The battle is not with human beings

~Saturday Stories~

I wrote this after reading Shannon Dittemore’s amazing book Angel Eyes. 

The world is full of

Noises we do not hear

Sights we do not see

Truths we do not understand

We think this world is all there is

But how blind that idea

How ignorant, how destructive

Does God’s Word not warn us

That the battle is not with human beings

But with the powers of darkness

That we as humans do not see

But that are nonetheless existent

Yet let us not forget

A truth so bright it blinds in a new way

That God has power over all

And the enemy has no chance

Against the might of the Almighty 

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." 1 John 4:4 (NIV)

Amen! 

Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore

~Saturday Stories~

Typical Brielle: "Ali was eighteen, Dad. My age. A little bit younger, really." My body-my skin, even-feels so heavy with the icy weight of it all. "I could have stopped the whole thing."

Brielle is coming back from the city, the city that offered so much for her talent. Everyone keeps telling her that it wasn't her fault, but she knows... She knows she could have saved her friend. Now back in Stratus, Oregon, Brielle can't seem to find peace anywhere. The the new boy in town starts hanging around with her. Jake isn't a normal guy. With healing hands and an intense heat radiating from his body, he intrigues Brielle. But will she accept the gift Jake reveals but only God can give? Is she ready to see the world for what it really is?

Angel Eyes is a beautiful and captivating story. The plot keeps one intensely invested, and Shannon Dittemore makes her prose come alive in every sentence. Brielle's struggles are real and easy to relate to.

The story idea itself - a girl who can see the Celestial, the angels and demons - could easily have become just another story to add to this world's ever-growing collection of horrors and thrillers. Yet the author keeps her story as Biblically grounded as can be. Although obviously some license is taken, little or nothing contradicts Scripture. Shannon Dittemore depicts the battle going on between angels and demons, making the concept outlined in Scripture come alive in the imagination.

One thing that could be improved, though, is mentioning Jesus Christ. The book contains at most one allusion to God's incredible gift of Jesus' death and resurrection. While Brielle learns to accept God's existence and sovereignty, her attitude toward Christ is not described. However, Angel Eyes did an amazing job of reminding of the truth that is easy to forget, that the real battle is the one we do not see.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

Angel Eyes is the first of the Angel Eyes trilogy. The second and third books are Broken Wings and Dark Halo.

For more on Shannon Dittemore, visit her website and Facebook page. She is also a regular contributor to the Go Teen Writers blog.

Love, show, remember

~Friday for Friends~

"Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." Hebrews 13:1-3 (NIV)

How about you? Are you loving others? Have you shown hospitality to people you know and to strangers? Do you remember those who are in prison, those who are suffering, those who are alone?