Gwi-Ma is the king of demons in the movie "KPop Demon Hunters". Read Isaiah 14:9-14. Gwi-Ma is determined to persuade the people of the world to give their souls to him. He tries to use force, but it doesn’t work very well. The demon, Jinu, devises a plan to win souls for Gwi-Ma by forming a KPop boy band called Saja Boys that captures the attention of the people. In the song "Idol", they sing, “You gave me your heart, now I’m here for your soul.” Demon hunters Rumi, Mira, and Zoey are challenged to stop Gwi-Ma's plot. It is a classic good-versus-evil movie with several subplots that make it complex and interesting. The first time I watched the movie, I saw the parallel between the plot and that story in the Bible. The prophet Isaiah wrote the ambition of the King of Babylon, who sought to be greater than God. “I will ascend to heaven. I will raise my throne above the stars. I will sit enthroned on the mount of the assembly. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High.” The desire for power and control of the world is the ultimate villain goal and theme of so many stories, both real and fictional. Superman has the same plot as he tries to thwart Lex Luthor from ruling the world. In real history, there were Adolf Hitler, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Nebuchadnezzar. Each attempted to use the military to expand their kingdoms by force. Although I would love to share more about world history, it would be a divergence from the real battle that is happening each and every day: the battle for the soul. The most effective way for evil to win is not by force but by persuasion. Evil persuades us to follow, showing us false hope but making it seem real. Evil preys upon our emotions. We put our hope in evil and false motives. When we willingly give our hearts over to evil, then it takes our soul. We follow those who want to be like God instead of trusting the one true God who created us, loves us, and wants to be with us forever.

Prayer: Holy God, guard our hearts so we do not follow after false hope. Preserve our souls for the day of judgment and let our sins be washed away, our souls made clean, and our eternity with you secure. Amen.