God vs Devil?

I came across this picture while browsing the internet, and I found it interesting because it was made up by a European football player declaring his return to the field. Initially, I was somewhat put off by the lack of respect of this picture, since the soccer player was Jesus and was essentially in a battle with the devil (who would presumably be the opposing team). At a second glance, I discovered that this picture could actually teach the audience a lot about Jesus Christ.

Firstly, the picture depicts a battle between Jesus and the devil, which, according to the Christian Bible was won by Christ through his death on the cross and subsequent resurrection on Easter Sunday. Secondly, the picture depicts Jesus as Light (emphasizing the background), and the devil as darkness. This artistic description is also telling because it is consistent with the Biblical representation of Christ, as the Light of the world, and the devil as the source of evil and darkness in the world.

Thirdly, the picture tells a story about the power of Christ. In his supposed intention, the artist wanted to show that Jesus and the devil are on the same playing field, but of course, Christ comes out on top. However, this is where the analogy falls apart and might become misleading to the audience. According to Scripture, the devil is a fallen angel who has no more power over God than any other creation. In this picture, the devil and Jesus appear to be equals who are playing on opposite teams. The reality, however, is that Jesus, Who is God, is more powerful than the devil. In this case, the picture would do better to show Jesus on a cross, in the way that He saw fit to defeat the enemy, and the devil looking defeated because that is what Christ's sacrifice accomplished.

While trying to bridge the gap that this picture portrays to someone who is not a Christian, I would be careful in explaining that although the picture may not have been meant to be offensive to Christians, it still displays a false claim about Jesus, whether or not the audience knows it. For this reason, I would direct the conversation to focus on the truths about Christ that this picture misrepresents, specifically, His superiority over the devil. In this conversation, I would likely speak about my own experiences with what the Bible teaches are evils associated with the devil, and explain how, through Christ, I was able to overcome them. I believe that this would help the person to understand the impact that the truth of Christ can have on one's life, and hopefully start a conversation about the purpose of Christ's incarnation, ministry on earth, death on the cross and His resurrection and ascension. I believe that this picture has the potential to allow for the Gospel message to be preached, and I would engage in a conversation to that end.