The Letter

…I once had a patient, a sound atheist, who used to read in the British Museum. One day, as he sat reading, I saw a train of thought in his mind beginning to go the wrong way. The enemy, of course, was at his elbow in a moment. Before I knew where I was, I saw my twenty years’ work beginning to totter.

If I had lost my head and begun to attempt a defense by argument I should have been undone. But I was not such a fool. I struck instantly at the part of the man which I had best under my control and suggested that it was just about time he had some lunch.

The enemy presumably made the counter-suggestion (you know how one can never quite overhear what he says to them?) that this was more important than lunch. at least I think that must have been his line for when I said “Quite. In fact, much too important to tackle at the end of a morning”, the patient brightened up considerably; and by the time I had added “Much better come back after lunch and go into it with a fresh mind”, he was already half way to the door.

Once he was in the street the battle was won. I showed him a newsboy shouting the midday paper, and a no. 73 bus going past, and before he reached the bottom of the steps I had got into him an unalterable conviction that, whatever odd ideas might come into a man’s head when he was shut up alone with his books, a healthy dose of “real life” (by which he meant the bus and the newsboy) was enough to show him that all “that sort of thing” just couldn’t be true.

He knew he’d had a narrow escape and in later years was fond of talking about “that inarticulate sense for actuality which is our ultimate safeguard against the aberrations of mere logic”.

You begin to see the point? Thanks to processes which we set at work in them centuries ago, they find it all but impossible to believe in the unfamiliar while the familiar is before their eyes. Keep pressing home on him the ordinariness of things.

Above all, do not attempt to use science (I mean, the real sciences) as a defense against Christianity. They will positively encourage him to think about realities he can’t touch and see. There have been sad cases among the modern physicists. If he must dabble in science, keep him on economics and sociology; don’t let him get away from that invaluable “real life”.

But the best of all is to let him read no science but to give him a grand general idea that he knows it all and that everything he happens to have picked up in casual talk and reading is “the results of modern investigation”.

Do remember you are there to fuddle him. From the way some of you young fiends talk, anyone would suppose it was our job to teach!

Your affectionate uncle

Screwtape

Are you familiar with "The Screwtape Letters." It is a novel written by British author C.S. Lewis, first published in 1942.

The book is presented in the form of a series of letters written by a senior demon named Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood, who is a junior tempter. The above was a portion of letter #1.

In these letters, Screwtape offers advice on how to lead a human soul away from faith and virtue and toward sin and damnation.

This particular letter highlights the strategy of using distraction, shallowness, and the appeal of the familiar to keep a person away from faith and spirituality.

One of the most effective ways to lead anyone away from faith and spirituality is to distract them with the mundane and superficial aspects of life. By keeping their minds preoccupied with everyday concerns and "real life" experiences, you can prevent them from delving into deeper spiritual questions. The devil knows this full well.

But we are told “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7 ESV

That’s a promise friend.

Ephesians 6:10-11 tells us “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." ESV

And finally, 1 Corinthians 10:13: "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." NIV

C.S. Lewis' work serves as a reminder of the ongoing spiritual battle that exists and the importance of staying vigilant and rooted in our faith.

More importantly, God’s Holy Word reminds us that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to resist, without also providing a way to endure and overcome that temptation.

Remain steadfast in your faith and trust in God when facing challenges and temptations. The more we exercise out faith muscle, the stronger it will get.

by Jeanette Stark – Monday, October 2, 2023