5 Questions with Frank Peretti on ‘This Present Darkness’ at 40 and Spiritual Warfare

Frank Peretti’s groundbreaking unique This Present Darkness commemorates its 40th anniversary this year, and the author stays impressed that a manuscript turned down by 14 publishers ended up being a bestseller, improving the number of Christians consider spiritual warfare. As Peretti sees it, he composed the book, a couple of individuals promoted it, and “the Lord did the rest.”

The unique follows a pastor and a paper editor in a town who reveal an ominous conspiracy while a hidden fight unfolds in between angels and satanic forces. David C. Cook is launching a 40th-anniversary collector’s edition to mark the turning point. Crosswalk just recently consulted with Peretti about the book’s anniversary, the power of prayer and the spiritual fight unfolding all around us.

Here are 5 concerns, with Peretti’s responses, modified for clearness:

Take us back to the start. What was occurring, Frank, in your life in the ’80s when you composed This Present DarknessWhy did you select fiction to check out the spiritual world?

Well, I’m a fiction author. I’m a writer. I was a writer when I was a kid. I attempted various things, however I never ever felt at peace unless I was composing, narrating. I was pastoring a church. Before that, I was an artist. I was a carpenter, professional. I did all examples. I simply kept pecking away at this story concept on a typewriter, a Royal Medallion electrical typewriter.

No one desired it– releasing back in those days, they enjoyed self-help and devotionals, meadow love were huge, that example. The fiction rack in the book shop was. I sent it out. Well, the publishers didn’t do fiction. Crossway Books liked it. I think that was my 2nd book I released. I might have released a number of kids’ books initially, however This Present Darkness rested on the rack for about a year and didn’t. All of a sudden individuals started to discover out about it, talk about it. I believe the 2nd year it was out, it removed like a rocket.

What occurred? Why do you believe it removed?

Well, it truly assisted that Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith, popular Christian artists, plugged the book at their performances. The pastors became aware of it, and after that word of mouth. All it took was a great huge snowball, you understand, to get it rolling, and the Lord did the rest.

What were your objectives behind the plot? What did you desire the reader to comprehend about truth and about our world and about the supernatural world?

That there is a supernatural world. Back in the ’80s, it was the advancement of New Age paganism and neo-occultism entering our culture, therefore it was genuine simple to discuss that. It’s proper now all the more. Folks are still vulnerable to that. They require to comprehend there’s a spiritual side to that. There’s a spiritual evil behind it and a deceptiveness. Therefore the book of 40 years earlier is still suitable today. It still states the very same feature of the very same thing.

Prayer is vital to the plot. What do you hope the book teaches readers about prayer?

Prayer works. That truly sounds basic. Prayer is, in some method, our communion with God. That’s how we speak with Him, and He has actually offered us that function to play in spiritual warfare. And I do not understand precisely how it works, however I understand God hears our prayers, which He reacts. It’s like a collaboration, you may state, or possibly a Father-son relationship. The Lord hears our prayers and He reacts. The essence of the book is when there is spiritual warfare going on, you do not simply sit there seeing. You get included. You hope about it. You speak the fact. You speak to God. You let Him lead. It’s this big dynamic that simply keeps going, and we’re a part of it.

Do you have a specific story that stands out about how the book affected readers?

There’s a myriad of those. I was speaking with a pastor and his better half at a pastors’ conference, and they had actually read my book, and we solved on the topic of angels and such. And the spouse shown me, “We were going through a bumpy ride in our ministry,” and she described her other half. He got up in the middle of the night, most likely to utilize the toilet, you understand, whatever. Marched in the hall, and there was an angel standing there, simply standing there, sort of smiled at him, didn’t state anything. It was simply God’s method and the angel’s method of stating, “We’re here, do not fret, do not forget we’re here,” and she’s informing me this story, and the pastor is simply sobbing. He can’t speak about it due to the fact that it was so genuine.

I had lots of stories of satanic forces, too, that showed up, however the important things I delighted in the most were those favorable stories. You understand– “It altered my prayer life. It opened my eyes to see the spiritual truths around us.” And I’ve gotten letters and talked with individuals who discovered Jesus reading my book. They got conserved. That makes it all rewarding.

that the Lord Jesus dominated all of it. Stroll with the Lord. Let Him lead you, and I ensure you, you’re going to have trials. I ensure you’re going to have concerns and problems. Discover to rely on God, and He’ll get you through it. I have. I typically visualize the Lord Jesus like a shepherd. He’s strolling ahead of me. He really hardly ever stops and recalls. He simply keeps walking, and I keep following.

Picture credit: © DavidC.Cook/ FrankPeretti

Michael Foust has actually covered the crossway of faith and news for twenty years. His stories have actually appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

Listen to Michael’s Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talka podcast where he talks with Christian film stars, artists, directors, and more. Hear how well-known Christian figures keep their faith a top priority in Hollywood and find the very best Christian motion pictures, books, tv, and other home entertainment. You can discover Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.comor subscribe on Apple or Spotify You never ever miss out on an interview that will be sure to motivate your faith.

Initially released November 09, 2026.