The Villain

There are many villains who are popular. Loki (my personal favorite), Bowser, The Joker and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man (so cute!) are a few examples of beloved baddies. Unfortunately, some of the dastardly deeds of our fictitious characters are real.

A close friend could be a liar and thief. An evil ruler gains from the suffering of his people. The next-door neighbor is hiding skeletons in their closet (literately!). An actor uses their larger-than-life persona to destroy others.

In LOTK there are many villains, but Sahib is worse than the others. “When he spoke, those who opened their hearts to listen became intoxicated by his words. His speech could distort the beliefs of men, and he had the ability to fool the strongest warriors,” (The Blessing xiv).

Sahib is a liar, thief, an evil ruler and a murderer. He uses every action to destroy those who oppose him. He is dressed in white, like a saint, but the ominous symbol of a black dragon rests on his chest. Although Sahib does not exist beyond LOTK, his character mirrors a real villain.

Sahib (name meaning: master) represents Satan. He is the father of lies (John 8:44). He is an evil ruler (Ephesians 2:2) with a wicked agenda. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

He disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:15), but he is described as a dragon (Revelation 12:7). There is nothing good about Satan. He will use the weakness of our fleshly desires to separate us from God through sin.

Satan wishes to bring misery upon the earth and eternal damnation for every soul that God created. Our pain is his gain. He enjoys watching people suffer, and there’s one group of people he particularly hates. They are more than conquers.

“You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will make myself like the Most High. But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.”

Isaiah 14: 13-15