Just a Movie. Just a Comic. Or So I Thought.

I'm going to tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a king. This king had a son, who wanted to take his place. His son openly disagreed with the ways of his father. In fact, he rebelled against his father. The king called his son vain, prideful and arrogant. And he said "I cast you out." Just like that, the son fell from the sky. Lightning followed him, as he clashed to the earth.

If you are familiar with Luke 10:18, the story of the king and his son, may have seemed similar to the fall of Satan. Undoubtedly, there are some differences. Nevertheless, I was actually describing the story of Thor.

Jesus said this in Luke 10:18 "... I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."

Another translation says: "He replied, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.'"

Just a movie. Just a comic. Or so I thought.

Is Thor, the hero of the story, being likened to Satan? Is Loki, who watched Thor fall from the sky, being compared to Jesus? Is this movie implanting in our minds that Satan is good, and Jesus, the opposite?

Brothers and sisters, just as God has His way of communicating His messages to us, Satan also has messages and methods. There are key differences, though. God's messages are meant for our good. Satan's messages are meant to pervert our view of the gospel and cause us to, sometimes unknowingly, come into agreement with things that are not of God.

According to Galatians 5:19-21 "19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

These works of the flesh are embodied within Marvel, DC Comics, anime, even card games. And as much as we say it's just a movie or just a comic, the effects on us are great.

I personally struggled with idolatry for quite a long time, and this idolatry triggered rebellious thoughts and fantasies. My idols needed to be burned. And by 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, the imaginations needed to be cast down and the thoughts needed to be brought into the obedience of Christ.

In the Thor series, Thor eventually wins the approval of his father, and he is allowed to become king of Asgard.

But in the true gospel, Satan does not take the throne.

Now that the veil is off of my eyes, I notice the lies, the agenda and the spiritual impact of such entertainment.

As I bring this piece to a close, I am reminded of Luke 10:23-24, which says "23 and he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."

May our hearts be sensitive to the Holy Spirit so that we may see God and not be deceived by things that come as entertainment, but truly damage our perspective of the great Lord.