Good versus evil is a prominent theme in literature and art. From the earliest myths to the latest blockbuster, from Greece to Hollywood, this theme continues to captivate us. Myths and stories have power in that they express the feelings and desires in our minds and give meaningful narratives to events of our lives. So why is this theme of good versus evil so ubiquitous and moving? I think it’s because we all perceive the conflicts in life and the greater conflict we are caught up in.While there are many great stories that display this theme, I think Lord of the Rings is the best one. This story is wonderful allegory of Jesus’ work, but just as London’s allegory (previous post) was unintended, this one probably was too. J.R.R. Tolkien was a Christian, but not a fan of allegory. The work was probably inspired, both consciously and unconsciously, by his faith, but it’s no Pilgrim’s Progress. I am going to describe the plot throughout this article, so if you haven’t read the books or seen the movies, this is your SPOILER ALERT.
Middle Earth is on the brink of collapse and destruction. Most of the Hobbits go about their business unaware of the coming war and desolation. The enemy is unseen and all seems well in the Shire. The enemy is working behind the scenes though, he has already corrupted and enslaved countless victims and is preparing to take his corruption, slavery, and murder to a new level. The joy and peace of Middle Earth is at stake. This enemy wields his power through a ring that manipulates and enslaves all who wear it, until that is destroyed he will stay in power. This ring is his essence and source of authority. This ring, as you probably know, can only be destroyed in the fires of Mt. Doom in the land of Mordor. Surely a Navy Seal or a Green Beret is the choice for this gig, but no, a mere hobbit is assigned the task. True, he is surrounded by the equivalent of a modern special forces team, but ultimately two hobbits set out on their own. After the ring is destroyed, Sauron’s power and authority crumbles and his minions are scattered. That is the plot in a nutshell, a very small nutshell.
Like Frodo, Jesus came on a quest to defeat evil. The militaristic aspect of His mission, also called Christus Victor, is central to understanding why He came and died for us; it is one of the most vivid colours in the Kaleidoscope (refer to the article Kaleidoscopic Theology if you are scratching your head). The conquering motif of Jesus is so important, that the Jews actually expected the messiah to come on a literal military and political campaign. Jesus, however, was like Frodo in that he didn’t appear to be much of a hero. The Bible tell us that He was born a poor carpenter’s son in an obscure village and was no pretty boy. He didn’t have a special forces team on his side either, but his team was special alright. . .a group consisting of coarse fisherman, corrupt businessmen, and spiritual ignoramuses. Far from the Leonidas type expected, Jesus came serving the needy, bearing insults, loving the broken, and being brutally murdered in a way that seemed like defeat. God, a lover of irony and paradox, used this seeming defeat to accomplish healing and restoration of humanity.
Jesus left the paradise of heaven to enter this jacked up world, much like a Frodo left the Shire to enter Mordor. Jesus visited a place called Gehenna that actually reminds me of Mordor. Gehenna is one of the New Testament words that is translated into hell, and it is a picture of hell. It was a maggoty garbage dump outside of Jerusalem that was continuously smouldering and stinking, not to mention that it was a former place of pagan sacrifices. Such is the world that Sauron wanted to create, such is the world that satan aims at creating, and is fairly successful. Jesus enters this smouldering dump to dethrone the corrupt ruler of this world, satan. This was apparent in his time of earthly ministry. He taught people the way of the Kingdom of God as opposed to false ways promoted by the enemy, he healed people of diseases (many of which were noted to be caused by evil spirits, but not all of them), and he cast evil spirits out of people. Acts 10:38 tells us that “he went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.”His authority and power is greater than the enemy’s authority and power. He delegated this power and authority to his squadron of misfits and sent them out to imitate His work.
The cross and resurrection was his ultimate goal though. As Mt. Doom swallowed up the ring and its power, so did Christ swallow up and destroy the power of sin and death. Prior to the cross, humanity was subject to death and corruption. In Jesus death, death lost its power and in His resurrection all humanity will resurrect. Somehow the power of sin was destroyed here too (Colossians 2:11 In him you are circumcised . . . cutting away the sinful nature [my paraphrase]) and (Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh) . This is mystical thing that is hard to understand. In Christ’s incarnation (joining himself to human nature and identifying with humanity) we are included in His death and resurrection. Colossians 2:12 elaborates on this: “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
All of humanity was mystically represented in the cross. The work of the cross is not just something that is activated upon accepting Christ as savior and lord. People who reject Christ were included in that they were represented in the power of the resurrection. The idea that humans are naturally immortal and that the spirit outlives the body is a Platonic idea that distorts the meaning of the resurrection. Prior to the resurrection of Christ, human were mortal, body and spirit. Every person has eternal life because of what Christ has done, the quality of that life will be determined by our response to Christ (see my article Lepers in Paradise). Now that the power of sin and death are crushed, the revelation of the way has been made known, and reconciliation with God is possible, it is each individual’s choice which path (s)he will choose. That is the plot in a nutshell, a very small nutshell.
This theme may seem foreign because he spiritual warfare aspect of the Christian life is often overlooked in the Western world where it is common for Christians to view Christianity philosophically and dogmatically and for skeptics to deny the spiritual realm. Christians acknowledge the spiritual realm but practically don’t believe in it. In some churches people might cringe if spirits and angels are mentioned. The Bible talks about them continually though and says that they affect the world we live in. Jesus said that satan, the thief, came only to steal, and destroy (John 10:10). St. Paul mentioned that he is not ignorant of the devil’s schemes and neither should we (2 Corinthians 2:11). St. Peter said that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). These are just a few Bible references, there are many more. No, the devil is not a guy in red pajamas with a pitchfork, he is a cunning evil spirit. No, the forces of darkness are not responsible for every evil thing that happens, but they are responsible for a lot more than we give them credit for.
If you read my article on Portland, then you know how my personal temptation at that time was exacerbated by the influence of an evil spirit. Let me give you a couple more personal examples. In 2012 I was at a YWAM (Youth With a Mission) program in Los Angeles where I was experiencing incredible spiritual breakthrough. This is where I was getting free from personal issues and learning to hear God’s voice and operate in the supernatural. I remember one day I had a thought that went something like this, “Yeah, this is all cool, but it’s not going to last once I get back to real life.” After that, a guy I hardly knew came up to me and said “Hey man, I feel like the enemy is trying to discourage you and tell you that this is not going to last, but that’s a lie.” This revealed to me how much of life is a spiritual battle, especially on the mental level. When I was a kid of about 11 or 12, I used to have chairs move about my house at night and lights flip on and off. Once I stopped reading my Bible, this ended; it was a scare tactic. Don’t be deceived, there are forces of darkness that influence much of what goes on in this world and much of what goes on in our own minds.
I realize that all this talk about spiritual warfare might sound bonkers, but reality is much bigger than we give it credit for. Scientists are exploring the possibilities of parallel universes and dimensions. Some who refuse in God but cannot deny intelligent design go as far to say that aliens planted the building blocks of life. The same people who would scoff at spirit beings from another dimension would accept aliens from another dimension. It’s not a matter of reason, as much as a matter of popular ideas in our culture. Take the ideas of spirits out of the context of medieval superstition and look at them in the context of our incredibly complex and largely unknown universe.
Jesus came to throw down these forces of darkness . I’m not entirely sure how this worked, but I believe it has something to do with the fact that God gave humans authority over creation and when we sinned we gave authority to “the dark side”. When Christ destroyed the power of sin and death, he destroyed the enemy’s power just as Frodo destroyed Sauron’s power when he destroyed the ring. The ring is certainly a picture of the controlling power of sin. The scene in which Smeagol finally gets the ring and gazes up in delight ends with him falling in the fire. He smiles at that ring till his very last breath, oblivious of what it is doing to him. Jesus shattered the authority of the enemy and has charged us to continue in His holy warfare (spiritual)with His delegated power and authority, until the Return of the King.
Unlike most real wars, this war is wholly just. We are fighting to enlighten and set free our fellow humans and see the darkness flee. It is not about a power trip but about a passion for paradise. It reminds me of the scenes in the Two Towers when Merry is trying to convince Pippin and the Ents to go to war. Then the Ents see the devastation that has been wreaked on their homeland. Pippin protests that they should just go back to the Shire. Merry’s response is “Don’t you see Pip, if we don’t fight there won’t be a Shire, the woods of Buckland will burn . . .etc”. This is shown again in a scene when Galadriel shows Frodo what will happen if he neglects his task: the Shire would be overrun with evil, slavery, and death.
This battle cannot be neglected because it is universal; it is impossible to neglect it and prosper because humans were meant to live with one another in harmony and the fate of one affects the fate of all. One might say, “I can’t worry about his fate.” Well, he’s the doctor, or the farmer, or someone you need (not to mention he has inherent value as a human being). There is no peace without justice and righteousness. Burying our heads in the sand does not solve a problem, but postpones it. We all have a battle to fight, a part to play. Maybe that is raising awareness about sex trafficking, advocating for the rights of the needy, or sharing the message of Christ; whatever it is, we all must be a part of something bigger than ourselves. As Merry exhorted the Ents “You are a part of this world!” Merry didn’t mobilize the Ents because he wanted stories written about him and a self-esteem boost, but because he loved the Shire and it’s inhabitants. Let us be warriors of love.
Towards the end of the Return of King, Frodo and Sam are sitting on Mount Doom, expecting their death after having destroyed the ring. Sam begins reminiscing about the Shire and its beauty to comfort themselves and to reflect on what they accomplished. Because of them the Shire wouldn’t be a flaming wasteland, but would be a place of strawberries and cream (or milk and honey), grassy meadows, and chirping birds. Yet this was not without sacrifice, they expected to die. Yet, on the brink of death they are rescued and reunited with their friends. Aragorn takes his place as the true king and the hobbits return to the Shire, no longer under the shadow of death and evil. Let us also join in such a worthy war until Jesus takes His rightful place as King and calls us back home.
1 John 3:8 “he came to destroy the works of the devil.”
Colossians 2:15 he “disarmed rulers and authorities (spiritual ones) put them to shame by triumphing over him” (parentheses mine).
Hebrew 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil.