The truth about Imagine Dragons is not what I expected…
For instance, they hail from Sin City, yet half of the members are Mormon.
Many of their songs include spiritual themes, yet the other half of the band consists of agnostics.
So, are they Mormon rockers or rockers who happen to be Mormon?
Are they spiritual agnostics or agnostics who happen to sing about spiritual themes?
Either way, they are a sweet band (imho), and perhaps it is the apparent internal conflict that has made this band self-aware enough to realize the truth about human nature in their song Demons:
Don’t get too close, it’s dark inside.
It’s where my demons hide.
If we are honest with ourselves, this is a confession that could be a bumper sticker on all our souls. We definitely put on our best faces and hope to exhibit our most noble behavior, but in the dark watches of the night our true motives, thoughts and intentions come back to haunt us.
Sometimes we want to live in Sin City, and other times we want to serve God. Sometimes we feel as spiritual as ever, and other times we doubt whether God even exists.
But this is nothing new of course…the “demons” inside were with our oldest ancestors, who are described this way:
God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night (Genesis 6:5, The Message).
Our attraction to a whole range of sins – from gossip, lying and cheating to bullying, porn and lust – started thousands of years ago and hasn’t abated one bit over time. Despite our best efforts at taming the demons and curbing our broken, evil nature through self-help and psychology, we continue to choke on the fumes of our brokenness and burning desire for iniquity.
If you are reading this and you realize that this truly is “your kingdom come,” the only true and lasting help is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection conquered sin and death. When you place your trust in Him as your only hope of salvation and receive the free gift of a restored relationship with the God of the universe, you can be set free from the hell you’re going to and the hell you’re going through.
If you are a Christ follower already, let Demons serve as a reminder that even though you are forgiven and the power of your evil nature has been broken, you still have a fight on your hands until the day you die:
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions (Galatians 5:16-17, NLT).
Don’t be fooled into thinking that just because you are a Christian, your “demons” have vacated. Listen carefully – trusting in Jesus doesn’t make you a better person, rather it means that you are forgiven and given a new nature that is capable of defeating the “demons” through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
We all still struggle against our broken, sinful selves, BUT we have the priceless privilege of having the Holy Spirit take up residence within us, so that we can please the Lord Jesus Christ in spite of our natural selves.
And one price of that privilege is the daily internal conflict we face.
Half of you wants to pray – the other half wants to keep snoozing.
Half of you wants to give – the other half wants to take.
Half of you wants to read the Bible – the other half says you’re too busy.
Half of you wants forgive – the other half wants to be bitter.
Half of you wants to love – the other half wants to hate.
Half of you wants to serve Jesus – the other half wants to be selfish.
Half of you wants to be a part of THE Cause, the other half wants personal glory.
So my friends, be diligent in listening to the Holy Spirit and taking action against your demons, because following Jesus in a passive way is a sure route to self-destruction. We must make a daily declaration of dependence on Him and the power of His Spirit so that we will ultimately see His Kingdom come!
Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action
Sometimes we delude ourselves into thinking that the “demons” that come from our sin nature somehow dissipate over time and stop being a threat. We must daily declare our dependence on the Holy Spirit and the victory we have in Jesus to keep from falling into our destructive patterns.
Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause
Pray: Jesus, You have won the victory over our sin nature through Your death and resurrection from the dead. Help us daily depend on You and the power of Your Spirit to carry out Your good and perfect will for our lives and for THE Cause.
Read: Romans 7:25. Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
Get: “How Can I Control Sinful Impulses?” For help in your battle with sin, check out this helpful article at gotquestions.org.
Discussion Guide for Leaders
Big Idea: Imagine Dragon’s song Demons can serve as a reminder that as Christians we still battle our sin nature and daily need God’s power and grace to defeat it and serve Jesus.
Key Scripture: Galatians 5:16-17
Discussion Questions:
- What are some of the kinds of “demons” teenagers struggle with?
- What are your “demons” like?
- How have you been successful in God’s power in defeating them?
- In what ways can you relate to the Galatians 5:16-17 passage?
- What changes could you make in your life that would help you tap into God’s power to defeat sin more consistently?
- How can you use what you’ve learned to share the gospel and advance THE Cause?
