The Elf-Warrior Within: How Light Turns Ordinary Beings Into Spiritual Giants
Who we are in the spiritual world depends on what we gaze at.
As Frodo was slipping away into the shadow world after being stabbed by the Morgul blade, his spontaneous prayer to Elbereth was quickly taking shape in the real world. His cry “Oh, Elbereth!” was answered at least twice. First, when the Witch-king missed his heart by an inch, and second, when Glorfindel, an Elvish warrior, appeared in the nick of time to save him in both the physical and spiritual realms.
There was more to Glorfindel than met the eye. The elf had lived in Valinor, the Undying Lands, and existed both in physical and spiritual reality. Frodo, who was fading and becoming a wraith, could see both worlds at the same time. At the Ford of Bruinen, he made a feeble attempt to resist his deadly enemies when he cried: “Go back to the land of Mordor!”
But he did not have the power of Tom Bombadil. His enemies laughed at him.
‘Come back! Come back!’ they called. ‘To Mordor we will take you!’
With the last effort, Frodo lifted his sword,
“By Elbereth and Luthien the Fair,’ said Frodo with a last effort, lifting up his sword, ‘you shall have neither the Ring nor me!’”
He was sure the black Riders would rush into the waters and seize him immediately but something held them back.
“With his last failing senses Frodo heard cries, and it seemed to him that he saw, beyond the Riders that hesitated on the shore, a shining figure of white light.”
Why did the Riders hesitate? There was a mighty shining figure of white light that held them back. Later, Gandalf explained to Frodo that he saw Glorfindel as he was in the spiritual realm.
“Yes, you saw him for a moment as he is upon the other side: one of the mighty of the Firstborn.”
If you have seen the Light of Paradise long enough, you are mighty in the spiritual realm. The powers of darkness may laugh at our physical strength, but they will cower before the shining figure of light. Our strength is measured not by our physical abilities but by how much light we have absorbed. That’s why Paul said,
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.”
Strongholds don’t fall because of earthly weapons — earthly weapons are laughable. Strongholds fall because of spiritual weapons. They crumble in the presence of Light. When we are surrounded by people who are full of light, we are strong. We have a host of witnesses at our side. They may seem ordinary, but on the other side they are mighty figures of white Light.
They may appear as halflings, but they are elf-warriors in the spiritual realm. Even Sam Gamgee was thought to be an elf-warrior by the orcs when he sneaked into the Tower of Cirith Ungol. The orcs discussed among themselves,
“‘There’s some devilry at work in the tower. They don’t dare go up there. I heard one of them saying that something has killed Uglúk. What’s loose now?’
‘I don’t know, but it must be something pretty fierce,’ muttered Gorbag. ‘The Elf-warrior is loose!’”
There’s more to us than meets the eye. We exist both in the physical and spiritual realms. Who we are in the spiritual world depends on what we gaze at. The eye is the lamp of the body. If our eyes are good, our whole body will be full of light. Strength in the evil hour is not a matter of earthly stamina, but a matter of absorbing enough light. There is a cloud of witnesses on our side, and they are “loose.” They have the light of the Two Trees shining in their eyes.
Thank you for a strong reminder not to look for earthly strength …
Thank you I really enjoy these writings always thought provoking!