I watched the 2016 Korean movie series, The Royal Gambler, and decided to write this post based on insights drawn from it.
The villain:
He is a master strategist who plots to dethrone the king and enthrone himself. A man without a name, position, or fame, driven by revenge for losses, suffered at the king’s hand. He takes his time, a long one, and builds on his plan. He goes from arranging a new concubine for the king to choosing the son born from the union as the king’s heir, though the ruler has other sons born to him.
Always one step ahead, he amasses extreme wealth to bribe corrupt politicians, law enforcement officers, and people in every level of government. All of a sudden, this nameless man is a force to reckon with among the country’s stakeholders. Everything is working in his favor, or so it seems.
Christians face a master villain who has taken the time to build systems and set up the world against us. Faceless, he prowls around like a roaring lion and people bow. He knows he is going down and has planned to make sure he doesn’t go alone. He has people, governments, corporations, and laws set up for his purposes. He appears to be a force to reckon with, and all the cards seem stacked in his favor.
The Protagonist:
The son of the new concubine is the villain’s play card to the throne. However, the boy comes to know the villain’s heart of evil and fights, but how can a boy fight a system on his own? He loses. Left for dead after being shot, he rises again and realizes he needs help. Tutored by his mentor, he secures the people’s support, and in wisdom, takes time to understand how the villain’s mind works. He becomes the only person who can anticipate the moves of the villain and can thwart them.
God expects us to grow from children who feed on milk to sons who eat meat. He did not leave us alone to face the wiles of the enemy. He left us a helper. No one can fight the system the enemy set up on earth without God, because the battle is not carnal, but mighty through God.
- To stop us from facing situations by ourselves.
- To ensure we don’t go through life on our own.
- To lift burdens that God did not create us to bear.
- To stand in our positions in Christ.
Our enemy expects us to fall in line or die, and out of fear, we race to the queues. However, Daniel and his kinsman may know a thing or two about ‘death.’ Jesus wrote the playbook; we can ask Him for guidance. It takes faith to strip off the flesh and live for God, be tutored and led by the Spirit of God, and live by godly wisdom and knowledge, not common sense. We need one another, powered by our gifts and abilities, as we come together as one unit in Christ, to face our common enemy. When we get there, the lion’s roar becomes just that, hot air.
The End:
In such stories, anyone can predict the end, but these Koreans have shown me they can turn a story upside down and present something else.
How will our stories end? Not the end men see, where one dies and is celebrated or criticized by others regardless of his/her life before God. God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. He has guaranteed us grace, mercy, and His presence. What else do we need to turn over our entire lives to Him and stay ahead of our stories’ real villain?
Don’t fall in line or fall behind due to strategic pot-holes placed in the way, but rise and move forward, by God’s grace, mercy and might. Jesus said to Martha, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40
Till next time, be transformed!!!
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