This Present Darkness

by Gary Corwin

When This Present Darkness, the first of Frank Peretti’s novels on spiritual warfare, hit the streets in 1986, its reception was phenomenal. It represented an imaginative and entertaining new kind of writing, tackling some of theology’s most high-interest “missing links” through the medium of the novel.

When This Present Darkness, the first of Frank Peretti’s novels on spiritual warfare, hit the streets in 1986, its reception was phenomenal. It represented an imaginative and entertaining new kind of writing, tackling some of theology’s most high-interest “missing links” through the medium of the novel.

But why so popular? It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the fact that it was a novel. At a time when few Christians do much serious reading, let alone read theology, that was no small advantage. Besides, it is a tolerably good novel and, except for the first couple of chapters, is fast-paced and has many of the qualities of a thriller about it.

Beyond all that, however, it struck a nerve in the evangelical community. For the first time, seemingly, someone had addressed the mystery of cosmic struggle from the point of view of both angels and demons, giving a glimpse into its relationship to the everyday lives of believers. In a world that seemed to be heading down all sorts of bizarre paths of occult involvement, here was a book that made sense of it all.

The book provided a plausible explanation for the critical role that prayer plays in overcoming principalities and powers. To a generation of believers that had lost the motivation for prevailing prayer, but not the guilt for having lost it, here at last was a picture of reality that might rekindle the flame. No wonder the excitement.

So what have been the ramifications of Peretti’s world view for world missions? More praying? Perhaps. The number and visibility of prayer movements certainly seem to have increased, though I’m not sure they have always been matched by the number of hours actually prayed.

At the same time, tendencies in the “prayer mobilization” movement for world evangelization sometimes make me nervous. Must prayer be focused on identifying territorial spirits as a prerequisite to the gospel’s penetrating a city or region? Or (like Paul) should missionaries just pray (1) for boldness in preaching the gospel and (2) that God would call men and women to himself? Are on-site prayer walks strategic, or just a good way to motivate people to keep praying? Is there really a difference between “regular prayer” and “warfare prayer,” or is all prayer spiritual warfare?

Another question: Is God still sovereign, or do outcomes now lie somehow in our hands? Is God in control, or are we? While This Present Darkness and its sequels do not address the question directly, their emphasis on an almost mechanical strengthening of angels by prayer would seem, at best, to downplay God’s control over the affairs of men and spirits. To the extent that we think that we control world evangelization, we may actually diminish our usefulness to God for that purpose.

As both James (4:6) and Peter (1 Peter 5:5) are quick to remind us, the Proverb’s wisdom (3:34) is still true: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

We in the missions community, however (not unlike some of the characters in Peretti’s novels, or North American evangelicalism in general), sometimes waver between two minds, neither of which can be classified as humble. On the one hand, we are given to triumphalism: “We can do it, and we will!” On the other, we often succumb to a sort of fatalism: “We can’t do it, and therefore it isn’t going to happen!” Sometimes we even seem to hold both views simultaneously, as with our debates over when the world will be fully evangelized. Unfortunately, when any of these alternatives replaces humble dependence on God alone, who can do it, prayer invariably suffers.

Further, if prayer is simply a mechanical or magical means to expose demonic hierarchies or bolster the sagging fortunes of embattled angels, don’t we risk losing sight of the supreme value of prayer as communication with God for the sake of our relationship with him? Mission flows best from a passion for God’s glory. That passion only develops as we grow deeper in our relationship with him. I’m therefore concerned about what such novels do not say, andthe impression they leave on our increasingly undiscerning churches.

It would be cruel irony if Peretti’s novels and the movements they may have spawned, which have done much to awaken believers to the critical nature of prayer, ultimately lead to a cheapening of prayer and a loss of biblical literacy. But if we can remember that novels are novels and not theological textbooks, and that the essence of prayer is the excitement of communion with God for his sake alone, then perhaps we can avoid the dangers. If not, then perhaps the demons will have already won a major battle.

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EMQ, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 148-149. Copyright © 1995 Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMIS.

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