by Pastor Ellery Aguayo

Zombies and the walking - or living - dead. I’m sure most or all of you are familiar with those terms. They refer to fictional animals or people that have died and been “reanimated” to some form of life, yet are still in a partial state of death and / or decomposition. I shan’t bore you with details, frankly because I have to admit I never watched either show. But you know the general premise – there is some sort of viral outbreak or release (accidental or otherwise) of some kind of foreign agent that infects a percentage of the general population and turns people into flesh eating, decaying corpses that shuffle around wreaking havoc on the rest of humanity. This is a very popular genre of entertainment for both television and movies. I believe there is a deeper reason for this fascination with the living dead that most people do not realize and it has to do with all of us. 

1. We all are the Walking Dead  

Whether we realize it or not, there is a connection between the real human race and the fictional zombies seen in TV and the movies. All of us are or were dead – spiritually dead - at one time.  

 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins  in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient.  We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. (Ephesians 2:1-3) 

 Starting all of the way back in Genesis and spreading throughout all of humanity, Adam’s willful act of disobedience brought death (the zombification of our spirits) to us all. (Rom. 5:12) We all simply and aimlessly shuffle about our existence, doing almost everything according to our self-driven instinctual impulses. Yes, our bodies are alive, but the real us, the spirit and soul of every human in existence, is dead - disconnected from God, who is the only source of life, by sin. As you can imagine, this causes all sorts of problems. You can see the results every day in the news of a society of unfeeling, emotionless corpses meandering about, thinking that their own impulses, thoughts, desires, and moral standards are of the utmost importance. Unlike most zombie portrayals, this individual dead thinking leads to fighting and destruction on a personal and world-wide scale. Most movies and TV shows depict small and large groups of the un-dead milling about together with very little if any in-fighting. Unfortunately, the real walking dead are not like that at all. Due to our sin-induced separation from our God, the giver of life and purpose, we all have adopted the philosophy that our individual way of thinking and acting is the only correct one. And we are usually quick to fight, bite, scratch, and anything else we can think of to defend our limited, dead-end point of view. We can see this pointed out in Proverbs 14:12 and in Proverbs 16:25 – two different scriptures with exact same wording: 

There is a way that seems right to a man, 
but its end is the way to death. 

The Holy Spirit is not absent minded. When the Lord repeats a point, we need to sit up and pay attention.  We also see this thought revealed in the New Testament:  So what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death. Romans 6:21 

 I can imagine that by now you are probably in despair thinking, "What hope is there in anything?" Are we all merely destined to shuffle about this meaningless existence, dead on the inside, struggling and competing with each other to fabricate our own purposes – only to reach the same inevitable outcome as everyone else? The answer is yes – IF we were left to our own devices and power. There is no created thing or person in this universe that can prevent or reverse the utterly complete decomposition of every part of us - spirit, soul and body. That brings me to the good news that the previous question can be answered with a resounding NO, we are not left alone to purposelessly rot away from the inside out. 

 2. Life for the Walking Dead 

 There is One who is outside of creation – He is the One who created it all, that loves us with an eternal love beyond our present comprehension. And He went through unimaginable lengths to bring life where death had reigned for so long. (Ephesians 2:4-10) Our rebellion in the garden did not surprise God, nor did it circumvent His plans for humanity. He knew what we would do, and the provisions to remedy our condition were set in place before the world began. (I Pet.1:20) Not one single person from the beginning of time has been able to live a righteous life, that is, a life of perfect love toward God and others. And because all of us are spiritually dead by default, we are not capable of generating the spiritual life we need. The walking dead can do nothing about their own condition. That is why Jesus - God the Son Himself - came down from His eternal place of glory and absolute dominion to subject Himself to the humility of taking the form of His own creation to live the life we could not. He did it perfectly. But He did not just leave it at that. He did not tell us, “Okay, I have done this perfectly. Now just do like I did and you will be all set.”  This would not settle the debt of sin that we all owe – nor would it give us the righteousness we need before God. Jesus was more than an example TO us – He was the perfect substitute FOR us! 

 He lived the perfect life we could not live, and took the punishment of death that each one of us deserved without question. He freely took our rotten and decaying spiritual condition upon Himself, and in turn gave us His perfect and eternal life. He lived to provide a righteousness we could not obtain on our own, and He died to satisfy God’s just wrath on our behalf.  After paying off our debt of sin by dying on the cross, He rose from the dead and secured for us the gift of eternal life. 

And all we have to do to is simply accept this wonderful good news by faith! 
 
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God… Ephesians 2:8 

It is in that place of faith that we confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead. This is what we call being "saved": our spirits are reborn as His life and power flow in and through us. Now that our spirits are renewed – through no works of our own - we have the power of God within us, enabling us to renew our minds from the self-centered ways of this world and by grace bring our bodies into subjection as we learn to say “No" to ungodliness and worldly passions. (1 Timothy 2:12) Since our thoughts and behaviors have been so accustomed to the reign of sin and death in our lives, the grace of God begins to train us in accordance with the spirit of God. (1 Timothy 2:12, Rom.12:1-2) This happens as we read and do His word, (love one another, John 13:34) communicate with God, and become part of a local church community. This last one is vital, as at one time we practiced and developed the tell-tale traits of the walking dead by hanging around, associating with, and doing the things of the walking dead. It is our carnal mind that makes us think that we can properly grow spiritually and develop godly character without being a part of a community of believers. This does not mean we need to sequester ourselves from the world around us and consciously limit our contact with the spiritual zombies in our neighborhoods, workplace or anywhere else that we may encounter the living dead. God has brought us back from the dead so that we could be a part of His plan of reconciliation for the world.
(2 Corinthians 5:18, Eph 2:10) 

3. Loving the Walking Dead 

God desires for all of humanity to be renewed from the dead. (2 Pet.2:9) With few exceptions, the Lord uses those of us He has already restored to new life. Jesus Himself commissioned the new believers to go into the world with the good news of what He accomplished for us. (Mark 16:15-16) We as re-born believers are called to share the glorious news of what Christ has done for us to everyone around us. More than likely when we were among the walking dead, the Lord caused us to come into contact with someone who shared the gospel and demonstrated the love, mercy, and forgiveness of God to us. It is the same when we become His children. We are to present the good news of new life to the dead that come across our path. The walking dead have no interest in seeking God on their own. Someone (this means every believer) needs to tell them the Good News. (Rom.10:13-14) This can be quite daunting for some of us, but we need to remember that it is God doing the work to bring them to Him. We are just required to deliver the message. (John 6:44) 

As every believer knows, this places us in the line of fire from those we are trying to reach. Just like in the shows and movies, the walking dead are quick to attack anyone who is different from them. Most of the time this comes in the form of verbal attacks, especially here in the U.S., but it also includes the potential for physical persecution. All of us can see the escalation of direct attacks on the Body of Christ as this age draws to a close. In spite of the various forms of persecution that Christians face, we are called to love others as Jesus loved us. When we are out and about in our daily walk we need to let the life of Christ shine through us so people can see that there is a better way than the stagnant, self-absorbed state of decay that they are trapped in. We need to remember to rely upon God for our protection in these hostile surroundings. (John 17:14-16) 

 Unfortunately, some Christians have followed the popular way of protecting themselves when among the walking dead. In AMC’s "The Walking Dead," it is not uncommon for our uninfected heroes to venture out, covering themselves with the blood of the zombies they have killed. Apparently when the zombies get close to them they recognize the smell of death and leave the disguised people alone, thinking they are dead just like them. Many Christians have become completely powerless and ineffective by conforming to the dead- end ways of this world. How can we show them the true way to life if we choose to look, smell, and act just like them? While this may be an effective method of preservation in the movies and television, we have the graceful hand of the Lord God Almighty to rely on for our protection. Jesus Himself warned us that we will encounter tribulation, but we can rest in the truth that He has overcome the world. (John 16:33) 

 So as we minister to those that need the resurrection power of God in their lives, let us not get too hasty to judge them or be too afraid of them that we never venture out among them. We all were the walking dead at one time, yet God in His love, grace, and wisdom brought re-born former zombies across our paths in order for us to see that there is life available for us if we believe in the One who willingly gave His life to pay for our debt of death. The ultimate reward for us is an eternity in the presence of our Lord and Savior; however, we must not forget that He allows us to tarry on this earth so we can demonstrate His love to those around us that are still trapped in the throes of death and destruction. Just remember this the next time you are gingerly picking your way through a random horde of the living dead – If I don’t tell these people about the new life they so desperately need, who will?