On this day in 1918, the first case of the deadly historical flu pandemic was reported. U.S. Army Private Albert Gitchell reported to the base hospital at Ft. Riley, Kansas with a headache, sore throat, and fever. “A U.S. Army cook, Gitchell was hospitalized with a 104-degree fever. The virus spread quickly through the Army installation, home to 54,000 troops. By the end of the month, 1,100 troops had been hospitalized and 38 had died after developing pneumonia.”1
The flu became known as the Spanish Flu. Spain was believed to be the epicenter of the pandemic, however, this was later proven to be inaccurate. That didn’t change the public’s perception, and the name went down in the history books.
“In 1918, the city of Philadelphia threw a parade that killed thousands of people. Ignoring warnings of influenza among soldiers preparing for World War I, the march to support the war effort drew 200,000 people who crammed together to watch the procession. Three days later, every bed in Philadelphia’s 31 hospitals was filled with sick and dying patients, infected by the Spanish flu. By the end of the week, more than 4,500 were dead. By the time Philadelphia’s politicians closed down the city, it was too late. A different story played out in St. Louis, just 900 miles away. Within two days of detecting its first cases among civilians, the city closed schools, playgrounds, libraries, courtrooms, and even churches. Work shifts were staggered and streetcar ridership was strictly limited. Public gatherings of more than 20 people were banned. The extreme measures—now known as social distancing, kept per capita flu-related deaths in St. Louis to less than half of those in Philadelphia.”2
Lasting 26 months, there were approximately 500 million cases across the world. Between 25-50 million are suspected to have died either directly or from complications resulting from the flu. Doing some simple math, 10% died from the flu.
The flu season of 2025 hasn’t been a picnic, either, but it is nowhere near what happened in 1918. Many of you reading this have experienced Influenza A, B, or COVID. It has been deemed as the most pervasive flu season since 2010. “So far this season, the CDC estimates, there have been at least 24 million flu illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths — including at least 57 children… The flu has forced schools to shut down in some states. The Godley Independent School District, a 3,200-student system near Fort Worth, Texas … closed for three days after 650 students and 60 staff were out…”3
“The virion particles are usually spherical or ovoid in shape and 80 to 120 nanometers in diameter.”4 It takes an electron microscope to see the little contagions. It’s hard to imagine that something so small and essentially invisible could do so much damage.
We have an enemy that is even more invisible and causes much more damage than the flu virus. Ephesians 6:10-12 says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the 
power of his might. (11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
While we don’t see the devil with our naked eyes, we see his effects and how he indwells his pawns. His handiwork is all around us. Millions die every year, infected not by his unbelief in Jesus but by his viral rejection of Jesus. James 2:19 reminds us, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” Satan has the intellectual belief in Jesus, not the heart transforming belief.
Protect yourself against the spiritual flu. If you’ve never accepted Jesus as Savior, do that today. If you are saved, don’t think you are immune from the flu. 1 Peter 5:8 warns, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
1http://newheartbeatdevotions.com/Flu.pdf
2https://qz.com/1816060/a-chart-of-the-1918-spanish-flu-shows-why-social-distancing-works
3https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/flu-season-in-the-us-is-the-most-intense-it-s-been-in-at-least-15-years/ar-AA1yOxTt?ocid=BingNewsVerp
4https://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/viruses/influenzavirus.html
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