Exile of Lucifer (Chronicles of the Host, #1)

by D. Brian Shafer

True freedom and responsibility are compatible. I would go so far as to say that one cannot be truly free unless one is given some sort of parameters, boundaries, to make that freedom meaningful. The Lord in His wisdom created boundaries for us and in doing so assured us of freedom.

But when it all comes down to it, they have only their wits and their pet philosophies. I have the truth of God and the truth is everlasting, Michael.”

“Because the Lord loves His creatures too much to violate their ability to choose freely. What is devotion to God if it is forced or created beforehand? It is worthless. True love must come from a choice to exercise that love.

God is only in control if He allows the possibility of His creatures getting out of the bounds He has constructed for them. And the reason is clear. If He must exercise power to keep His creatures from willfully disobeying Him, then He demonstrates an inability to deal with them justly. He must let them choose because there are consequences for their actions. That is the difference!”

“Well, I don’t really know,” said Crispin. “The point is, Michael, that if Lucifer, or Pellecus or you or I ever decide to rebel against the Lord’s authority, the fact that we can rebel is not a sign of His weakness. It is rather a sign of His strength and confidence that He can handle such possibilities.”

“Lucifer has a way about him that makes you feel…important, needed, and that you’re going to miss a tremendous opportunity if you don’t join him. He makes you feel like you’re on a great journey—part of some great plan. He inspires confidence in an angel—particularly if that angel is searching, or hurting, or discontented.”

Still, as he reflected on the meeting he began to see a disturbing logic that Lucifer and his proponents all seemed to rally around: that the Lord’s apparent inaction was a validation of their progress.

Lucifer laughed a little as if in agreement. “Dear Pellecus, I am not interested in these angels being educated. I am interested in them being loyal. You are a teacher and as such want a stage, a platform from which to teach. That is well and good.” He looked intently at him. “But the strength of this movement, as you call it, is not in doctrine or truth or myths. The strength of this liberation is me. It is I whom they follow—not a teaching. It is I who shall liberate them—not a doctrine. It is I who shall lead them to earth—not a philosophy. Those things are useful, in that they provide a reasoned justification—but they are merely a reference.

Lucifer cannot really harm you except in your heart and mind. He holds no power over you except that which you allow him influence.

The task of the creature was to depend upon the Creator—to follow His instructions and not question the circumstances. From this point forward they must trust fully in the Lord’s ability and wisdom!

“I know that you are wrestling with yourself as to which master you should serve, the one who holds you now, or the one who never really let you go. The Lord Most High has never abandoned you. He has never abandoned even Lucifer, although it sometimes seems that Lucifer has abandoned Him.

Gabriel could not help but reflect upon how he or Michael or even Crispin might have dealt with Lucifer—with haste and great recklessness no doubt. How truly magnificent the Most High must be to endure such events with such patience and longsuffering—always knowing that an unpleasant conclusion awaited those who opposed His will!

“Nevertheless, freedom is not to be taken lightly, my brothers. The choice to love and serve the Lord is the most noble choice we can make. But…it is not the only choice. When we do choose to serve Him, we do so for our love for Him, not because we are forced by some inherent nature to do so. Nor because we are created in slavery….”

“But where is truth in all of this?!” demanded Crispin. “If you or I decide to teach some pet doctrine we will always find a way to justify its existence. So long as there is no permanent basis of truth—something binding and eternal—then all else drifts and obscures truth! I could teach that Lucifer is God and many might believe! I beg your pardon, Lucifer, for the illustration!” Crispin said, bowing slightly to Lucifer.

“My point? That truth is not something to be played with and tossed about and changed with every idle thought—truth is rooted ultimately in the Most High!”

Change what one believes and you change what one does—and ultimately who one is.

Remember this as you administer earth. If one simply knows where the armor falls short, one need not possess all of the power.”

The figure walked out of the light and extended His hand. A’dam could barely see to take the hand because the light was so bright. He finally shut his eyes and reached out blindly, feeling the Father’s loving hands taking his own—the blinded A’dam guided by the all-seeing Father.

“No, A’dam,” He said. “I would never kill you. But by your own choice you would bring death to yourself. Therefore I say to you again, you may not eat of these trees, for on that day you shall surely die.”

“You must understand,” said Serus. “Lucifer does not consider himself beaten. If I know him he will call this a setback. He will redouble his efforts and continue the war. And the most logical place from which to continue is earth.”

“Agreed,” said Lucifer. “That is why it is of utmost priority to strip A’dam of his authority. So long as a human operates under the authority of the Most High we are paralyzed. But once he has no legal right over us I suspect we will be able to force certain conclusions that will be to our advantage. The battlefield is not in Heaven or in Eden—the battle will be played out in the mind of humans.”

A’dam was created to love the Lord—but if that love is not freely given it is not truly love. True love is not compelled—it is offered.”

“However, violence will not be our only weapon. We are thinking creatures, are we not? We shall be subtle and cunning in our dealings with man. We shall create great systems of worship—some of you shall become gods of this planet—idolized and adored. You shall have images erected in your honor and placed in great temples—something strangely contemptible to the Most High. We shall divert the attention of man away from the Lord; he will look to the Heavens and see many gods; he will look to creation but miss the Creator; he will look for God within his own corrupted pride. Instead of looking at a star and bowing to its Creator, he will bow to the star itself! What delicious irony to allow creation itself to be worshiped!

“We cannot alter the Lord’s will regarding man. But perhaps we can alter man’s will regarding the Lord.