Angels of Humility: A Novel by Jackie Macgirvin

“Since ‘You Know Who’ was raised from the dead carrying the keys to death and Hell, we are totally defeated.”
    “We know that,” whined Depression, “I hate being reminded. Get on with it. What’s your big secret weapon?”
    “We have one weapon and only one weapon, but it is powerful—the ability and authority to exploit her ignorance. We can attack her in every area where she doesn’t realize she has the victory. She’s a new Christian; she doesn’t understand that she’s more than a conqueror.” 3 They all shuddered at that phrase. “Since she’s His daughter, a joint heir, she has all the power He does at her control, but she doesn’t realize she has the power—”
    “So she can’t wield the power against us,” interrupted Discouragement, his yellow pointed teeth showing behind his evil grin. “She’s like Dorothy in
The Wizard of Oz
. She had the shoes that could take her home any time, but she didn’t realize what they could do for her.”
    “That’s right,” said Lying. “The only weapons we’ve ever used in the last 2,000 years are deceit and bluff. But we’ve taken out many Christians because of their ignorance, 4 and we can still take her out, too.”

     
    Most of the families on her street were gone during the day, so Sarah, with help from her unseen warring and worshiping angelic companions, grew bolder and progressed from merely asking blessings on her neighbors to declaring their salvations.
    One day she stopped in front of the Reynolds’ and paced back and forth praying. Kathy, who was hanging a picture in the living room, glanced out the window and saw Sarah pacing in front of the house, fists clenched, looking very intense and talking, talking, talking—to nobody.
    Oh dear, this is getting worse all the time
. She dialed the church. Paul wisely agreed to take her call, even though he was meeting with Mike Brooks, the head of the elders. He wanted Mike’s opinion of phase one of his mega five-year church plan and was giddy with anticipation.
    “Hi Hon, what’s new? Again? No, I don’t know anything about her, but I’ll find out.” He hung up the phone; his brow furrowed, and he leaned across the old mahogany desk toward Mike. “Tell me everything you know about Sarah Edwards; don’t hold anything back.”
    “Why?”
    “Well, it appears she’s stalking my family. She comes to our house every day, sometimes twice a day, and paces up and down the sidewalk with her fists clenched, ranting and raving about who knows what.”
    “Are you talking about our Sarah Edwards?”
    “Exactly. What do you know about her?”
    “Not much, but I’d never peg her as a stalker, that’s for sure. Does she knock at your door or look in your windows?”
    “Well no. Stalking is probably too strong a word, but it’s like she’s got some weird obsession with our house.”
    “She was widowed about seven months ago. She’d never been to the church, and Reverend Hall led her to the Lord. She made her profession of faith, was baptized the following Sunday, and has been coming here ever since. That’s about all I know. She seems sweet, sincere, and totally harmless to me.”
    “Has she caused any problems since she’s been here?”
    “Well,” said Mike haltingly, “I don’t know her personally, and I wasn’t in on this so I hate to say anything, but there was one incidence shortly after she got saved; she was telling all her Sunday School class members that she heard from the Lord about them. It didn’t go over too well. I can’t say that they ostracized her, but they’re not overly friendly. But I still don’t think she’s a stalker.”
    “She hears voices and thinks they’re from God, and she stakes out the pastor’s house?” said Paul, stroking his chin. “She’s probably still experiencing heavy grief. I studied the stages of grief at seminary, you know. It sounds like she’s not coping well. Is she still trying to tell people she hears from God for