The Toy Master (The Scarecrow, 2008)

This week we step outside of the Alice Cooper catalog and into one of his guest appearances. Throughout Alice’s career, he has collaborated with many other bands, including Twisted Sister, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Shocker, and Insane Clown Posse.

In 2008, the German metal supergroup, Avantasia, released their third studio album entitled The Scarecrow. Alice’s voice perfectly bellows out the lyrics to “The Toy Master,” the 7th track on the LP. It’s a brilliant song that examines the schemes, plots, and ploys of evil – exposing a “wonderland” that is actually nothing more than a trap.

In the lyrics, we find metaphors that resemble the aspirations of darkness – deceptions and lies that grease the gears of evil, so to speak. Last week we touched a little bit on this, but this week we take it one step further – we look at the source.

A good portion of humanity does not believe in real wickedness or even in the enemy (including Christians) despite the word ‘evil’ being mentioned more than 550 times in the Bible. Many believe instead that “we are what we are,” and there is no war being waged for our souls – no battle between good and evil. The truth is, this way of thinking is a trap, and it works.

THE ILLUSION, THE TRAP, THE LIE
The most effective strategy is to have the world deny your existence and mock anyone that claims you are real. The enemy does just that. He knows scripture (Luke 4:10; Matthew 4:6) and, therefore, sees the need we all share – the need for salvation from our sin. We will discuss the enemy’s tactics later in this post, but one of the greatest illusions is to have someone believe that everything is fine even while you are robbed them blind – to con them.

THE VOID, THE NEED, THE TRUTH
Inside every human soul, there’s a need for fulfillment (John 10:10; Colossians 2:9) – to be wanted, loved, needed, cared for, etc. Don’t we spend a considerable amount of time and resources trying to fill that emptiness inside? The lord of this world (the enemy) tells us he has all the answers. The answers to all of life’s questions and how to fill that emptiness inside, but it’s only a ploy. The song does a great job of listing the enemy’s words (the lies) while going one step further to reveal his actual intentions (the truth). A few examples are listed below. NOTE: Pay careful attention to the sly, sinister way in which “The Toy Master” makes promises he never intends to keep.

THE ENEMY’S INTENTIONS
(TRUTH)

I’ve come to bring you pain and a little Novocaine

I’m willing to believe they will pay for the smile

They are flying like zero
It’s their turn to crash and burn

If I only had a heart, it would break

As discussed last week, we often try to use “Sex, Death, and Money” as objects of fulfillment – the “toys” of this world. In particular, we use them to try and “paint the void.”

“Paint the void.” Have you ever painted a wall that has many holes and imperfections? Sometimes the paint covers those blemishes a little bit, but if you don’t spackle the gaps before applying the paint, it most assuredly will peel and expose them again. Just as we prepare a surface before rolling paint, we must first repair our hearts before we can begin to fill its void.

The void is meant to be filled and covered by the Truth and Love of our Creator. His Word is the spackle we use to patch the emptiness in our hearts. As we fill the void with His Truth and paint over the scar with His Love, we begin to notice something. By design, the vacancy in our hearts is fulfilled by seeking out the Designer, by applying His Word and accepting the Living Word (Jesus Christ) (John 14).

Sounds simple enough…why on Earth can’t we just get our acts together? Why can’t we just admit that there’s a better plan for life than the one we draft for ourselves? Honestly, free-will is both a blessing and a curse. Our Father LOVES us. In fact, He loves us so much that He will NOT force us into submission. Our Father wants us to follow and acknowledge Him willingly. He wants us to know the full nature of His plans because of His Love.

Enter the enemy, stage right. As we find ourselves trying to fill the emptiness or “paint the void,” we are met by what the lord of this world has to offer. He will use whatever means necessary to entice us and keep us distracted (Mark 4:19). His goal is to keep us from discovering and latching on to the Truth (God’s Word). He’s mastered the craft of deception – “He’s the master of toys” and the manipulator of the human heart.

Satan is crafty. He’ll use endless forms of half-truths and lies to tell us everything is okay. He’ll disguise himself as the handsome man or beautiful woman in the corner booth at the bar. He’ll tell you that “one more glass is fine,” “just another peek at the screen won’t hurt anyone,” “one more round at the poker table isn’t going to harm you,” “just one little lap dance at the club isn’t a sin,” etc.

The “Prince of Darkness” will convince you that there’s nothing to fear. He’ll have you believing that you are in control of everything – that YOU CAN HANDLE IT. It’s how his web is spun. By using small bits of pleasure disguised as fulfillment and joy, he ensnares his prey. He slowly “deals out pain” while offering subtle forms of “Novocaine.” The vanity of humanity is quickly sold the lies and false narratives he has to offer. We must remember it’s not about the enemy or our own understanding, it’s about trusting the Holy Spirit and knowing His Word (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Two other songs come to mind when sharing the description of the enemy’s persona. One spells out the methods he uses, and the other speaks directly from one of those vices. Excerpts from them both are listed below:

Demon Alcohol
Artist: Ozzy Osbourne
Album: No Rest for the Wicked (1989)

I’ll wash away your lies
And have you hypnotized
There’ll be no compromise today
I’ll share your life of shame
I think you know my name
I’ll introduce myself today

Although that one’s too much
You know ten’s not enough
There’ll be no compromise today
I’ll watch you lose control
Consume your very soul
I’ll introduce myself today

I’m the demon alcohol (demon alcohol)
Haha, demon alcohol (demon alcohol)
Let’s party

Unfortunately, a decent amount of humanity is confident enough (and naive enough) to think he’s stupid or doesn’t exist. *Can’t help but think of Al Pacino playing the role of satan and saying, “Vanity…my favorite sin.”* Some believe that he can be easily outwitted and the tables can be turned on him.

The enemy loves that sort of mindset. He wants us to let our guard down (1 Peter 5:8-9). He wants us to be unaware of his deception. He wants mankind to believe that sin is just a part of human nature. He wants us to think that we are in control.

But there’s more, he also wants us more concerned with the faults of others as well. Instead of worrying about our own sin and struggles, he wants us focused on comparison and the rationalization of sin. “Well, at least I’m not as bad as so and so.” The name of the game is “Distraction.” Without focus, there’s no room to grow. No place to make the proper decisions. No realization that you need redemption.

Another stanza from “The Toy Master” brilliantly illustrates another part of his plan:

No more struggle of the classes
No more struggle of the masses
On their knees, conformity
They are ready for a hero
They are flying like zero
It’s their turn to crash and burn

We’ve become so enamored by the thoughts of fairness and class warfare that we have lost sight of the bigger picture. Money, wealth, and possessions are not a significant part of the equation. They can instead be diversions from the truth and what’s essential (Mark 4:19). “Toys” that keep our minds pre-occupied while the battle is waged between spirit and flesh.

As we discussed last week, the things of this world are neutral. “Sex, Death, and Money” are NOT inherently evil. The twisting and perverting of God’s creation are where real injustice and unfairness occur. And as the song declares, we “are ready for a hero.” By design, we were created to need one. We all have that inner desire for a leveled playing field. Someone to stand in our place – a surrogate. Someone to mentor us during our walk – a sponsor. Someone to rescue us from ourselves – a SAVIOR (1 John 4:10).

Wrapping up this post, we do not need toys. We’ve been skillfully crafted by a Creator that knows, loves, and designed us. By that design, we only truly need what He freely gives us – salvation (Hebrews 9:24-28), freedom (Matthew 7:13-14; John 8:32), restoration (2 Corinthians 5:17) – fulfillment.

Notice in the song “The Toy Master” proclaims that he is the “angel of joy” multiple times, yet by the end of the song, he’s become the “angel of your joy.” He’s revealing the truth there. He’s NOT the one that provides joy. He actually applies pain with just enough novocaine to make things seem harmless and fun. The reality is nothing has been filled or renewed. Instead, he’s used a drill to make the void broader and much deeper. Where do you find your joy? Is it genuine, or is it a ploy from down below? Resist the lord of this world, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

In conclusion, Alice does a masterful job laying down the vocals for this song. After following the music industry (both Christian and mainstream) for many decades, it’s fascinating to see how many Christians are ridiculed for collaborating with mainstream artists. However, aren’t we called to walk that walk? Aren’t we called to be in the world, not of it?

It’s refreshing to watch an artist, like Alice, boldly proclaim their faith yet not be afraid to continue walking and working with everyone on this Earth. There’s no indication that the members in Avantasia are or are not Believers. And honestly, that’s not for us to judge. But the fact is, how are we supposed to shine his light in a darkened world if we aren’t willing to allow His Love and His Truth to shine and be proclaimed in the darkest of places?

That’s it for this week, Be well and catch you next Friday!

Until then, Keep Walkin’ in Faith and Rockin’ with Alice!