Purification

CHAPTER ONE WARFARE’S NEW RULES OF ENGAGEMENT "We have some really bad news that just may be their Plan B,” said Andrew, David’s chief intel officer. He stood, hands clasped, in front of David, who just stared at him. Andrew muddled on, head hanging like a ripe pumpkin. “That’s dirt from the source of a source that has its source deeply embedded in the muck of a pig’s sty." "Sounds slimy; get to the point," David said, noting that Angela was still listening from the doorway. David held up his hand for a pause. "Angela, please, sweetheart, come in and sit down. Sooner or later, you will hear what I suspect may be coming from Andrew and his research. I know you are a prayer warrior, truly at my side in every conflict, and I want you to know the enemy we are both up against." Angela walked silently into the room in sock feet, the men stepping aside with a sense of chivalry for the woman they admired and honored. She came up quietly to David, leaning against his arm, sad but not fearful; for she truly was a woman of courage in her own right, not afraid of the stark truth but finding strength in the virtuous humility of a godly man, whom she believed to have been a gift to her from God, a loving companion and dependable soulmate. "The bad news, sir," said Andrew, stiffly, "is that we strongly believe, on good evidence, that there is a hit squad out for your life and probably Major Michael’s life as well. This notorious squad has a reputation for being inhumanely monstrous, savage, and seven in number." "Suspected of having preternatural powers by intellectuals of Faith?" David asked calmly. There was a long pause, then Andrew said, "Right. At least some speculate the demonic is involved." Angela gasped upon first hearing Andrew’s news, her eyes widening. She turned toward her husband and slumped against him, eyelids fluttering. Knowing she was prone to fainting, David caught her about the waist and excusing themselves, he helped her into the bedroom. Charlene followed, quietly weeping. As David lay Angela down, Charlene began a low mournful wailing. Alarmed, Michael came in to comfort his wife. David returned with smelling salts. Angela revived and David left her with Charlene who was better composed, wondering if he was foolish in ever having them listen in when they had recently been under such stress concerning the safety of their husbands in the Pacific. David returned. "What is meant by preternatural powers?" asked Michael, knowing that Charlene would also have to be considered a collateral target, since he and David would be under pressure if their wives were threatened. "Okay,” said David, “time for an explanation of what I suspect is going to be a new phase of warfare, one which we may have pushed the evil ones into by winning the big battle at sea against their surrogate, the Red Chinese Army. We are going to be fighting the same filthy demonic beasts, but since their attempt at a conventional, proxy war by their human accomplices and dupes (useful idiots) was foiled, stopped cold at God’s Providential Command, I believe they must now, as a price of their defeat, be stripped of their invisible disguise, dispensed of human instruments and come at us as they really are, diabolical spirits, usually inhabiting human bodies. God has ‘called them out’. Now it will be a different kind of war, a war of the spirits, good versus evil, nakedly evil spirits. Good angels may also appear to us in visible form. By this mankind can see how wicked the enemy is that he has been fighting for his eternal soul and that of others, as well as for their happiness on earth. He would also be shown the angelic warriors on our side, ready for our calls for help. Our combat will have different rules of engagement, different weapons." "Different weapons?" Michael asked incredulously. "Can you kill a spirit with an AR-15, Michael?" "I don't think so. But I wouldn't know what else to use, either." "As you know, Michael,” explained David, “Satan is not stupid; he will not attack God, who defeated and punished him, nor will he attack what is truly holy, set aside for God and imbued with His Holy Spirit. Therefore, Satan fears holy people and blessed objects, according to the degree of their sanctity. Satan cannot harm a person or even touch them without God’s inscrutable permission. Those in the state of mortal sin, the devil can possess or molest with more freedom, but still only as God allows for the salvation of souls." "And those Satan fears, would they be the members of the Church?" asked Angela, her arm around Charlene, whose face was blanched white. With grim determination, Angela and Charlene had rejoined the conversation. They leaned against each other for support. David looked at them with love and admiration, but also with deep concern. "Yes, it is our spiritual mother, the Church, that Satan hates and fears most,” said David, “but he especially hates, harasses and persecutes its Faithful members who stand against him in the Church as one body, which is much more effective in prayer than one person, as Scripture tells us. Satan's hatred is fearful, if not deflected by Faith; it towers like a giant tsunami coming ashore, crushing and grinding up anyone so unfortunate as to be sucked into its fearful maw." “Does Faith shield us from fear, David?” asked Charlene. “Perfect Faith puts us in contact with perfect love, which ‘casts out all fear’ . The servile fear we are dealing with now is fueled by despair, a sense of overpowering doom,” explained David. “Faith does not acknowledge despair because it places all hope in God alone, Who cannot fail. Faith does not live in these waters of doom.