Some have made the cross an idol which is wrong and you make a good point for a good way to put it to use. So many do not represent God well and give you good ammunition. And some even desire their position as an opportunity. Very very sad. You make jokes about the devil but he is very real. You do some research about the occult and the paranormal and that is stuff you do not want to mess around with. The Scripture you quote is true though. Resist him in the name of Jesus and he will flee.
You talk about sickness. Well on Christmas Eve my wife came down with Covid. After a week she began to get worse and she went steadily downhill for a month after that. Then on Feb 1st I got a call at 5:30 in the morning that she had taken a traumatic turn for the worse. She had been moved to ICU with respiratory failure, heart failure, blood clots in both lungs, and a very bad lung infection that was far worse even after a week of treating it with strong antibiotics. She was placed on a ventilator and was not expected to make it another day. An army of prayer warriors appealed to God for healing and the next day she was off the ventilator and the path to healing began. She is now home again and baking me pies. Say what you want but that was a miracle granted from God. There was zero hope for survival and now she is almost 100%. It was not waving a cross but prayers to a mighty God that can do miracles. To God Be The Glory.
That's extremely good news to have a recovery like that, prayer may work, dunno, but doctors in themselves and nurses/support with their skills deserve a lot of praise. Life is a mystery. Prayer is not a sole christian thing, it has been embraced by all cultures through all times. https://www.britannica.com/topic/prayer/Forms-of-prayer-in-the-religions-of-the-world But when we google things like prayer, most search results are drowned out by christianity themes due to the predominance of (googles) western culture.
My excuse would be having integrity enough to not believe the unbelievable. Whereas you'd have no excuse for choosing the wrong God ...
What is unbelievable is that the Universe exists and that humans exist with the ability to contemplate their existence. However it is true! And, it comes by the hand of a loving God. There is no Odin. When you go before the White Throne Judgment there will be NO excuse.
Yes, humans throughout the ages have done this, every culture and generation have a different understanding, but in 2022, America, they finally arrived at the 100% truth. In case you don't get the point, how religion has changed from 2000 years ago. Today's church-going generation believe what they believe now is the same from 2000 years ago, but it aint so. The bible has been chopped and changed, the church now more liberal, but who knows exactly what people were thinking back then. But what hasn't changed, christianity pushing marketing always believe they and they alone have the answers for humanity. Russians believe Putin is the best politician who ever lived, christians believe their church is the only correct version. Such is human delusion.
Christians, when they read the bible need to reach one conclusion, it pays to ignore every other 'noise' theory and research, just doggedly keep blinkers on and believe your current version of the bible and be guided by what your preacher spouts from the pulpit. If your preacher spouts on about guns and Trump, well that then is the truth, that is God's word.