Unctions of the Spirit

THE DRAGON FIGHTER

By: Gary L. Rodgers

INTRODUCTION

The Dragon fighter is a special breed of person; they have to be very swift and strong and they need to be able to focus on their acrobatic abilities as well as their skills in the use of weapons in combat and be ready to implement those skills instantaneously. They would spend endless hours in specialized training learning techniques that at times seemed impossible to do. Scores of Dragon fighters have either lost their lives or were maimed for life in battles with these horrible creatures. Dragons have a great deal of strength and are a very crafty agile creature. They can slap their tails like a bull whip and break a man’s back with it in a split second. Their fangs and talons have been known to pierce through some types of armor.

This story is about one such Dragon fighter who was called upon to go after the most hateful and powerful leader of all Dragons. The Dragon Fighter’s name is Michael and this is his story.

 THE FOREST OF DESPAIR

It was an early misty damp morning in the forest of Despair where Michael [1] and Juda his lion companion were stalking their quarry. They could sense an evil devilish aura that seemed to surround them which grew in intensity with every step that they took. They were being watched by someone or something very menacing, very threatening. The trees were nearly faded into the mist by the heavy fog that seemed to hem them in with their thick billowing chills of dampness. This forest has not seen any sunlight for a long time and the heavy moss on the bark of the trees was evidence to that. The smell in the air was a mixture of both mold and reptile. Every nerve and muscle of both Michael and Juda was under intense stress because of these eerie feelings that seemed to cast its evil shadow over their every move as they crept silently through the forest.

JUDA

Juda was an unusually large African Lion. He was a powerful, muscular five foot tall animal of fierce strength and swiftness; weighing 795 pounds. His teeth were sharp and strong and his claws were long, pointy and sharp as razor blades. He had so much strength in his paws that he could easily rip the bark from an oak tree with one sweeping blow. For his size he was fast and graceful in his moves. His movements were a blur when he was in the heat of battle. He was a faithful valiant companion and faced death more than once to protect Michael.

MICHAEL

Michael was a striking young lad of twenty years of age with wavy blonde hair and deep dark blue eyes who in his own right was a champion of the people. He was six feet, two inches in height with a muscular physique that gave the appearance of smooth finely polished bronze. He had the strength of two men and could easily lift twice his body weight of 187 lbs. with one hand. In a competition for accuracy and strength during last year’s games he threw a seven-foot long steel javelin that was one and a quarter inches in diameter and weighing nearly 30 pounds to a distance of one hundred, seventy yards and hit dead center on his target. He was an excellent swordsman and archer, and yet with all of his brute strength he had a gentleness that was nearly childlike. During a hunting expedition when he was fourteen years of age Michael rescued his companion Juda from a Lion Pit that he had fallen into when he was but a cub. The two grew up together and became very close, always watching out for each other and sharpening their hunting skills and defenses to a point where every move that they made was synchronized with each others in an almost mechanical fashion, equal to that of a well maintained machine. But today’s hunt was none like they had ever experienced before. They were commissioned by Michael’s father The King to seek out and capture a Dragon called Heylel[2] (Hā-lāl’). Slaying a Dragon was a challenge in itself; but to capture one! That was something altogether different; it had never been done before. And to bind this adversary of the people Michael was given a chain called a proseuche[3] (prŏ-hū-hĕy) chain that had special powers capable of binding and controlling their captive.

Being the King’s son Michael wore for his armor one that stood out from all other armor in the Kingdom. It was silver in color with gold etching and gold engravings. On his shield was a cross with a banner above it that read Basileus Kyrios.[4] (Băs-ĕ-lēē-oos  Kū’-rē-ŏs) And on his vesture was the Greek name Μιχαήλ[5] (Mĕ-kă-āĕl) which by interpretation means “who is like God”.

THE PITCH BLACKNESS OF DEATH AWAITS

Quietly with the stealth of a fox they crept forward in their quest with their keen senses searching in all directions. The stillness of the forest was unimaginably quiet. The shadows seemed to laugh at them as though they knew that going after Heylel’ was futile. Just ahead of Michael and Juda they spied a shadowy figure of something on the ground, cautiously they moved forward ready to spring into action the moment that they would see any movement or hear the slightest sound. Ever so slowly they moved forward until they came to the mouth of a large cave. The opening to the cave was at least twenty feet in height and the same in width. To the left edge of the cave where Michael and Juda were crouched down they stopped at the shadowy mass that they had spied just minutes before. They recognized it to be the skeletal remains and armor of one of Heylel’s victims. The breastplate of the armor had a large puncture in it about six inches in diameter and Michael knew from the size of the hole that their adversary must have been huge in size. Suddenly Juda crouched into an attack stance ready to spring upon whatever it was that had been watching them; and just as quickly as he did that the battle for their lives was on. With a deafening roar the Dragon lunged at them and snapped at Michael with his two foot long fangs. In an instant Michael jumped to his right as the Dragon tried to bite him. Juda clawed at the neck of the Dragon and ripped one of his scales from its vile body. Juda ran back from the mouth of the cave and took his stand thirty feet outside of the caves entrance. Just then Juda heard the sound of something slicing through the darkness and he lunged at Michael in a blur of speed knocking him to the ground just as the Dragon’s tail swung over Michael’s head and hit the side entrance to the cave. Juda jumped back into his previous position trying to lure the creature out of the cave while Michael jumped to his feet and climbed up the side of the entrance to this dungeon of death to the center of the cave. Just then the Dragon came running out of the cave and that quickly Michael jumped onto the back of its long neck. Juda lunged forward and barely escaped the long vise like claws of the Dragon. Juda sank his teeth and claws into the Dragons tail before he could whip it around in his defense. Michael in the meantime whipped the proseuche chain around the Dragon’s neck and with a shout he yelled out; In the name of the Lord of Hosts thy power is taken from thee! And immediately the Dragon lost his strength and he had no power in him to battle any longer. Quickly Michael secured the chain to the Dragon’s neck with a lock that was engraved with the words hieros graphē[6] (hēē-ĕ-rŏs  gră-fĕy).

CAST INTO THE BOTTOMLESS PIT

 Later that same day the Dragon was marched through the streets of the city and brought before the King’s court where his crimes against all humanity were proclaimed before the King. The people marveled at the size and fierceness of the Dragon and rejoiced that the dread and fear of such a beast as this was held bound that they should fear him no more. The Dragon was cast into a bottomless pit and held in reserve by a seal that was placed over the pit until the final Day of Judgment where he would be destroyed in the lake of fire.

A great celebration was given by the people with shouts of praise and the people singing and shouting “gadowl Elohiym”, “gadowl Elohiym,[7]” Great is our God who by His word the Heavens were made and by the power of His Word shall all wickedness be judged. And the word of God was read and all the people shouted Amen! And Amen!

 ^{Revelation 20:1} And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

² And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

³ And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

⁴ And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

⁵ But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection.

⁶ Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

⁷ And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

⁸ And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea.

⁹ And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

¹⁰ And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

¹¹ And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

 THE INVITATION

Satan is a powerful foe but he and his cohorts tremble before Almighty God.[8] And the day will come when Satan and his demons will be thrown into the lake of fire and all those who have rejected His Son Jesus Christ along with those that have accepted the “Mark of the Beast”.

We who are alive today have the opportunity to be a Dragon Fighter for our families and loved ones. We can bind and defeat the Dragon by resisting him[9] through prayer and the Word of God. If we don’t take a stand to win our loved ones to Christ then they will enter into the cave of the Dragon (Satan) where they will be lost forever. Why not take a stand to defend them and fight for their right to be saved from the eternal lake of fire by sharing the gospel of Christ with them.

Please take this moment to bow your head in prayer and say in faith these words. Dear Jesus I know that I am a sinner; I ask that you would please forgive me for every sin that I have ever committed. I believe in you and trust you with my eternal life. I believe that you died on a cross for me and that you shed your blood in total payment for my sin. I accept you as my Lord and Savior and welcome the Holy Spirit into my heart to teach and train me in the ways of righteousness. In your Holy and Blessed name I pray this prayer. Amen!

If you made a decision to pray and ask Christ to forgive you, and to wash away all of your sin with His blood, and to come into your heart to be your Savior, then we praise God for you.

^{Romans 10:13} For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

You should write down the:

Date: _______________________

Time: __________________________

Place: _______________________________________________________

of your decision.  Record this information in your Bible as a record of that decision. It is part of your testimony.

Please contact us through Myerstown Baptist Church, 59 N. Ramona Road, Myerstown PA. 17067 to let us know that you have made a decision for Christ so that we can pray for you and rejoice with you. We would like to send you some information to help you get started in your Christian walk.

Thank you, and may the Lord richly bless you!

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE READING

^{Rev 12: 7-10}  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

⁸And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

⁹And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

¹⁰And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.