The King Can Still Move!
Slawomir Gromadzki
The Painting and the Chess Master
There is a famous painting called The Chess Players, also known as Checkmate, which shows a young Christian playing chess for his soul against the Devil.
The Christian looks at the chessboard with despair and horror because he believes he has been checkmated and has lost the battle for his soul.
According to a well-known story, one day a group of visitors were admiring this painting in a gallery. After a few minutes, the tour guide moved on with the group to another painting, but one man stayed behind, studying the painting very carefully.
When the guide noticed that he was still standing there, he returned and asked, “Why have you been looking at this painting for so long?”
The man replied, “You know, I’ve been playing chess all my life, and I can see something in this painting that others don’t notice.”
“What is it?” the guide asked.
“Well, according to this painting, the young man has lost the battle. It’s supposed to be checkmate. But that’s not true! I’ve studied it carefully, and the king can still move!
So either the painting or its title needs to be changed, because the man hasn’t lost the battle yet. The king can still move!“
Never give up! Your King is still alive, still the same; He is still powerful, and can still move!
Perhaps today you feel like the young man in the painting. You look at your life and see nothing but failures, sins, broken promises, and repeated defeats. Perhaps you have struggled with the same temptation for years, and Satan is whispering that you will never overcome it. You may even believe that God has finally given up on you. But listen to what the Word od God says:
“Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.” (Micah 7:8, NKJV)
The book Ministry of Healing describes this kind of spiritual struggle: “Feeling the terrible power of temptation, the drawing of desire that leads to indulgence, many a man cries in despair, ‘I cannot resist evil.’ Tell him that he can, that he must resist. He may have been overcome again and again, but it need not be always thus… God has not left us to battle with evil in our own finite strength.” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 174-175) Even if you have fallen a hundred times, your past failures do not have to determine your future. Through Christ, victory is still possible.
Satan Accuses, but Jesus Defends Us
One of the most beautiful illustrations of this truth is found in Zechariah 3:1–4. The prophet sees Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, dressed in filthy garments, while Satan stands beside him to accuse him. Joshua cannot defend himself. His filthy garments testify to his sinfulness. Satan seems to have a convincing case against him. But suddenly the Lord intervenes:
“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The LORD said to Satan, ‘The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?’ Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, ‘Take off his filthy clothes.’ Then he said to Joshua, ‘See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.'”
The Lord commands that Joshua’s filthy garments be removed and declares that his iniquity has been taken away. What a beautiful picture of Christ’s saving grace! Think about that! Satan may accuse you, pointing to every sin you have committed. He may claim that you belong to him because you have repeatedly failed. But the blood of Jesus Christ pleads with greater power than all the accusations of Satan!
The apostle Paul asks: “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” (Romans 8:33, NKJV) And he reminds us that Christ died, rose again, and now intercedes for us at God’s right hand (Romans 8:34). Our salvation does not rest on our ability to defend ourselves against Satan’s accusations. It rests on Jesus Christ, our Saviour, our righteousness, and our heavenly Advocate.
The King Has Already Defeated Satan!
There is something even more wonderful than the story of the chess painting. Our King, Jesus Christ, has already defeated Satan through His death and resurrection! Jesus became a partaker of our humanity so that “through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” (Hebrews 2:14, NKJV) Satan may still tempt us, accuse us, and try to discourage us, but he cannot overturn Christ’s victory.
Even when we are spiritually weak, discouraged, and helpless, Christ has the power to raise us again. The Bible assures us: “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.” (Psalm 37:24, NKJV)
Never Give Up — Your King Can Still Move!
My dear friend, perhaps Satan has convinced you that your situation is hopeless. Perhaps you feel that you have failed God too many times and that there is no way back. But remember Peter. He denied Jesus three times, even with curses, yet Christ had not abandoned him. Jesus had already prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail (Luke 22:31–32).
Remember the thief on the cross. His life was almost over, but when he turned to Jesus in faith, he received the wonderful assurance of salvation (Luke 23:42–43).
And remember the young man in the painting. What appeared to be a hopeless defeat was not necessarily the end of the game.
“Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are, weak, helpless, and despairing, our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off.” (Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 8)
So do not allow Satan to convince you that your failures are greater than God’s grace. Do not look to yourself for the strength to overcome. Look to Jesus, who has already conquered the enemy and who offers you His righteousness and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57, NKJV)