WANTED

A sequel describes the contest between Jesus and Satan for the souls of humankind. 

In his autobiographical debut, Lucas (The Potter and the Clay, 2014) recounted his tumultuous journey from drug-addled dissipation to redemption through Jesus. In this volume, he relates the traps set by Satan for those who have yet to craft a strong relationship with Jesus, and the various ways in which one can resist evil and craft a joyous spirituality: “The purpose in my writing this book is to expose the fallacy of Satan’s intentional mental warfare designed to crush the spirit and decrease the stability of our minds.” According to the author, people live in times particularly susceptible to Satan’s mendacious attacks, given the undermining of objective truth by postmodern culture. Furthermore, Satan—“the father of the unbelieving slaves”—exploits people’s credulity to appeal to their principal temptations: “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” Those who are lost in depression and loneliness are Satan’s primary targets, but the good news is that God maintains a “special heart” for those trapped in suffering. Lucas draws on Scripture and his own personal experiences to describe the spiritual redemption made available to everyone by Jesus’ sacrifice. He also furnishes arguments regarding the historicity of Jesus as well as his ministry’s fulfillment of biblical prophecy. The author’s anecdotal remembrance of his own perilous journey from anguish to spiritual contentment is both remarkable and inspiring. In addition, he provides a thorough rendering of Satan’s role in Christian theology. Still, the point of the book is less argumentative persuasion than Christian cheerleading, presented as a homiletic sermon more than a philosophical study: “I know from experience that if there’s one thing that strikes fear in the darkened soul of Satan, it’s the name of Jesus!” While Lucas’ entreaties may very well become a source of encouragement to the faithful in need of it, they will not convince unbelievers. This is a work of preaching—unsurprising because the author is in fact an Evangelical preacher—and a rousing one at that. 

A stirring spiritual account for Christians searching for motivation.