Showdown!

I saw Satan fall (Luke 10:18).

When you watch an old Western, there is usually a powerful bad guy that is making everyone’s lives miserable.  He might be a cattleman who sends rustlers to put his competition out of business.  He might be a land baron who forces settlers off their farms.  He might be a banker who forecloses on widows with children.  He might be a railroad tycoon who kills any Native Americans who stand in the way of progress. 

The main bad guy seems untouchable.  He might appear to be honest, all of his crooked dealings taking place under the table.  He might have the sheriff or judge in his pocket, neutered through bribes or blackmail.  He might have a gang of toughs at his disposal, or a specialist who can make problems quietly disappear.  In any event, the townsfolk are helpless to stand against him without some highly skilled outside help.

The devil is such a bad guy.  He makes everyone’s life miserable.  Like a master con man, he promises a great payoff if we do things his way.  Yet once we do, he shows himself a cheat and a swindler.  When we are in his pocket, he pushes us into making even worse decisions that only result in pain and humiliation.  He has demons at his beck and call to punish us if we try and stand up to him.  The people we depend on for justice are frequently corrupted by Lucifer through bribery and intimidation.  We are unable to stand against the Evil One without powerful and skilled outside help.

Thankfully, we have such help.  Satan is no match for Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to town to rescue us.  The Savior of Mankind walked our dusty streets to face down the devil and send him packing.  Lucifer didn’t want a straight-up fight, because he knew that Christ was too powerful to beat.  So the devil tried to lure Jesus into one trap after another, but to no avail.  Our Lord could not be fooled, tempted, or intimidated. 

In the big showdown, western heroes shoot the gun right out of the bad guy’s hand.  Jesus disarmed Satan when He paid for our sins on the cross.  With our trespasses forgiven, the devil loses his hold over us—all he can do is shake his fist and try to intimidate us with empty words.  But thanks to our Lord and Savior, that’s all the devil has left—threats and promises that he can’t make good on.