**GOOD READ** Lord Foulgrin's Letters by Randy Alcorn

I picked this up along with Alcorn's "The Ishbane Conspiracy" at Title Wave, a new and used bookstore here in Anchorage.

Because I didn't realize the two books have somewhat connected story lines, I almost read them in the wrong order. After I read some Amazon reviews, I decided that "Lord Foulgrin's Letters" is the first to read if going in sequence.

Now a big spoiler alert for you - not here in this post, but on Amazon. One of the first reviews I saw gave away part of the story.

This is one of those stories that might lack in some flow, but will surely have the reader wanting to highlight and underline something every few pages. This is the compulsion I have with books my C.S. Lewis. I highly recommend this book for a group reading session.

The author picks up on the theme Lewis used in his "The Screwtape Letters" but with an American voice and modern setting. Richard Platt also borrowed the theme in "As One Devil to Another". What Alcorn does that I really liked (and found easier to follow), was he intermixed the narrative letters with a standard of characters exchanging dialogue.

The narrative letters follow the progress of demons who are troubling the lives of the Fletcher family. The reader gets to see this family interacting as the demons work to win their souls for Satan.

All my head-nodding and note-taking happens when the story mirrors things I've seen happen in my own life. We all face various temptations from moment to moment. This book is a reminder that temptations come from spiritual sources.

What I want most is to share this book with people who are not yet firm in their commitment to Christ. The story of the Fletchers is the story of (in some form or another) of the attacks humans are under in the war Lucifer has waged on us. He lost Heaven and he wants to keep every human he can away from it too.

I found myself continually nodding and thinking, "Yes. Exactly so!" Sometimes. I'd have to put the book down and pray a little bit for myself or others that I see going through things that were pointed out.

 Alcorn does a great job of reminding readers of the various weapons used in the spiritual battle we are in. He addresses how distractions and self-focus are used in many different ways. Even knowing what I do about spiritual warfare, I was still fortified by the reminders and encouragements.

After having read Lewis, Platt, and now Alcorn, I will never get tired of reading this kind of book. The battle is continual, so the encouragement and reminders will never be out of date as long as we live on this earth.

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. (Ephesians 6:12-13 HCSB)

Peace
--Free