Affinity Wars Series

Heroes vs. Villains

Pt. 1 - Affinity Wars

I. Introduction

I can remember it vividly. I would rush home from school on my Huffy Dallas Cowboys Edition Bicycle to make sure that I got there in time to watch Batman. I would watch his epic duals with villains like The Joker and The Riddler. With all of the subsequent “bams”, “booms”, “pows” and “zings”. But before the magic of TV or movie screens there were these great literary works called comic books! In these masterpieces we were introduced to heroes beyond Bat Man. Heroes like Spider Man, The Flash, The Black Panther, Aqua Man and even The Wonder Twins! We also introduced to villains like The Penguin, Venom, Magneto and Lex Luther. As I reflect back on the stories of these shows and books, I am reminded that it seems like there was always this struggle going on just under the surface. Everything in Bruce Wayne's life, Peter Parker's life, Bruce Banner's life and in their hometowns of Gotham, New York city or Dayton, Ohio would seem great. All was calm. Everything is copasetic but just beneath the apparent calm there was this undercurrent of chaos. Just under the appearance of normal there was this war being waged. As I thought about this I also it reminded me of a passage in Romans.

Text: Romans 7:14-24 (MSG)

I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?” Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary. But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope.

21-24 (ISV) - So I find this to be a principle: when I want to do what is good, evil is right there with me. For I delight in the Law of God in my inner being, but I see in my body a different principle waging war with the Law in my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin that exists in my body. What a wretched man I am!

This passage in Romans reflects the reality of the comics I grew up on. There is this war going on that produces heroes and villains.

This passage reveals a dirty little secret about Christians . . . about us that no one really wants to talk about. We just want to keep this hidden and under wraps. We would prefer to deny it or act like it doesn't exist and in doing so we continue to lose the undercover war that is being waged.

Paul refuses to play this game and puts this secret right out in the open so that we have to deal with it and address it.

We are all living with the reality of duality!

No one in the room wants to be honest about it but the truth is you are in fact Batman, but you are also Bruce Wane. You are Spiderman but you are also Peter Parker. Come on look at your neighbor and tell them "I am Superman!" But if we would be honest, we also need to tell them that we are also Clark Kent. There is this reality of duality going on inside of us! And as much as we don't like to admit it, talk about it or own up to it the fact is just because you become Spiderman that doesn't mean you lose Peter Parker. In fact, the truth is for most of us whether you get Batman, Spiderman, Superman really depends on the circumstance I am currently facing, the day, whether I have had my coffee. This is what Paul talked about when he talked about the struggle inside of him.