Over spring break, I decided to watch Harry Potter for the first time. It wasn't bad, and I was left with some interesting connections. I love the last scene when Harry and Dumbledore are discussing the fight with Voldemort - It really creates a visual perspective of some of the fighting we do every day.
Do you remember that scene? During the fight, Harry grabs Voldemort's arm and it turns to ash and blows away. He then grabs his face with the same effect. Dumbledore explains the situation like this:
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Dumbledore: Harry, do you know why Professor Quirrell couldn't bear to have you touch him?
[Harry shakes his head]
Dumbledore: It was because of your mother. She sacrificed herself for you, and that kind of act leaves a mark.
[Harry reaches up to touch his scar]
Dumbledore: No, no. This kind of mark cannot be seen. It lives in your very skin.
Harry: What is it?
Dumbledore: Love, Harry. Love.
---- (Thanks to imdb.com for the quote) ----
The same thing is true with us! Did you ever think about that? Jesus gave his life so that you could live in freedom from sin! That's why the devil wants to hurt you so much! John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy[....]" In this verse, it is generally understood that the "thief" is in fact the devil. He wants nothing more for us than to get us to lose our faith and lose hope That's why it's so hard to live in Christ - every time we take a step toward Him, the devil tries to push us back. That's why it's so important to continue fighting for your faith. James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." This doesn't simply mean to sit in a corner with your hands over your head begging him to leave you alone, even though sometimes it feels like that's all we can do. The word resist in the original greek (αντισταθούν) means literally to withstand or stand up. We need to be firm in our knowledge of the scripture and ready to oppose the devil! We need to have our armor on at all times and ready for ambush!
My last point is this: This line talks about the fact that Harry was marked because of the love of his mother. It's easy to take that and not glean anything from it because we lose sight of another simple truth: we are marked by the love of our Father! Revelation 7:3 says, ""Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."" It's an idea that was extremely prevalent in Tim LaHaye's left behind series. It was manifested physically to the Christians in the end times as a thumb print on their forehead. I think it's already there - only on a spiritual level. The Devil knows whose we are and it makes him mad! That's why he wants to destroy you!
Never forget that you are marked by God's love - it's one of your greatest qualities and weapons. It's one of the coolest things about being a Christian, but something that's very easy to forget. The devil wants us to have no hope, that's why that thought isn't always on our minds. It's too easy to fight knowing that the love of the King is written right on us. Keep that in your mind today as you go through life and see if that changes how well you fight today.
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