

Let’s stop picking dandelions (figuratively, of course), and join our Love in the fight!