Abby Sherman is a young, blonde beach girl. She loves Jesus, goes on mission trips and knows next to nothing of spiritual warfare. She is about to encounter the forces of darkness in a way most people never imagine could happen to them. Why has this seemingly innocent young girl become the locus of rage for wealthy, powerful men worldwide? Something is awakening in her, an invisible force, a gift from God that must be squelched and violently annihilated, at any cost, as soon as possible.
In The Watchers, Mark Andrew Olsen thrusts us into the fray from his opening page. Readers are immediately confronted with the forces of the enemy upon the written page. While it’s not immediately clear who is orchestrating the attempts on Abby Sherman’s life, it is soon apparent that the thrust behind the attacks is demonic. After one attempt on her life fails, an elite assassin with his own code of morals is reluctantly recruited to complete the task. However, something seems amiss to Dylan Hatfield – how could this pure young woman be an international threat? Which side of this battle should he commit himself to?
Before I began reading The Watchers I believed this novel was a fictional depiction of spiritual warfare. I expected it to outline the invisible battle in the heavenlies, illustrating how prayer and other spiritual weapons affect the outcome of these struggles. While these spiritual battles are present throughout and provide an ongoing low-level background tension, they almost seem tools to further what is essentially an action/adventure story than the elements the plot revolves around.
Sadly, I don’t believe the depictions of spiritual warfare are accurate. While I did see characters praying for protection, rebuking demons and praying for healing, I also saw believers shooting demon-possessed men. Jesus cast demons out of men and led those delivered men to Himself, commanding his followers do the same. He never recommended their execution. Offering a man you’ve just conspired to kill salvation before he draws his last breath doesn’t excuse this behaviour. Attempts on believers' lives from the enemy - certainly believable and proven by history. Christians killing demon-beset men - now I have a problem.
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