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"This is my house. I have to defend it."
“This is my house. I have to defend it,” Kevin says as he arrives home (1:13:47). He prepares a series of traps.
Harry and Marv subsequently unite inside the house in a comical scene. Harry is covered in feathers including two that conspicuously stick out from his hat like devil horns. “Why the hell did you take your shoes off?” Harry asks. “Why the hell are you dressed like a chicken?” Marv responds. (1:23:48).
To escape the ‘devils,’ Kevin ultimately rides a zipline from the upstairs window to a treehouse, almost busting out the other side (1:26:50). This symbolizes Kevin’s eventual ascent to heaven and to the afterlife. The treehouse represents the church and eternal life in God. Harry and Marv are unable to follow him.
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Before the arrival of Marv and Harry, Kevin sits down to eat. This scene represents the Last Supper. Symbolic of Kevin’s acceptance of God, he says grace, with two angels standing beside him (the candle holders). “Bless this highly nutritious microwavable macaroni and cheese dinner and the people who sold it on sale. Amen,” Kevin says (1:15:40).
The clock almost immediately thereafter strikes 9pm, the beginning of the second watch. A battle of good versus evil and for Kevin’s immortal soul begins.
“This is it. Don’t get scared now,” Kevin reassures himself (1:16:12).
The assault on the house begins with one of the devils, Marv, rising from ‘hell,’ symbolized as Kevin’s basement, to attack Kevin’s home and his faith. He is deterred by traps that Kevin has set. After stepping on a nail on the basement stairs, Marv subsequently tries to enter the home through the window.
"Harry, I'm coming in!" Marv says (1:23:34).
However, Kevin has set a trap of Christmas ornaments, which Marv steps on. The ornaments and Christmas tree, again, represent the birth of Christ and salvation. Note that in both cases, Marv is injured by sharp objects: a nail, broken glass. Harry, in subsequent scenes, is injured by fire: a red-hot doorknob and a flamethrower.
The ascent to heaven
They subsequently slip on “micromachines” Kevin has set as a trap. Harry loses his golden tooth. Kevin subsequently knocks both over with paint cans, reminiscent of church bells tolling (1:24:16).
After a pursuit, Marv grabs Kevin by the leg. Kevin takes his brother Buzz’s tarantula that has been wondering around the house at other points in the movie and places it on Marv’s face. Marv let’s out a scream that is only rivaled by Janet Leigh’s in Psycho. Marv then flings the spider off his face. Note that before Marv strikes Harry with a tire iron, the spider is almost directly over a supine Harry’s heart (1:25:18). The spider represents Harry’s spiritual wickedness.
Crucifixion and resurrection
Kevin subsequently flees to a neighboring house. He ascends out of the flooded basement, with the water symbolizing purification. However, when he emerges, he is confronted by the devils. Marv and Harry are behind the basement door.
"Hiya pal," Harry says (1:29:39).
Harry and Marv hang Kevin from a coat hook. This represents the crucifixion of Christ. Note that Kevin stretches out both arms very slightly to emphasize this point (1:29:47). Marv also says he’s going to “shove a nail through his foot.” However, Kevin is saved by Old Man Marley, again, God, who uses his shovel to knock out the ‘devils.
“Come on. Let’s get you home,” says Old Man Marley, pulling Kevin off the coat hook (1:30:20). This symbolizes both Christ’s salvation and Kevin’s ascent to heaven, where he will be reunited with his family.
Once back home, Kevin puts out milk and cookies for Santa Claus and also hangs the family stockings (1:31:51), traditional roles of an adult. The next day, Kevin awakes to snow falling (1:33:33).
Here snow and the color white symbolize Kevin’s purification through his acceptance of Christ and through death. Note that throughout the house in this scene, we see an emphasis on the white poinsettias (1:34:06).
Kevin’s mother subsequently returns home. After she apologizes to Kevin, they embrace. “Where’s everybody else?” Kevin asks. “Baby, they couldn’t come. They wanted to so much,” his mother replies (1:35:51).
Kevin’s family subsequently comes in the front door. This represents the family’s eventual reunification in heaven through Kevin’s acceptance of Christ. “Hey Kev. It’s pretty cool that you didn’t burn the place down,” his brother Buzz says, in reference to Kevin’s rejection of the devil during his life (1:36:14).
In the closing scene, Kevin looks out the window and sees Old Man Marley embracing his son as snow falls (1:37:36). This is an alternate depiction of Kevin, shown here as an older man with family, embracing God. Notice the white curtains. Marley waves while hugging his granddaughter as they go into their home. Note that Marley’s hand, bloodied and bandaged the night before, is now fully healed.
The two sequences together, Kevin reuniting with his family and Old Man Marley (God) reconciling with his son (Christ) together represent eternal life in the kingdom of God. Kevin’s journey to salvation is complete.
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