Difference between revisions of "Sermon for January 25th, 2026"

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Ephesians 6:10-17 (NT p.195)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Faith & Film XIV: K-Pop Demon Hunters

• Film Clip #1: Trailer

Three Minute Film Summary

Huntr/x is a chart-topping K-pop girl band made up of three members (very trinitarian): Rumi, Mira, and Zoey. Onstage, they are pop idols adored by millions, but offstage they have a secret: they are demon hunters who use their music to fight supernatural forces bent on stealing people’s souls and feeding them to the demon king, Gwi-Ma (This is a play on words: If you reverse the syllables, Ma-Gwi is a Korean word for devil or evil spirit). T

But just when Huntr/x are on the verge of banishing the demon king for good, he sends five demons in the form of a K-pop boy band, called the Saja boys. Saja is also a play on words--it can mean lion (which is the bands logo) but saja can also mean messenger, and in Korean mythology, the jeoseung-saja is the death-messenger, who guides the souls of the dead to the afterlife.

Huntr/x and the Saja boys fight each other--both vocally and physically--for the allegiance of the fans. But in the midst of this, the leader of the evil Saja boys, Jinu (which, ironically and importantly, in Korean means "true blessing") strikes up a relationship with the leader of Huntr/x, Rumi. Rumi is not a traditional Korean name, but it is the name of a famous Persian poet, who is known for writing beautiful poems about love and unity (remember that for later).

But Rumi, in the film, has a secret. Her mother was a hunter, like her, but her father was a demon. So she is half-demon, and her demon nature is starting to slip out, through the markings on her skin that she tries to hide and cover up, and through dark powers that surface when she is angry.

Jinu also has a secret--he long ago betrayed his family when Gwi-Ma tempted him with fame and power, but he is now filled with remorse for his actions, and doesn’t want to be a demon anymore. In an act of kindness, he helps Rumi to conceal her demon pattern from her friends.

As their relationship grows, it puts a strain on Rumi’s relationship with her bandmates, which culminates in their discovery of her secret, and their rejection of her. Fueled by the split of the band, the Demon King enters the human world to feast on souls (conveniently gathered at a giant arena concert put on by the Saja boys. Rumi comes to terms with her demon-side, and chooses to take on the Demon King by herself. Jinu comes to her aid, and sacrifices himself to protect her from the Demon king. Rumi’s bandmates also come to her aid, defeating the remaining Saja boys and the Demon king, restoring peace, harmony, and really catchy musical tunes.

Pop Idols and False Idols

Celebrity culture—in America as well as in Korea—is a culture of idol worship. We even call it that with shows like “American idol” or the expression to “idolize” someone. And of course, in the Bible, worshiping anything other than God is called idolatry—and it’s a pretty bad thing. But this film doesn’t actually celebrate idol culture. If you pay close attention, it challenges it.

Film Clip

By contrast, the heroes of the film, the band Huntr/x, are portrayed as relatable, flawed, and genuinely human—they don’t use their talent to inspire worship of themselves, but rather to help and protect their fans.