If you know anything about chess, you’ll know that the object of the game is to trap your opponent’s king such that they can’t make any move to stop you being able to take off their king at your next move. When this position is reached, you say to your opponent Checkmate and the game ends.
There’s a painting called Checkmate that used to hang in The Louvre, Paris along with masterpieces like The Mona Lisa. (But the painting is now in private hands, having been sold at Christie’s by auction in 1999). It is by the German artist, Friedrich Retzsch, 1779-1857. It depicts a chess game between Satan, who is looking at his opponent with expectant confidence, and a forlorn lad who believes he is in a hopeless position and about to be checkmated by the devil. All hope is lost. An angel looks on sadly (his guardian angel?), awaiting the outcome.
It was widely believed the painting’s inspiration came from the play Faust. In that play a demon character called Mephistopheles had a bet with God that Faust could be lured away from a righteous life and an honourable path. God said he could not. The painting sees the young man about to lose the chess game and, having no way out, is about lose his soul to the devil. God was about to lose the bet and the devil would be the winner. Game over.
That was the case until around 1889, when the chess grandmaster Paul Morphy visited Paris for a competition and decided to look around the museum in some spare time. Walking around admiring the paintings, he came to this one called Checkmate and stood mesmerized in front of it. After a long time a smile appeared on his face. He asked a curator if they had a chess board and set up the position as in the painting. He stood behind the white pieces and studied the board again. After a while, a smile again broke upon his face.
Looking up at the lad in the painting, he said, “Boy, I know you can’t hear me, and I know it looks like all is lost, however I want to tell you that you haven’t lost yet! Your king has one more move, that if made, will win you the game.”
Apparently, several people later challenged Morphy saying he couldn’t win the game from the position of the pieces in the painting. He played against each one of them and beat them all.
What can we learn spiritually from this?
All through eternity God and the devil have been locked in a sort of chess game:
God made everything perfect. Satan made his move and rebelled.
God made us in His own image. Satan countered and moved us to sin.
God’s move was to call Abram to become a chosen people. Satan’s move was to get them trapped in Egypt.
God called Moses to lead them out and into The Promised Land. The devil got them wandering in the wilderness.
God spoke to His people through the prophets. The devil’s move made the people ignore them and get sent into exile.
God’s great attacking move was to send His Son to live on earth. Although the devil could not get Him to sin and fall, he moved to get Him crucified on the cross … and so it looked like God was checkmated. All was forlorn. Game over.
But like in the painting, the King had One More Move ... RESURRECTION!
The Lord had won. The devil was lost.
If we then go on to work through the final moves of this eternal game, we see that 40 days afterwards, King Jesus Ascended back to Heaven and then make another crucial move of sending the Holy Spirit to breathe Life into the Church. Thus the devil has lost all his advantage. For we are now like God’s pieces on the board of play, participating in the end game, awaiting the King’s Second Coming at the end of time to finally move to Checkmate the devil throwing him into the lake of fire. He calls us each to play our part and carry out the things He’s prepared for us to do for Him. May we not fail Him.
Lord, I confess the times I have failed You by moving into sin. Forgive me I pray and assure me that I am Yours. As this Pentecost approaches, help me to grasp the Wonder of Your Eternal Victory and the significance of The Spirit dwelling in me. Help me to make the moves You are seeking me to make, such that Your moving against the devil may be brought to complete Checkmate. Amen.
Ian Jones
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