You have EVERYTHING YOU NEED - The Rise of the Resistance

Today, I saw the epic Star Wars movie, "Star Wars - Episode IX: Rise of Skywalker" which was truly an epic! As a fan of Star Wars, I may be biased so 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Here's the trailer if you haven't seen it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qn_spdM5Zg

If you know anything about the Star Wars movies, it is a classic story between good versus evil. In this one, in particular (without giving out any spoilers yet), it really focuses on the surviving members of the resistance (good guys) facing the First Order (bad guys), with the legendary conflict between the Jedi (good guys) and the Sith (bad guys) reaches its peak bringing the Skywalker saga to its end.

This episode is centered around Rey, a Jakku, and a survivor toughened by life on a harsh desert planet. Despite dismissing herself as 'no one,' she learns that her life is being shaped by the mysterious power of the Force, and in this episode in particular learns who she is and digs deep to fight against the Sith.

Throughout all Star War movies, I find spiritual empowerment messages from the Jedi (good guys), while the First Order and Sith represent demonic messages.

As the filmed in saturated with positive and negative double entradas, I am going to share 4 parts in the movie that struck a core to me.

SPOILER ALERT BELOW! Please do not read if you have yet to see the movie and plan to!

#1: "You have everything you need"

When Rey was in turmoil and about to throw her light saber in fire and throw in the towel, Luke Skywalker's ghost comes out to empower her to not give up. He even asks what her what she is doing?! She later notes, "I don't know which way to tur, which way to go...." and Luke Skywalker reassures her that she has everything she needs.

2 Corinthians 9:8 states, "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

#2 - You are not what the enemy says - Dig deep to fight back!

At the epic big fight with Rey against the Dark Lord, Palpatine, he reveals that Rey is his granddaughter. He then encourages (in a dark way) to feel herself with hate, kill him, and take the throne as the new Dark Lord. However she doesn't give in, tells him that she will go with the force of love, and fights back with the aid of Kylo. She then almost dies but remembers the force of her Jedi ancestors telling her to not give up, digs deep, fights her, grab's both her lightsaber and Kylo's, and ends up destroying Palpatine for a noble cause.

It's interesting, while Palpatine is fighting Rey, he is also battling her mind. He continues to say that she is "just a scavenger girl", "she has no power", yada yada yada....,This is how the enemy fights - by taking you at your weakest/lowest point, continues to bombard your mind with lies, and speaks defeat to you.

Ephesians 6:12 in the Bible in says in " For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

The enemy is not stupid. He studies you and watches what is your insecurities and uses that against you to build fear, doubt and feel defeat. Even though Palpatine is supposedly Rey's grandfather, he is filled with such demonic spirit, he is utterly a conducit of darkness at this point. Palpatine continues to tell her that she is just s scavenger, because her biggest insecurity is that Rey did not know her identity as an orphan, when really she is truly of nobility and a Queen of the Jedi side.

However, conversely, on the Jedi side, Rey remembers the voices of her ancestors, on the brink of death, that reassures her that she has the force and to not give in nor give up. This also goes to my third point on how she builds her strength.

#3 Prayer is the most powerful weapon

We first see Rey in this episode, meditating in the forest. Throughout the movie, we then see her channel the force through prayer to defeat tons of enemies throughout the movie. Most importantly, during her brink of death, Rey centers herself back to prayer which provides her strength to defeat the Dark Lord, Palpatine with double the strength.

Ephesians 6:18 states, "Praying ALWAYS with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."

What am I saying? I am saying that Star Wars shows that prayer is the weapon in providing strength and accessing the Holy Spirit (the force) to provide a shield to you. Her faith in the force, is a metaphor of having faith in the Lord our God, which provides a shield to us (Ephesians 6:16).

#4 It is never too late to repent and join the side of good

Kylo being a warrior of the Dark Force, killing merciless, is a symbol that even the most evil person can too have a second chance and can too love, rather than hate.

When Kylo is fighting Rey in the movie, he has a chance to kill her but hesistates for the first time and does not. Rey uses her healing power to also heal Kylo and then departs. At the end of the movie, Kylo supports Rey by sneaking into the Dark Lord's Palpatine's headquarters and defends Rey by fighting against Palpatine with her. Before Kylo dies, Rey and Kylo kiss also signifying that he has the capacity to love and to join the right side of fighting evil.

Acts 8:22 states, "REPENT, then, of this evil plan of yours, and pray to the Lord that he will FORGIVE YOU for thinking such a thing as this."

Acts 2:38 also reads, "Peter said to them, “Each one of you must TURN AWAY FROM YOUR SINS and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will RECEIVE God’s gift, the Holy Spirit."

Kylo receiving the Force to fight against Palpatine in the conclusion, rather than deriving it from that deep evil place, while he literally turned away from his sins, repented with a vision from Hans Solo is a metaphor of just this. This message that it is never too late, no matter what you did, how evil you were or are, how you may have had zero feelings of love, you can too join the right fight for goodness. See the side of evil, is only self-seeking and not full of love.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13)

I cried at the end of the movie because Kylo showed love through protecting her, keeping no records of wrong against Rey, and was not self-seeking. Since God is love, he was able to access the force which supported Rey in defeating Palpatine.

In conclusion, never give up on the good fight of faith. The force or the Lord our God is always with you and that there is hope for all of us to also join the resistance side of good.