Imagine Dragons must have had some fairly bizarre dreams lately…
I’ll admit, I’ve experienced some night visions that still leave me wondering if I should mess with spicy foods before I go to sleep, but the Radioactive video definitely scores higher on weird and wacky than I’ve seen in a loooong time.
Given that some of the members of Imagine Dragons hail from a strong religious background, perhaps it makes sense that there are strong Biblical overtones woven throughout the video. If my spidey symbolism sense is tuned correctly, one could break down the video into a mini-end-of-days epic.
Hoodie Girl at the beginning (who can “see through a soul”) is God – right?
Lou Diamond Phillips – Satan (with the “key” to the underworld – get it?)
Poor trapped dudes – poor trapped dudes (imprisoned by Satan – wait – isn’t that Lou Diamond Phillips???)
Scary purple muppet – the Anti-Christ
Poor cute Koala Bear- poor cute Koala Bear
And finally, I’m assuming that the Pink Bear represents Jesus, as He had the power to crush the beast and make quick work of Satan’s minions who were crazy enough to mess with a break dancing pink bear who has devastating laser eyes.
Then “God” takes the key and lets the poor trapped dudes out, and they all live happily ever after…
Except Lou Diamond Phillips, who gets owned by a bunch of angry muppets…the end.
OK – so the stuff of nightmares – right? And the thought that occurred to me as I watched the video (besides a sudden aversion to all things plushie) is that I make my life a living nightmare all the time.
I’ve woken up to ash and dust.
I’ve wiped my brow and sweated rust.
And sometimes I still breathe the chemicals – and if you were to be completely honest, so do you.
We are all radioactive. Our moral fiber is unstable and we emit dangerous spiritual particles. We all are infested with what God calls sin – and it is a powerful and destructive toxin that is permeated in our being and infused in our soul. It keeps us locked in a prison of ash and dust, and there is no way we can cure ourselves of this supernatural poison.
If there was anyone who could have freed himself from his sin nature, it was the Apostle Paul. He came to faith in Jesus Christ through a personal encounter with the Savior, he paid a personal visit to heaven, and he was chosen to write a huge chunk of the Bible.
And he was radioactive:
I have been sold as a slave to sin. In fact, I don’t understand why I act the way I do. I don’t do what I know is right. I do the things I hate. I know that my selfish desires won’t let me do anything that is good. Even when I want to do right, I cannot.
Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong. And so, if I don’t do what I know is right, I am no longer the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.
In every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do. What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? (Romans 7:14-15; 19-20, 23-24).
How can we NOT totally relate to Paul’s lament? Just like us, he must have tried everything to purge himself of the noxious and lethal nature that dominated his thoughts and actions. But all the church-going-Bible-reading-sin-hating-12 step programs in the world are about as effective as the little plushie victims in the video against a much more powerful force.
So how can we rid ourselves of the radioactivity that burdens us with guilt and lambasts the joy of life and relationships that God has granted us? The answer is not as difficult as you may think: Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me (Romans 7:25).
Paul realized what we should realize. Jesus Christ breathed His last breath on the Cross so we could receive a breath of life that cleanses us from all sin and unrighteousness. His death and resurrection secured a victory from sin in three areas.
We are free from the penalty of sin. Those who trust in Jesus Christ for salvation have no fear of punishment in this life or the life to come. It is in this kindness that we find the motivation to resist temptation
We are free from the power of sin. The Holy Spirit indwells our soul and He grants us the power every minute of every day to defeat our sinful desires when we declare our dependence on Him
And one day, we will be freed from the presence of sin. In heaven there is no radioactivity, and our new bodies will as “sin-free” as Jesus Christ Himself!
When you fight sin in the power of the Holy Spirit to honor what Jesus did for you, your friends will see that you’ve been set free, giving supporting evidence to your efforts to share the gospel with them. Let’s go out into a radioactive world for THE Cause and open the prison doors!
Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action
When you start seeing yourself and others as prisoners who are trapped by the devastating effects of sin, you begin to understand how critically important it is that we spend each day depending on Jesus to deliver us from self-destruction and looking for opportunities to share the gospel.
Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause
Pray: Jesus, thank You for opening the prison doors and letting me escape from the corruption of my sin nature. Don’t let me be deceived by my old self, and please give me opportunities each day for THE Cause of making disciples who make disciples.
Read: Psalm 51:5. For I was born a sinner – yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
Get: “Why can’t I stop sinning? Please help!” For help in your battle with sin, check out this article from our friends at gotquestions.org.
Discussion Questions for Leaders:
Big Idea: Every human being is born with a radioactive sin nature that brings destruction into our lives. The only solution is to be delivered through Jesus Christ
Key Scripture: Romans 7:14-25
ALT-ernative Questions:
- What is your interpretation of the Radioactive video
- When has your sin nature made you feel like a prisoner?
- In what areas has Jesus delivered you from your radioactivity?
- In what ways could you apply this Soul Fuel to THE Cause?
