This Present Darkness (Darkness, #1)

by Frank E. Peretti

The Spirit brought me here, the same as you.

Yes, it was indeed Tal, the Captain of the Host. It was so strange to see this mighty warrior standing in this humble little place. Guilo had seen him near the throne room of Heaven itself, in conference with none other than Michael. But here stood the same impressive figure with golden hair and ruddy complexion, intense golden eyes like fire and an unchallengeable air of authority. Guilo approached his captain and the two of them clasped hands. “And we are together again,” said Guilo as a thousand memories flooded his mind. No warrior Guilo had ever seen could fight as Tal could; no demon could outmaneuver or outspeed him, no sword could parry a blow from the sword of Tal. Side by side, Guilo and his captain had vanquished demonic powers for as long as those rebels had existed, and had been companions in the Lord’s service before there had been any rebellion at all. “Greetings, my dear captain!”

We were called here for his sake, for the saints of God and for the Lamb.” “For the saints of God and for the Lamb!” they all echoed.

“No,” cautioned Tal, “he’s not alone. There’s still a Remnant of saints somewhere in this town. There is always a Remnant.”

Tal drew his sword and held it high. The others did the same and a forest of shining blades appeared, held aloft in strong arms. “Rafar,” Tal said in a low, musing voice, “we meet again.” Then, in the voice of a Captain of the Host: “For the saints of God and for the Lamb!” “For the saints of God and for the Lamb!” they echoed.

Hank replaced the receiver and felt he would cry. “Lord God,” he prayed, “Lord God, what shall I do?” The Lord gave no immediate answer, and Hank sat there on the couch for several minutes trying to regather his strength and confidence. Mary was still busy in the kitchen. That was good. He couldn’t talk to her right now; there were too many thoughts and feelings to be sorted out. Then a verse came to his mind: “Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.” Well, it sure beat sitting home just fussing and fuming and not really doing anything. So on went his sneakers and out the door he went. Krioni and Triskal were outside waiting for their charge. Invisibly they joined Hank, one on each side, and walked with him down Morgan Hill toward the center of town. Hank was not a man of great stature anyway, but between these two giants he looked even smaller. He did, however, appear very, very safe. Triskal kept a wary eye open, saying, “What’s he up to, anyway?” Krioni knew Hank pretty well by now. “I don’t think he even knows. The Spirit is driving him. He’s giving action to a burden in his heart.” “Oh, we’ll have action, all right!” “Just don’t be a threat. So far it’s the best way to survive in this town.” “So tell that to the little pastor here.”

“Oh, but I’ve had dreams of angels lately.” Grandma was always very matter-of-fact about such things. “I don’t usually, but I’ve seen angels before, and always when there was great headway to be made for the kingdom of God. I just have a feeling in my spirit that something is really stirring here. Haven’t you felt that way?”

Then Edith Duster, who’d fought in spiritual wars before, who’d won victories on foreign soils, tightly grasped the hands of this young ministering couple and prayed. “Lord God,” she said, and the warmth of the Holy Spirit flowed through them, “I build now a hedge around this young couple, and I bind the spirits in Jesus’ name. Satan, whatever your plans for this town, I rebuke you in Jesus’ name, and I bind you, and I cast you out!”

They were all ready. Many felt awkward praying out loud for the first time; some knew how to pray loudly and confidently; some prayed in phrases they’d learned from certain liturgies; all meant every word, however they managed to express it. The fervency slowly began to rise; the prayers became more and more earnest. Someone started a simple song of worship and those who knew it sang, while those who didn’t know it learned it. In the rafters the angels sang along, their voices smooth and flowing like cellos and basses in a symphony. Triskal looked at Krioni, smiled broadly, and flexed his arms. Krioni smiled and flexed back. Chimon took his sword and made it dance from the pivot of his wrist, tracing streaks and curls of shimmering light in the air as the blade sang with a beautiful resonance. Mota just looked toward heaven, his silken wings spreading, his arms upraised, caught up in the rapture of the song.

Of course what Tal said was true. Men will sin if men will.

“Spirit,” said Andy, “I command you to tell us who you are in Jesus’ name!” “Don’t you mention that name!” the spirit hissed and then cursed. “I will mention that name again and again,” said Hank. “You know that name has defeated you.”

She rose suddenly and embraced him, giving him a kiss he would remember for a long time, a kiss when she held him desperately tight, when her face was wet with tears, when her body trembled with her weeping. He held her with his strong arms as if he were hanging on to his very life, a priceless treasure he might never have again.

He’s the Healer, you know. He can take away your regrets and your sorrows, believe me.”

She rose and grabbed her pillow, placed it on the floor, and then knelt upon it there beside the bed. She wanted to laugh, she wanted to cry, she wanted to sing; there was a burden and a power deep within her, and she clasped her shaking hands together there upon the bed, bowed her head, and began to pray. The words flowed forth from her deepest soul, an outcry on behalf of God’s people and God’s righteousness, a plea for power and victory in the name of Jesus, a binding of the evil forces that were trying to take the very life, the very heart of that community. Names and faces cascaded before her mind’s eye and she interceded for all of them, pleading before the throne of God for their safety and salvation. She prayed. She prayed. She prayed.

From north, from south, from east and west, from all directions, and so very silently, heavenly warriors continued to drop into the town like snowflakes, walk into the town like people, sneak into the town like guerrillas, glide through fields and orchards into the town like bush pilots. Then they hid themselves and waited.

“Marshall,” Hank said excitedly, unable to sit still, “this is of God! Our being here is no accident. Our enemies meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. He’s brought the two of us together just so we could meet, just so we could put the whole thing together.

And everywhere, from every direction, new visitors continued to arrive in the town of Ashton, riding in on passing hay trucks, hitchhiking in like summer backpackers, gliding in through the cornfields and then through the back streets, roaring in like wild bikers, bussing in like high schoolers, hiding in the trunks and under the bellies of every vehicle that traveled through on Highway 27. And steadily the nooks, crannies, unused rooms, and countless other hiding places all over the town became alive with still, silent figures, their burly hands upon their swords, their golden eyes piercing and alert, their ears tuned to one particular sound from one particular trumpet.

Edith Duster turned to the others and said, “Just remember, brothers and sisters, we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” She got several Amens to that, followed by someone starting a worship song. Immediately the whole Remnant took up the song and sang it loudly, worshiping God and making His praise heard in that parking lot.

Countless spirits were arriving in the town of Ashton—but they were not the kind Rafar desired. They rushed in under the ground, they filtered in under the cover of occasional clouds, they sneaked in by riding invisibly in cars, trucks, vans, buses. In hiding places all over the town one warrior would be joined by another, those two would be joined by two more, those four would be joined by four. They too could hear the singing. They could feel the strength coursing through them with every note. Their swords droned with the resonance of the worship. It was the worship and the prayers of these saints that had called them here in the first place.

If those people out there only knew what a blessing this was! Suddenly he knew he was not in prison any longer, not really. The gospel of Jesus Christ was not imprisoned, and he and Marshall were now two of the freest men in the world.

He could feel the blade resonating with the worship of the saints, and he could sense the power of God’s presence.

Thunderous shouts began the moment Tal touched down on his hill and raised his blazing sword high above his head. “For the saints of God and for the Lamb!” Tal shouted it, Guilo shouted it, myriads of heavenly warriors shouted it, and the entire landscape from one end of the valley to the other, the entire town, and even the forested hills surrounding Ashton erupted in brilliant stars. From the buildings, streets, alleys, sewers, lakes, ponds, vehicles, rooms, closets, nooks, crannies, trees, thickets, and every other imaginable hiding place, flaming stars shot into the air. The Host of Heaven!

THE GENERAL SWUNG his sword at the Strongman again and again, weakening him, cutting him more and more frequently as the Strongman continued to lose his power. “You will not defeat me!” the Strongman still boasted, as did Kaseph, but the boast was empty and futile. The Strongman was gushing red vapor and tar like a wretched and broken sieve. His eyes were full of evil and hate and he slashed with his big sword, but the prayers …! The prayers could be felt everywhere, and the General could not be defeated.

THE GENERAL SLASHED at the Strongman again, and the Strongman screamed again. The swords clashed and sang and flashed with fire.

Somewhere the saints were praying. He could feel it. He was healing. What was that? From somewhere the sweet music found its way to him. It soothed him. Worship. The name of Jesus.

He could still hear the music. It echoed throughout the heavenlies, washing them clean, clearing away the darkness with God’s holy light. And his heart was the first to tell him: You’ve won … for the saints of God and for the Lamb. You’ve won! The light grew and grew, blossoming, filling the room, and the darkness continued to shrink and ebb and fade away. Now Tal could see light coming in through the windows. Sunlight? Yes. The Heavenly Host? Yes!