In This James Montgomery Flagg Illustration, a Cherub Fights the Devil. Who Will Win?

We live in a crazy world, and it seems that wars, political unrest, climate change, starvation, and everything else, is all an unavoidable part of the life we live on this planet. But luckily, many of us still strive to make our world a better place, and we can still win, even though the odds may seem insurmountable.

Apparently, popular American illustrator James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960) felt the same way, although he didn’t sugarcoat how tough the fight would be.

This illustration, which Flagg painted for the July 23, 1908 issue of Life Magazine, depicts a cherub fighting the Devil over the fate of the world, and is aptly entitled “The World: Good vs. Evil.” The Devil’s overwhelming size makes him appear to be the one in charge, yet the dwarfish but determined cherub is willing to wrestle with him for the fate of the world. A simple reminder that, even though we may feel like we’re too small a voice to make a difference, it’s our courage that makes us stronger than we think we are.

But, just as it appears in this illustration, we still need to fight hard. Evil looms large over our world, and it will take determination and effort for us to set things right.

Our first step is to show up and be brave, just like the cherub.

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