The Exorcism of Emily Rose, 4

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SPOILER WARNING! If you haven't seen the movie yet, but still want to, don't read any further until after you've seen the movie. I'm giving away story info that could "spoil" it for you!
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At the end of the movie, Emily Rose has a vision of Mary who basically tells her she can go to heaven now and end her demonic agony OR she can stay as she is- demonically oppressed/possessed. But if she sticks it out, God will be able to use her story to tell others the truth about the demonic and thereby win some. Emily doesn't have to think too much about it- she decides her agony is worth it if God can use it for others.

The question this begets is: "God caused this to happen?" Or at the very least, he allowed it?

My gut reaction is "No way- God would not allow such torture! And by The Enemy at that!" But then I remember Job. He lost everything- even all his kids were killed! And it all happened at the hands of none other than Satan. Hmmm. Would God still do that kind of thing?

This presents the age old question of whether God allows evil and thereby causes it, since he could stop it if he wanted to.

Well it all has to do with free will and since he's given all humankind free will, we have choices to make. If he stopped us from doing what we wanted, we'd not have free will anymore- even if we want to do horrible things! It can become quite a tangled mess if we choose to continue chasing down loose ends in such a discussion!

Here's how I choose to look at the possession of Emily Rose: The Enemy got into her life through some open door. Some open doors are our cause, some are not, but The Enemy still claims legal spiritual rights to enter and remain. Once there, he causes all kinds of grief until and unless he is "cast out." In some people he causes much more grief than in others.

However, God can and does use everything The Enemy does to make his plans backfire on him. Just when Satan thinks he's getting the upper hand, God brings glory out of it for himself and blessing for others! This has got to rattle Satan's cage, but he continues to try to outsmart God anyway, though he's never been able to succeed and never will (he knows it too).

So like Paul, who asked for his "thorn in the flesh" to be removed (God saw that he could do more blessing for others if Paul just lived with it), Emily too chose to live with her attack for the blessing of others. And it was her choice (as it was Paul's)- God had provided a way out right then if she wanted it.

We in The Salvation Army know about the importance of "Others." I'd like to think we'd make the same choice to our detriment if it meant others would benefit.

Would you?

(Didn't I tell you this movie would make you think?)