1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Salvation’s Army!
Raphael: Angel of healing and traveler protection
Michael: Chief warrior and protector.
Samael: Often called the angel of death, poison, and wrath.
In a downtown alley darkened by demons as well as the dusk hanging heavily around him, so an unsuccessful drug addict had hit rock bottom once again.
There, both on the faded newspaper and broken bottle strewn pavement, surrounded by cigarette butts and the not-so-random needle, “Gid” began to wake up.
This was a nickname that had stuck on him for such a long ago. Since childhood even.
He wasn’t the quickest, was late to get on the bus, had no athletic ability that he knew of and, as such, lagged behind in most everything.
No one hadn’t meant any ill will by it. More of an ongoing obvious observation really. “Giddy-up, Gid!” Let’s get going!”
But over and over he heard “Gid” to the point it constantly wore on him like a wet wool blanket.
So there in this filth covered alley, his eyes were becoming accustomed to the dim glow from the single flickering street light above.
But it wasn’t the light that was drawing him out of his chemical hangover this time.
It was a gravel-like voice that was horribly unpleasant to hear and painfully unavoidable at the same time.
“Gid, Gid, Gid! C’mon…let’s get going!” Over and over these words got louder and sharper like punches packing extra pain with each hit.
Part of these audible taunts triggered his ragged childhood memories and the other portion caused him crippling fear yet again.
So he labored heavily just to get to his elbows. Finally settling, he placed both muddied hands over his ears to get a moment of peace.
But…no Silence came.
Filtering through the broken lattice of his calloused fingers still came the ridicule. “Giddy, Giddy! C’mon slowpoke!”
How long he’d laid there was impossible to tell. He knew though that he was drenched from the storm that had gone through.
So he must have been outside for more than a few hours.
As Clarity staggered within him, he soon realized his bruised right side was up against a brick wall.
He must be laying on the upper side of the alleyway. His fingertips then slowly outlined the rough bricks.
“How sad!”, he yelled at himself. “How pathetic that I know this pattern!”
Pounding the cracked roadway with his left fist, he began to shake. Tears flooded down his weathered face.
But…after just a second or two, he shook with regret and anger as his accuser spoke louder.
“Gid! I’ve watched you fail since birth! You are a joke to your own family, a repulsive presence to any who meet you!
You have no friends, no hope and no future!”
In the darkness, the ravaged addict couldn’t disagree. He was in his mid-thirties and couldn’t remember any memorable, sober moment since high school.
Failure clung to him just like that cursed nickname!
Without energy to argue the demon hovering over him, Gid collapsed to the ground…defeated as usual.
“Let me die!” he managed to whisper to the void. “Just let me die…just end me!”
His left hand vigorously clutched at the stones around him and caught a shard of glass.
Instantly the pain and blood loss rapidly brought him to the most conscious state he’d known in days.
The jester of wickedness sent from satan now laughed hysterically and seemed to gain needless volume with every passing second.
Gid just let his hand bleed. He had no bandages, couldn’t tear any piece of cloth off to bind it up, and…didn’t care anymore.
So with that he slipped into unconsciousness and no longer heard all the verbal abuse which hadn’t stopped.
Finally…Silence! No thoughts. No heading towards some light or to the fires of hell. Just…nothing.
The cold rain renewed its falling in what seemed like the conclusion to this battered soul.
Then, unbeknownst to Gid, the laughter came to an abrupt halt.
Though he laid in the rain, continuing in the quiet…still bleeding unrestrained, something had interrupted the servant of Evil.
And if we’d been there, our eyes would have behold a most glorious sight. Spiritual warfare was happening and…it wasn’t one sided any more!
In the briefest of intersections, a huge silver sword had supernaturally and masterfully been swung out of the shadows.
It immediately met the demon’s cackling head and wholly severed it from its vile body!
Both then vanished within a brilliant beacon of gold light!
Yet Gid remained motionless throughout all this violent commotion…and nothing changed except…except that the cut on his left hand had vanished!
The raindrops followed suit and soon, with parted clouds and clearing skies, another voice spoke with confidence.
“Gid! Gid!” No movement, no response. Not even a stirring. Then!
“GID…EON! GIDEON! Arise for the LORD your GOD is calling you!”
Like a gasping man last breath who then receives cold water in the desert’s heat,
like a surrendered soul who’s tasted hell in this life and suddenly savors Heaven’s buffet…
so Gideon was quickly brought into being fully alert!
He was brought to his feet and then rapidly pushed down to avoid a darkened sword being swung at his own head!
Whatever drug he had taken was perhaps the reason he could now see into this unseen realm.
This battle for the next step in his life!
Towering 20 feet or more above his head were two supernatural forces whose swords clashed again! Light had parried the dark spirit’s vicious attempt to harm him!
“Why protect you now with this soul, Raphael? He’s too far gone and if not for your intervention, he would have passed into my hands!”
Seething with rage while dragging his massive sword over the pavement causing sparks,
Samael circled Gideon with Raphael’s sword holding him at bay. Then he spoke again.
“Did you think I would give up so easily, boy? The other demon he executed is just one of thousands! We’re never leaving! Besides!
You’ve gladly taken the poison I’ve offered for years!
You’ve never beaten me and just because you must have called on that…THAT name!”
Here the dark spirit trailed into silence before letting off a hideous shriek of frustration.
He couldn’t bear to speak that NAME above all names and it tortured him to be so incapacitated.
Swinging his blade at the abandoned building near Gideon, it passed through the dilapidated wood and metal…but not without damage.
As the already decaying roof began to cave in and as the walls began to buckle, Gideon suddenly felt himself be whisked away from the falling debris.
Now looking up at Raphael whose hand had removed him to safety, Gideon felt the surge of the HOLY SPIRIT rushed through him.
Never had he gone to church nor was he ever taught the NAME of JESUS.
But in that final hour, when he lay unconscious in the oil and rain soaked road, he had called out!
He couldn’t remember saying anything else but distinctly recalled the words!
“Save me, LORD JESUS!”
In the height of the moment, he actually spoke this out loud again and felt GOD’s touch bolstering his strength!
But with that, Samael recoiled with another horrific shriek and trying to catch Gideon’s protector off guard,
wildly thrust the point of his weapon at the soul which he’d almost had gotten.
However Raphael had been closely watching the demon.
The instant he’d lunged at Gideon, Raphael used one motion to parry the blow and with its backswing, decapitated this wicked warrior.
As the head fell downward with the body following, the man watched in complete awe.
Then once more there was a bright flash of light and any trace of the foul spirit was gone.
He looked up to Raphael to ask a question but the angel’s eyes remained watchful, fixed above.
So he stayed behind the angel and cried out in shock as a colossal arm swooped over them and cleared the atmosphere of a dozen or more demonic hosts!
As the hand closed, their whimpering cries and intermittent shrieks faded within the moment.
What had happened without any notice was now gone even quicker!
“All this trouble for me?” Gideon thought to himself.
“Why me? I’ve done no good, I have no power.” Then looking down at the multiple scars on his wrists, he dropped to his knees. “I am not worthy!”
With this announcement, GOD instantly refilled this cracked clay vessel with heavenly wisdom and great purpose.
Gideon greatly shook as sovereign power flooded through him. He felt, in a word…
Reborn!
With this, Raphael and now Michael’s presence as well turned to leave.
Thankful that this long lost child of GOD now knew WHO had saved him!
In that nearly unconscious second when he’d called out to the LORD, HE had answered and was drawing him forward!
So as the pair of angelic beings stood, watching Gideon, he got up from the ground and wiped off the broken glass and dirt from his clothes.
Michael lowered himself to speak. “You are blessed and highly favored, child of GOD! Now give HIM your all and HE is with you…always!”
He respectfully nodded to them both and before he’d raised his head again, they were gone.
Even so, he was lost no more!
He knew where to go because he’d been there a long time ago. Not as a believer but only as a skeptic. But now!
NOW he believed in HIM WHO made him, called him, rescued him and gave him great purpose.
“Go, give MY Good News to those who are still bound in chains!”
And with that call echoing in his ears, Gideon threw away every chemical which had bound him and headed towards the blinking lights of…the Salvation Army!
Smiling to himself as he began to walk, he whispered. “Thank YOU, LORD GOD for sending them to fight for me!”
As HIServant and fellow soul soldier following in HIS steps,
Whitney
Devotional: Hebrews 1:14 “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to GOD. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Simply put, no one is too far gone. Nor do we continue in sin foolishly, taking advantage of GOD’s great grace!
But GOD knows who are HIS from before Time! Not a mindless, random “knowing” but those whom HE has also planned specific good works for each to do!
Paul was apprehended by GOD later in life and brought to the end of himself.
GOD gave him wisdom and changed his identity…JUST like HE can and does for so many of us…every day!
So stand! Stand and fight the good fight, walk the walk and talk the talk!
GOD sends Salvation’s Army to rescue us and to draw our souls to HIS heart, amen?
Therefore, Beloved!
Give the LORD all the honor and praise and serve HIM…relentlessly!
Amen and amen!
2CJC 