ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What does Jean Valjean from Les Misérables have to do with Satan?
It sounds like a ridiculous question—but the connection hit me while I was thinking about one of my favorite scenes in the story: the priest giving Jean Valjean the candlesticks. Valjean steals from him. The priest responds with mercy. Not because Valjean deserves it, but because the priest is willing to suffer loss for the sake of someone who has wronged him.
And that made me wonder: What does it mean to overcome evil with good when the enemy is truly evil?
We’re commanded to love our enemies, forgive those who wrong us, refuse vengeance, and even do good to those who hurt us. Romans 12 says that by doing this, we “overcome evil with good.”
But does that principle have anything to teach us about how we think about Satan himself? I’ve sometimes felt anger toward Satan. But, strangely, I’ve also felt something like pity. Not because I excuse his evil, but because I know what it’s like to desire something that ultimately leads to your own destruction.
So is pity toward Satan ever appropriate?
What would it mean to desire repentance even for an enemy who seems completely opposed to God?
And if repentance is impossible for Satan, what does our refusal to become evil in response to evil accomplish?
This episode is an exploration of mercy, judgment, repentance, spiritual warfare, and what it really means to overcome evil with good.
Jean Valjean the Devil.
It’s a strange title. But I think there’s a strange connection worth exploring.
#Christianity #ChristianPodcast #ChristianYouTube #Faith #JesusChrist #Bible #BiblicalTeaching #ChristianLiving #Theology #ChristianTheology #SpiritualWarfare #GoodVsEvil #OvercomingEvil #LoveYourEnemies #Forgiveness #Mercy #Repentance #Satan #TheDevil #Romans12 #LesMiserables #JeanValjean #VictorHugo #Gospel #ChristianFaith #FaithAndCulture #BibleStudy #ChristianThought #GodsMercy #jesus
Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com
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Logo: Matt Hernandez
Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly
