On Wednesday my wife and I saw The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

Due to sickness and holiday tasks I haven’t had time to review the film that concludes the second, and presumably final, trilogy of films by director Peter Jackson based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth novels.

Yet today on Christ and Pop Culture I explore my own journey of fighting to delight in this story, and any others.

At last the Hobbit film trilogy is complete, after last Wednesday’s release of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Overall, I’ve loved the film versions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s tale by Peter Jackson, director of the acclaimed Lord of the Rings films. But before I could enjoy The Hobbit films I felt I had to fight my own battle of five armies — and against my own One Ring.

In fact, whenever Christians in a sin-corrupted age try to enjoy stories, songs, or even holidays like Christmas, we must fight these same battles. Only then we can enjoy gifts with thanksgiving to God (1 Tim. 4:1–5).

Read the rest at Christ and Pop Culture: “The Hobbit”: The Battle of Delighting in Stories.