One Hero, One Villain

By Lora Avery

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

The news is full of villains. Again. When will they stop creating turmoil all over the world? We see some heroes fighting the darkness; however, the overall atmosphere feels heavy.

I’m sure each of you have your own troubles, past or present, which you could add to the list of headlines you see in the news. I’m right there with you. At times, panic wants to grab my mind and steer my thoughts to hopelessness.

Victorious Villainy?

At first glance, the Bible appears to contain similar accounts of villainy getting the upper hand:

• Adam and Eve were scammed into bringing death into the world.
• Joseph was sold into slavery by his own jealous brothers and thrown into prison based upon false testimony.
• Job suffered loss of all his children, his wealth, and his health.
• David was chased by King Saul who was obsessed with the goal of killing him.
• Jesus, the Son of God and the only perfect person to ever walk this earth, was crucified as a criminal.

But God gives us a different view of these things in His Word.

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 “When we stop believing other people are the villain in our story, we stop trying to defeat them.”

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Glimpsing Spiritual Realities

The Bible goes beyond surface appearances. We get a glimpse into the spiritual realities behind the curtain of the things happening in the physical world.

One of those spiritual realities: There is only one villain.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Recognizing one villain helps us stop chasing wrong solutions to the issues.

When we stop believing other people are the villain in our story, we stop trying to defeat them.* We begin to look for ways to fight the real villain. Prayer is one of our biggest and most effective weapons. God has provided us a whole suit of spiritual armor for the battles we face. See Ephesians 6:12–18.

Only One Hero

There is a solid truth-filled reason to persevere in hope. Our story, and the story of the whole world, has only one Hero as well. The villain has been eternally defeated, and God is victorious and sovereign over all.

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.” (Psalm 145:13)

When we recognize God is our only Hero, we stop expecting other people and ourselves to be a hero in our story. Knowing God is the only Hero in our story helps us recognize all good comes from Him. This helps us properly attribute all glory, honor, and praise to the One who is worthy. We place our trust in the One who is all-loving, all-powerful, and fully faithful.

Since God is the only Hero, does this mean we can sit on the sidelines and just watch? Not at all. God calls us to participate in His good work as He leads us to join Him.

Pray, Love, Follow

So, what can we do?

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me [Jesus].” (John 10:27)

Pray. Love. Follow. God’s expectations of us are simple, but not easy.

* Important note: This is not meant to suggest we don’t need boundaries in interactions with people. Jesus Himself had boundaries, basing His actions and words upon what God was calling Him to do and the appropriate timing for that. (See John 5:16-19 for one example.)

If the Lord has used this article to bless you, feel free to send an email to me at lora_avery@outlook.com to sign up for my author newsletter and receive similar messages. 

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