“That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.” – Matthew 8:16
It’s Halloween season—the only time of year that many of us might entertain watching a scary movie. For most Christians, the horror movie genre is likely to be ignored or dismissed as evil or sinful and with no redeeming qualities. Such a view is only reinforced by much of the questionable content coming out of Hollywood lately. However, occasionally there are books or films that remind us that we live amidst a cosmic spiritual drama involving good and evil, light and darkness, sin and redemption. These reminders are helpful when we get lost in our day-to-day troubles and to-do lists. For the Bible has much to say about the supernatural forces that we cannot observe. There are many sections of Revelation, Daniel, Judges, and the Gospels (to name a few) that would fit right in with the horror movie genre. So, what can we learn here?
Humanity is sinful. There are times when it might be helpful to look at this problem instead of looking away. Classics like Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula all deal with the sinful monster of human nature.
If sin is left unchecked, it leads to ruin. This was, of course, what happened to Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. The consequence of sin is death and destruction, and we’re in desperate need of a savior. Part of that redemptive process involves facing your sin, asking for forgiveness, and living a changed life walking with Jesus.
There’s more to this world than just material things. We have minds, souls, rationality, and morality. But we also live in a world of real, but unseen, forces of good and evil as described in Ephesians 6:12.
The last scary movie I watched was The Exorcism of Emily Rose and it served as a healthy wakeup call for me. It reminded me that silly things often take root in life, leaving us blinded to the more important matters all around us. It encouraged me to guard and protect my heart and to fight for the hearts of those I love. And that we’re all soldiers in a very real spiritual battle. So, let us “not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” (2 Cor 2:11)