This is going to be an interesting post. My mind started going on a tangent as I was thinking back to the movie Harry Potter. So, to help illustrate my thoughts, i'll briefly summarize the parts of the movie that stood out, and then reference them to my thoughts :p
Voldemort had placed his soul a number of times inside Horcruxes. This way, Voldemort was able to live 'forever' unless all the Horcruxes were destroyed. Through the course of Harry's lessons, Dumbledore was trying to get the young wizard to piece together different pieces of Tom Riddle's (young Voldemort) memory so that they may identify these Horcruxes as well as where they were hidden. Honestly, all of this information could have just been told to Harry! But no, Dumbledore preferred that Harry realize things slowly. Why? Personally, I think that it has to be Harry's realization; his choice. As Dumbledore says, "it is our choices that show what we truly are." Likewise, there is a huge emphasis on free will in our walk with the Lord. As we are given new life and freedom in the Spirit, we are also given the choice to live by the Spirit. Like the parable of the "lost son" (the more i discuss this parable, the more I'm beginning to believe it was the older son that was "lost"), if we decide to leave God, God lets us leave! But He is always willing, waiting, and yearning for intimacy and celebration with us.
The choice is ours to make - to follow Christ, or to follow our flesh. Following Christ as a disciple is a hard and heavy investment. Jesus even warns us to count the costs before making the decision. Despite the intimidating and heavy investment in kingdom focused labor, the return value for us is going to be amazing!
Why didn't the killing curse work on Harry? Why were some of Voldemort's powers transferred to Harry as a baby? And why did Harry have the ability to see things from Voldemort's perspective? Because Harry Potter himself was a Horcruxe! That got my head flying all over the place. Reminds me of Ephesians 2:1-3 - "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature (the flesh) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."
Sin existed since the time of our birth. Although he wants us separated from God, Satan himself cannot touch us or hurt us. He (satan) can only tempt us with opportunities to follow and gratify the desires of our sinful flesh (i.e. lust, stealing, and the rest of your huge list of human desires). See, Harry couldn't destroy Voldemorte cause he was still a Horcruxe. But when Harry died, Voldemorte lost his power on Harry. The strongholds (Horcruxes) that once surrounded Harry are now destroyed. Voldemorte can now be defeated. As Christians, sin too has lost its power; death has lost its sting. We are freed from the grip of these fleshly desires. From the grave and resurrection of Christ, we too stand victorious.
One of the coolest scenes in the last series of Harry Potter was a conversation after the young wizard died. "Tell me one last thing," said Harry (to Dumbledore). "Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?" "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" After dying to the things that once bound us in chains of fleshly desires, we are always struck with disbelief and repeatedly ask "is this real? Am I truly saved?" Our spiritual sensitivity increases as we continue to remain obedient to Holy Spirit's convictions. Even then, we still ask ourselves "Is this real? Is God REALLY speaking to me?" Through obedience and a continual reliance on His Spirit, we are able to walk into glorious freedom. We don't have to live our lives with Horcruxes (strongholds) surrounding us. See, we can't live a freedom life with the flesh still a part of us. We need to die to our old self, and be made new in Him. This is the power of Christ in me - that through His resurrection, I may now live and destroy the Voldemort in my life.
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