Beware of The Dark Side

I am a great fan of Star Wars and somehow, I have learnt a thing or two from the series. I’d like to share some here:

When Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader in The Revenge of the Sith, I felt so sad. He was my favorite; a brave, but sometimes rash, and talented individual. He showed a lot of promise and could have replaced Master Yoda as the leader of the Jedi Knights. However, he lost focus and this led to his ultimate downfall. On the contrary, consider his master, Obi Wan Kenobi. He rose to become one of the greatest Jedi Knights ever. The difference between the two – their attitude to the dark side; Skywalker felt he could use the dark side for his benefit while Kenobi avoided it at all cost.

What is the dark side?
While the dark side of star wars may be a work of fiction, I do believe there is a dark side in the real world. The dark side represents all that is evil; crime violence, and corruption. The bible so appropriately list these:

The actions that are produced by selfish motives are obvious, since they include sexual immorality, moral corruption, doing whatever feels good, idolatry, drug use and casting spells, hate, fighting, obsession, losing your temper, competitive opposition, conflict, selfishness, group rivalry, jealousy, drunkenness, partying, and other things like that. I warn you as I have already warned you, that those who do these kinds of things won’t inherit God’s kingdom – Gal 5:19-21

Every time you see evil and corruption at work, you see someone who has given in to the dark side. Christ came to set us free from this dark side:

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.. – Eph 2:1

He came to set us free from the grips of the dark side. However, even though he has been redeemed, a Christian can still fall into the dark side, if he does not watch his ways. This is where the scripture warns:

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall – 1 Cor 10:12

Indulging in the dark side will ultimately cost the Christian his life, his walk with God and his effectiveness. It is important to note that the dark side cannot be flirted with, under any guise.

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live – Rom 8:13

To overcome the dark side, the light side must be supreme. This is what we will consider next.