Many religious traditions involved the dualistic battle between light and darkness. The Christian perspective deals with problem of evil and the human struggle for survival in an unique way. God reestablishes the communion with human beings in His own terms and His own time. The work of Jesus Christ is how the ultimate problem of sin and death and suffering is treated according to God’s Salvation Plan. The meaning of Easter can be found in understanding this tension in the world and in our lives which has been addressed by Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross.
Ancient Battles of Heaven and Earth
In the ancient Babylonian myth of creation, taking place around the fertile land of Mesopotamia watered by the twin Rivers of the Euphrates and Tigris, the gods of chaos and fertility go to war with the supreme deity, Marduk, who wins victory over them. Chaos is controlled, the earth is formed, and humanity is created. Yet all these were subjugated under Marduk, and the human beings are the slaves of the gods.
In the first century Gnostic religious groups, the teachings of Christians and others were combined to form a mystery religion. The Gnostics believed in a lineage of divine beings stemming from the supreme being whom they called “God the Father”. In these generations of divine beings, an evil power known as the Demiurge created human beings according to his evil nature. According to the Gnostics, humanity is inherently wicked. Yet the Gnostics teach that another divine being is known as the Christ and he came to release human beings from the prison of their evil bodies into pure spirits. For the Gnostics, the physical world and the fleshly body originated from a wicked and evil god. By the receiving the secret mysteries of their religion, the practitioner of Gnosticism receives the the salvation by which they overcome their bodies and enter into the spirit-body state. The liberation from the physical body is their salvation.
In the centuries since Jesus Christ’s ministry, death, and resurrection, people created the distinction between God and the evil being known as Satan or the devil. The modern caricatures of God and the devil are often from the work of people who sought to give a distinctive face to a good God and its opposite. These are not founded on biblical truth but devised from the clever minds of humans. Satan is portrayed today as a red-skinned being with horns, wings, and a tail. He is depicted as powerful and evil, commanding demons, and associated with images of snakes, dragons, or goats. It is said that he makes deals with people in exchange for their souls and the rules in hell torturing people. God on the other hand is shown as an old man with a long white beard dressed in white robes. It is depicted as all-knowing and all-powerful; the appeal to me of all that is good and righteous. These depictions are far from the biblical teaching and mislead many people into thinking that this is what Christians believe about God.
Judeo-Christian View of the Battle
Concerning the question of the battle between light versus darkness, let us look at the Creation narrative from the Judeo-Christian perspective. Here, Yahweh God creates the world in perfect wisdom and harmony; “God saw everything he had made, and indeed, it was a very good” (Genesis 1:31). Humans were placed as the crown jewel of creation. In addition human beings were given free will to do as they wished. God imbued them with knowledge and reason, placed them in the Garden of Eden, provided for their needs, and provided them with responsibilities and goals. The creation narrative depicts their failure to obey the command of God by choosing to follow the logic of the serpent (who is Satan). Is there a duality in the world, such that there is a battle between a Good Power and an Evil Power? Are they in a never-ending battle because they are equally powered beings? Are humans forced to choose allegiance to one side or the other? In addition, is the creator God absent or distant from the created world?
The Bible portrays God who created the world out of His grace and love. It is in His nature to create, which also explains the human desire to be creative in many avenues, from arts to science. Humanity was made in God’s image, that is, carrying the character of God in their life. There is also a continuity between God and humanity, not a distinction or separation. This is seen in the presence of the life-giving Holy Spirit of God which formed the breath that vitalized the first created human. The account in Genesis 2 tells us: “then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (2:7)” We do not see a dualistic or divine-mandated separation between God and humanity. Instead, we see a God who is in communion with human beings. Yet the alienation we feel from God is due to the one of our own making. Humans are like runaway children, who refuse to return to their parents. This is not what God desires; He wants us to turn to him. But for a variety of reasons, we are unable or unwilling to turn to God and establish the communion with Him.
The War is Over: Implications of Christ’s Victory
The battle with God is over. This is the accomplishment of Jesus Christ on the cross at the Hill of Golgotha. Yes, he died on the cross. But it is the completion of God’s plan for the redemption of humanity. There is something in the created human being that leads to their estrangement from God. But the mercy of God is that He solves it on His own terms. The Bible is God’s Word, inspired by the men of God to put down on paper, but it cannot explain the fullness of God’s plan. It is impossible to put down on paper the ways of the infinite God. But the Bible reveals what we need to know about God’s salvation plan, in order that we may believe.
On the Cross, Jesus Christ won the victory over sin and death. This is the treatment of the root cause of human alienation from God. The Divine Doctor has treated the disease at its core. So why is there still evil and pain in this world? Why is there still physical death? The war is over but the rebuilding is continuing. Often that “rebuilding” or the “building up of the Kingdom of God” is thought to be human participation in bringing the Kingdom of God to reality today. This is a worthwhile effort and Christians in centuries have heeded this message. Yet, the most important thing is to help the peoples of this world realize the revelation of God through Jesus Christ and the victory attained for us by God through Jesus Christ. We do not fight the forces of evil and sin as soldiers at the frontlines of a battle. Instead, we are the messengers bringing the Good News that the war is won, God stands the Victor, and freedom is here. Battles continue to be fought especially in bringing this Good News to others. But the Great War is over. We are the Proclaimers of the Victory of God!