The Power of a Demon Slayer -Guest Chapter by Colin Wallace

The Power of a Demon Slayer  (Soundtrack Suggestion: Feel Invincible/Fire Inside of Me - Skillet)  

Guest Chapter by Colin Wallace  

 Demon Slayer was one of those anime that I honestly avoided for a while for one reason or another. But after much persistent pleading from my anime-crazed friend group, I had no choice but to dive into this story. And I am so glad I did! I now have a life-sized brick model of Zenitsu’s sword and have (somewhat) attempted to add total concentration breathing to my workout routine. I watch it whenever I can because I continually see new Biblical concepts in every episode that I can apply to my daily walk with God. To limit spoilers, I will stay relatively within the first season of this amazing show because I recommend that you go watch it for yourself if you haven’t had the chance yet. 

Let’s get started. For those who are not familiar with the franchise, Demon Slayers are a group of individuals, unrecognized by the government, who devote themselves to risking their lives to protect the world from man-eating monsters, known as demons, by killing as many as they can. They use various breathing techniques and disciplines to help them combat and overcome these immortal creatures, who physically have the upper hand.  

 The Bible is Our Nichirin Sword  

 In Demon Slayer, most weapons are absolutely powerless against demons. Only a Nichirin sword, the weapon of a demon slayer, can truly end a demon. The same is true for us and our demons. We may not be wielding mighty steel blades (at least I don’t think so, I don’t know your life). We are told that the Bible is our primary weapon of warfare. 

“For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It can judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12   “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit - which is the word of God.”  Ephesians 6:17 

Just as a Nichirin sword will change its color and pattern to match its new wielder, how you live your life will change the way that others see the Gospel. Just as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, we must be ready to say, “Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.” Our words are meaningless unless we match them with our actions. Though you have a Bible in hand, it doesn’t make you invincible to enemy attack. In the show, those who don’t prepare for battle continuously usually are no match for their attackers and meet their fate. If we do not approach our lives as our well- disciplined demon slayer heroes approach their future battles, we might just get taken over by our own demons.  

“You’ve only been memorizing information, and your body doesn’t know what to do with it; it needs to be beaten into your flesh and bone.” -Sabito.  

Don’t get me wrong, memorizing Bible verses is a necessary practice to grow as a Christian. But if that’s all we do and we don’t take the time to actually apply what we have read, we’ll be like Tanjiro trying to slice into our boulder of blessing and anointing for years to no avail. So if that is how you are feeling, right now I want you to look deep into your life to see the lessons that you have learned, but have either failed at or could do better at applying them to your own life. As Romans 3:23 reminds us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” You’re not alone in this, and we all need to work together. Which brings me to my next point.  

Stronger Together  

There are many times that Tanjiro and his friends have come close to death, but those times seem to be far more frequent when they are on their own. 

“And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 

I know that he had his demon sister, Nezuko, with him, but I honestly felt a lot better once he teamed up with Zenitsu and Inosuke in his endeavors. Although they may be a handful at times, most of the time, when they all worked together, they made a pretty solid team, however chaotic they may be. “Then the Lord God said it is not good for man to be alone.” Genesis 2:18  

Up until this point in the Bible, God is talking about how everything that He created is good. Meaning that the very first problem that God ever saw (and solved) in His creation was that He didn’t want us to go through life alone. Sure, we have His spirit living inside us when we accept Him as Lord and Savior over our lives. And we have our groups that we hang out with for a short while at church, but I honestly think that He wants a little more for us than that. We were made for community, so it makes sense that when we find ourselves alone, in our day-to-day lives, we feel like we have a hole that needs to be filled. Just look at what the original church looked like. 

“Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” Acts 2:44-47  

The believers met daily, not only in the temple, but also in their homes. They realized that they were their strongest when they were all together. So they made time to fellowship and do life with each other outside of just church stuff. It also says that they had at least one new member to this already large family every day. Just think of what your daily hug and high-five counts would be if you had that many close family/friends over at your house every day! That’s insane! Although the chances of you having close-knit relationships with this many people are really slim (but still possible, maybe), you can still make sure to meet with those people you DO have and strengthen those relationships. Also, if you happen to see someone struggling alone, don’t be hesitant to invite them along as well (who knows, they might need help with some demons of their own).  

Demons  

I know this might be a controversial topic for some, but I still think that it’s an important one.  I think it’s safe to say that the demons in anime are different from the ones that are mentioned in the Bible, although they might have more similarities than you might think. One of these similarities is the widespread disbelief of their existence. Many people grow up hearing ghost stories and kinda think of demons as the same thing, a fairy tale made to scare people. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and if you live as a Christian and take what the Bible says as solid truth, you’d believe too. Many times throughout Jesus’ ministry, we see Him and His disciples cast out demons.  

“When evening came, they brought to him many who were demon- possessed. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.” Matthew 8:16  

These beings are real and can be very dangerous if you don’t know exactly what you are doing.  

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, stand firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9  

This passage is reminding us to be aware of demons but not to actively search them out or to fear them. When you are in Christ, He is in you. Which means that the same power that He had while on earth is inside of you, which means that we are given power over these spirits whenever we come in contact with one. Be ready to stand your ground, but don’t seek them. 

“What is your name?” Jesus asked him. “Legion”, he said, because many demons had entered him.” Luke 8:30  

Demons (both in the anime and real life) will try to distract and deceive you. In the show, demons will try to stir up hatred and fear to distract the slayers from their technique. The ability to stay focused on the task at hand can make all the difference in these fights. The same goes for us as well. When we get angry at each other or become frightened by the worries of this world, we end up losing our fights because we are focused on the wrong things. Only once we set our attention back on Jesus can we get back up again. 

“Climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:29b-31 

Once Peter got distracted by the wind and the waves and how strong they looked, he forgot that the one who controls this whole world was standing right in front of him. We may not have the physical being of Jesus walking around with us, but we have something truly special that the disciples didn’t have at that time. The Holy Spirit (God) living inside of us, if we allow Him, causes all demons to flee as we walk into the room because they see the living God of Armies inside us. That terrifies them more than it does in the anime whenever a demon sees the sun rising, when they can’t get to cover.  

“For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed.” John 3:20  

Power in the Blood  

Demons (in the anime) consume human blood to become stronger. The more they eat, the more they grow. We also receive power from blood, but not in the same way that the demons do. We don’t take it forcefully out of hatred, hunger, or the loss of others. It has been given to us willingly out of love and sacrifice. People in Bible times had to sacrifice animals to God to atone for their sins. 

“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement.” Leviticus 17:11 

The practice of sacrificing animals to God for atonement was fulfilled by Christ when He died for us on the cross. 

“For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished lamb.” 1 Peter 1:18-19  

That means that we don’t have to do that anymore. Jesus Christ willingly gave His life so that we could live and have eternal assurance of heaven, and so that He can guide and empower us through our lives for His purpose as we grow in a personal relationship with Him. 

“And through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:20  

Thus far, I have only mentioned how the blood of Christ gives atonement for our sins. Now I think it’s time to talk about the power that the blood of Christ holds in our lives. Revelation 12 speaks of a battle between Michael and the faithful angels of heaven vs a great dragon (Satan or the devil) with his angels that have rebelled against God. I highly recommend that you read the full chapter for yourself to have the full picture before you continue (I can wait). And if you read verse 11 again, it says:  

“They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; for they did not love their lives to the point of death.” 

The lamb that is mentioned is referring to Jesus and how His blood that He shed has given us the power to overcome our enemies. By pleading the blood of Jesus over ourselves, our family, and friends, you are engaging in spiritual warfare. And by the blood of the lamb, you will overcome.  

One more thing, and we can move on. Did anyone catch the “they did not love their lives to the point of death” part? “Hold on, I thought loving yourself was a good thing.” I hear you saying, but that’s not what we are called to. Yes, you do need to have a certain level of care for yourself to properly function, but we are truly called to love others. 

1 Corinthians 13:13 “Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love.”  

We need to have faith in God, that He is working in our lives (even when we can’t see it); we need to have hope for this world and for the one to come; and we need to love God and one another. How do you do that? Well, the Bible shows you in John 15:13, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” Now I hope and pray that you never have to go to this literal extreme. Laying down your life can simply be putting someone else’s needs before your own. In this “me first” culture, a “you first” attitude might be the breath of fresh air that someone needs to get back up again. It’s not easy, but it is pretty simple.  

Simple, Not Easy  

Personally, the most disheartening scene in the series is when Tanjiro is at the “final selection” and he sees someone running from a powerful demon, yelling this phrase, “This thing is insane! They’re not supposed to be this strong! This isn’t what I signed up for!” This was a man who, for some reason, wanted to become a demon slayer, and he wasn’t prepared because no one told him what the job description was. The same thing happens to some Christians when they hear a version of the Gospel that, in reality, is more of a sales pitch saying how cool and popular being a Christian will make you and that you can just say no worries (Hakuna Matata). This is not the Lion King, my friend. And when they find out that the pitch was an exaggeration, they quit and never trust another Christian for fear of being lied to again. Ok, that might or might not happen, but we need to know that it’s a possibility. I think Jesus makes it brutally clear what He thinks of those who lead others astray in Luke 17:2 and John 18:5-6 when He says: 

 “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble.”  

Yikes! For those who don’t know what a millstone is, it’s a large rock that has a weight comparable to that of a car, which is used to crush grain. He just said that it would be better (for us) to have a giant rock tied to our neck and thrown into the ocean to violently drown than to cause someone else to stumble. ”Wait,” you say, “isn’t He just referring to kids?” I’m glad you asked. Though it is implied that he is talking about protecting children from stumbling here, since God loves all equally (regardless of age, gender, race, or religion), He’d have the same standard of justice set for everyone. And just to be clear, He is not (likely) going to literally drown you in the ocean because you lead someone astray. He did say, however, that the consequence will be worse in the long run. He just wants to make sure that you are leading a lifestyle that will ultimately bring people closer to Jesus. And if you’re not, simply humble yourself before God and ask for forgiveness and guidance to have that lifestyle. It’s just that simple!  

Psalm 145:18 “The Lord is near all who call out to him, all who call out to him with integrity.” 

Yes, I know that Matthew 11:30 says, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” This is talking about the burden that we have to carry to atone for our sins, and that it has been taken away from us, not how we will never have troubles and problems after we receive Christ. He DOES promise, however, that He will be alongside us when those troubles do come and help us to overcome them. 

“Then I will make you a fortified wall of bronze to these people. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to save you and rescue you. This is the Lord’s declaration.” Jeremiah 15:20  

What this does not say is that you will be at peace with those around you. It says that they will fight against you but not overcome you. There are some fights, hardships, and trials that you will have to face, but just know that our God has promised us that He will stand with us in such times. 

“So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10  

Prayer is Our Breathing Technique  

Just in case some of you are unaware, demon slayers use a variety of different breathing techniques to strengthen and heal their bodies, as well as to strengthen the focus and reaction time of their minds. Now, breathing is one of, if not the most underrated, things that you can do to boost your fitness and mental abilities. The same is commonly true for prayer. Praying the right way, just like with breathing, can drastically improve your strength. Although we might not be able to accomplish the physical feats of a demon slayer by repetitively blowing into a jug- shaped gourd (maybe, I’ll have to get back to you on that). God has gone on record gifting people with supernatural powers in their time of need, and if you don’t believe me, just go to Judges 14:6:  

“the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him (Samson), and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands.” 

This is far from the only time in the Bible that something like this happens as we see thirteen verses later in verse 19: 

 ”The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men.”  

This time it wasn’t just strength to defeat his enemies, but also the speed to travel 29 miles (about a 10 hour run usually, which is the distance between Timnah and Ashkelon) within a few minutes or so! And the same God from these verses is the same God who offers to make His home eternally inside of you! The Spirit that had to come upon Samson for him to accomplish these mighty acts makes His home within us once we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior. That means that the same power and much more, if you believe, is living inside of you, just waiting for you to tap into it! How do you “tap” into this power, you ask? Well I think Jesus makes it most clear in Matthew 17:20 when He states: 

“For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, “Move from here to there” and it will move. Noting will be impossible for you.” 

Granted, this may only happen when the words we speak align with Gods perfect will but the concept is still a powerful one. This is the power that He wants to give to us.  

“And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes; if they should drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.” Mark 16:17 

Now as a disclaimer, I am NOT saying that you should purposely put yourself in a dangerous situation, to test God.  

“And Jesus answered him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.” Luke 4:12 

God didn’t give us these gifts to bring glory to ourselves, but that we may give all the glory and praise to Him, who more than deserves all that we have. Not all of these mighty slayers have the same abilities, however. Some have enhanced (or a lack thereof) senses, some have special techniques that only they know, others might have an abnormally hard head and carry their demon sister in a backpack (who knows). You might not have the same gifting as your friend, but that doesn’t mean that you are in any way inferior. You’re just built different for the special purpose that you were made to fill. 

“Now it is God who strengthens us together with you in Christ, and who has anointed us.”  2 Corinthians 1:21 

The word “anointed” that is used here means to be set apart. Each of us has our own special supernatural gifting that sets us apart from everyone else. It might not be anything “flashy,” but God made you with that gift for a reason. My advice is to look for what needs to be met around you and what you can do about it.  

“If you can only master one thing, hone it to perfection.” -Jigoro Kumajima  

Main Points  

• Apply what you learn 

• Work together 

• We have power over demons (through Christ) 

• We are made perfect through the blood of Christ 

• Use the tools (the Bible, prayer, individual gifting, etc) that are made available to you  

“No matter how many people you lose, never give up. No matter how devastating the blows may be, never give up.” -Tanjiro  

• George Colin Wallace III, son of George and Sherry Wallace, brother to Tori, Alix and Nikki. Jesus became Lord of my life when I was 13. I was water baptized at the age of 14. I am an on fire Jesus freak, drummer and an over all nerd in all things to do with geek culture. My favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 12:1 that says, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge and those who hate correction are stupid.” Discipline is an act of love. I feel God has brought me a long way this year and has grown me in more ways that I can count. God is allowing me to go on my fourth mission trip this summer to witness to the Muslim community in Dearborn, MI. I have also been blessed to be added to our youth worship team at Cross Assembly Church. Recently I have also been working on getting deep water certified as a lifeguard. I will be working at Fantasy Lake this summer. There are many plans to be worked out but God has His plan for me and that is the one I seek to follow.