11 Jan 06 113699219577090384

Epic by John Eldredge is proving to be an interesting read. If I have not already mentioned this, the book is quite short — it only has 104 small pages. No really, I mean it, it is a small book. Nevertheless, the story is quite large.

The human story, according to Eldredge, is divided into four acts. Act one: Eternal Love. Act two: The Entrance of Evil. Act Three: The Battle for the Heart. Act Four: The Kingdom Restored.

Here’s an excerpt from Act Three: The Battle for the Heart.

Rescuing the human heart is the hardest mission in the world. The dilemma of the Story is this: We are so enamored with our small stories and our false gods, we are so bound up in our addictions and our self-centeredness and take-it-for-granted unbelief that we don’t even know how to cry out for help. And the Evil One has no intention of letting his captives walk away scot-free. He seduces us, deceives us, assaults us – whatever it takes to keep us in darkness.

This made me think of how the Bible describes what God, through Jesus, does to free those wanting to be releases from captivity.

God has freed us from the power of darkness, and he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. The Son paid for our sins, and in him we have forgiveness. (Colossians 1:13-14 NCV)

Ultimately the battle for the heart, your heart, has been won or waits to be won. Each of us happens to be in a different spot on the same battlefield.