EVIL
Everyone who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8 (NRSV)
STORY
In the movie The Devil’s Advocate, which was released in 1997, Kevin Lomax, who is played by Keanu Reeves, is a defense lawyer who specializes in jury selection. Even though he is appalled by the actions of his clients and allows witnesses to lie on the stand, he is driven, not by justice, but by a motivation to always win. Realizing his success, John Milton, who is played by Al Pacino, the senior partner in a New York City law firm, entices Lomax to relocate to the city with a huge financial package with many perks attached to it. Lomax’s wife, Mary Ann, who is played by Charlize Theron, is at first excited about the opportunities that the Big Apple has to offer; though, she slowly becomes disillusioned and desires to return home to Gainesville, Florida. Her husband refuses because he is riveted by the big cases that he is assigned and by his ability to continue to win.
As the movie progresses, and after Mary Ann suffers many personal disappointments and tragedies, causing her to commit suicide, the audience learns that John Milton is Satan. In the closing scene, Lomax and Milton have a violent confrontation when Lomax learns who the senior partner actually is. In the exchange of dialogue, Milton says that the greatest sin he uses to destroy lives is “vanity.”
Even though Milton is Satan, he cannot overcome the free will embedded in the human soul. Though, what he can do is create situations where the vanity of an individual, “self-love” as Satan defined it, empowers them to do wrong. Milton says in the movie, “Vanity, definitely my favorite sin.” Realizing this, Milton says that all that he has to do is “set the stage” and an individual’s vanity, a desire for success and notoriety, will lead an individual to personal destruction. In the case of Kevin, vanity caused him to forsake the intimacy that Mary Ann craved so he could continue having a winning and very successful law practice.
DEVOTION
To be a Christian, we must abandon vanity for humility. As long as we are the Kevin Lomax in our homes, churches, and communities, the Mary Ann in our lives will suffer greatly. If we are taught by Jesus that being a Christian brings an individual happiness, then we ought to endeavor to embrace that joy in life. The serenity of peace is always more enjoyable than the anxiety of conflict. Being a Christian begins with being a peaceful individual. The foundation of being a Christian is contentment rather than resentment and dissatisfaction.
As a Christian, we cannot harbor grudges. As a Christian, we cannot foster vindictiveness. As a Christian, we cannot seek revenge. As a Christian, we cannot relish the downfall of another. As a Christian, we cannot assert our desires over the well-being of another. As a Christian, we are able to control our anger. As a Christian, we avoid gossip. As a Christian, we stop ridiculing others. As a Christian, we dispense with ill-feelings for another. As a Christian, we surrender our prejudices and bigotries. As a Christian, we forego one-upmanship. As a Christian, we embrace love, forgiveness, reconciliation, understanding, acceptance, and a sense of equality.
Unfortunately, we often fail to acknowledge the power of Satan because we associate him with green vomit as seen in the movie The Exorcist, rather than associating him with a soiled soul. Though, if we are willing to be honest with ourselves, Satan will grab onto each of the seven deadly sins – pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony, lust – and use them to his advantage in overpowering our Christian spirit.
John, the son of Zebedee, who is reported to have authored both the Gospel of John and this letter, was concerned about the heresies that were infecting congregations. In response to this evil infusion into the Christian community, his message is that we must live a Christ-like life. His message is that we must always be seekers of the truth. As Christians, we must confront Satan. As Christians, we must be willing to engage Satan. As Christians, we must be willing to bear the scars from that engagement.
The term “devil’s advocate” is a familiar label for someone who argues a position they don’t agree with, though its origins are more literal than you might expect. In 1587, Pope Sixtus V established the position of “advocatus diaboli,” or “devil’s advocate,” as part of the process of beatification or canonization, that is, for an individual to become a saint. The devil’s advocate was the church’s skeptic, picking apart stories of reported miracles and to argue against someone’s sainthood. The advocate had to be present for all stages of the sainthood process for the investigation to be ruled valid. The position of Devil’s Advocate assured that all the truth regarding a candidate would be validated.
Let us confront Satan by being an advocate for truth.