Hero for the Monster

The battle for control of your soul. It's similar to an audio remix.

Say what?

Today I finished a smash-up of two rock songs by the band Skillet: "Monster" and "Hero." Why those songs? Well first, Skillet is my favorite band of all-time; that may or may not have played into it. Second, those songs are two of their most popular, and the energy they bring blows anything else off the charts.

So why mention all that in this blog? Because of the irony that those two titles would be placed together.

On the one hand, you have a monster. Something the artist describes passionately as coming from deep within himself--the "evil present in me, the one who wants to do good," as the Apostle Paul said. This monster wants nothing more than the complete destruction of the person in which he resides. It is stated in this way: "He's hiding in the dark/His teeth are razor sharp/There's no escape for me/He wants my soul, he wants my heart." The whole existence of the monster is for utter desolation of the person he lives inside--but it's more than just living inside the person. The artist himself "feels like a monster."

He is the very nightmare he fights against.

Contrast that with the hero. The person speaking knows that every day is a battle and a struggle. He openly admits that "we're in the fight of our lives"; the monster is waging battle. Every day. Every night. There is nothing within himself that can fight the monster, because everything within himself is the monster. Again, this isn't some small skirmish over a small chicken or piece of property--this is the battle for his soul. Finally, in desperation, the artist realizes that he is going to lose to the monster. He finally throws all reliance off of himself and cries out in the chorus:

"I need a hero to save me now."

It's funny how stuff like that works out. This deep analogy isn't what I had in mind when I cut and edited the tracks. But it's true: the pieces of music continue to transition between each other and cut each other off and on throughout the entire smash-up. It's like they are at war with each other--because, in reality, they are.

Lately, that track has been me. I've been in a place where I know I need a true Hero, and I go to Him for restoration. But the next thing you know, here comes the monster from inside me; a monster that is filled with hatred and bitterness, that makes a fool out of myself on Facebook due to my lack of control.

But this self-control is not something I can control myself. I need a Hero.

Anytime that the monster starts rising up again, it has to be Jesus that I'm going to for restoration and peace--there is no other way. Trust me. I've seen what happens when I try to run things myself, and frankly, it's pretty pitiful most of the time. You have to call the Hero. But that's the thing about it: when the monster comes, it takes you actually going to the Hero and telling Him about what's going on. He knows there's a monster--He just wants you to rely on Him enough to tell Him and know He can handle it.

Remember that, when you begin to see yourself losing to the monster. There's a Hero for that.