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The Devil is Not in the Elevator

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Is there anything more awkward than getting on a crowded elevator?  Just think for a minute about the potential awkward/scary/frustrating scenarios every time you opt not to take the stairs and allow yourself to be trapped behind huge steel doors with total strangers in a box travelling vertically at high speeds:

• Someone just sneezed and coughed…Swine Flu anyone???
• I’m detecting a horrid smell of unknown origin, and everyone seems to be staring at me.
• Oh no, I just made eye contact with the guy who looks like he just escaped from prison.
• There are three people around me who obviously don’t know the “at least one inch distance” requirement…stranger danger!
• Thank you, little kid, for pushing every single button for every single floor.
• I think that woman is on the brink of giving birth, so if we get stuck…
• What if the power goes out and I’m trapped in this claustrophobic death trap with no cell phone coverage?
• Or probably the worst case situation we could come up with would be - Stuck in an elevator with…Satan?

Yes, that is the premise from the mind of M Night Shyamalan in the movie Devil - which begs the question: why would Satan need to take the elevator?  Can’t the Prince of Darkness just sort of fly around where he wants to? Perhaps he wants to tempt people to push the alarm button, because you know you’ve always wanted to, right?

At any rate, the movie Devil is a psychological thriller that is sort of a game of ’Clue’ meets ‘Where’s Waldo Satan?’ plotline that leaves you wondering what it might be like to meet Satan up close and personal like.

As if I didn’t have enough reasons to take the stairs, now I have to worry about stepping into an elevator playing “Highway to Hell,” the only floors listed are 666, and all the powers of Satan are confined to a guy/girl wearing Prada?  Give me a break!

Did you know there is a ‘meet Satan face-to-face’ account in the Bible?  It’s not in an elevator, but it does have a fascinating plotline:

Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: "Since you are God's Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread."

Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth."

For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, "Since you are God's Son, jump." The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: "He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone."

Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: "Don't you dare test the Lord your God."

For the third test, the Devil took him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth's kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, "They're yours—lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they're yours."

Jesus' refusal was curt: "Beat it, Satan!" He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: "Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness."

 The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus' needs. (Matthew 4:1-11, The Message)

Amazing, isn’t it? Jesus and Satan face-to-face in a showdown to determine if Christ could stand the heat and pass the test of a full on attack at His weakest from one of the strongest beings in the universe.

And he did…but don’t miss the point of this narrative, because contained within it is the strategy we need to employ when our day of testing comes from the enemy.

First, expect Satan to show up when you are at your low point.  He loves to attack when you are tired, depressed, and feeling you’re furthest from God.  Be on your guard when you feel your weakest, and ask God for strength.

Second, don’t fight the Devil in your own strength.  Notice that Jesus quoted the Bible as the answer for every temptation.  Don’t try and reason or argue with a mind and intellect that has been leading mere humans astray for over 4000 years.

Third, remember that Satan launched His attack on Jesus just before our Lord started His public ministry of drawing people back to God.  If you are serious about reaching your friends for Christ, you have painted a target on your back, so expect the tests to come early and often.

The Devil may be in the elevator in the mind of M Night Shyamalan, but according to the Bible he and his army of demons are everywhere - especially where there are followers of Jesus who are ready to make a difference in the world.

Are you ready?

 

The movie Devil poses a very interesting scenario that could provide a springboard to a discussion about the spiritual world.  If your friends see the movie, you could ask their opinion about whether or not Satan exists, if there is a heaven and hell and what God really wants from us. Then share the gospel!

 

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes (Ephesians 6:11).