CS Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, Class Four
Another Real Case Study of Spiritual Warfare
From The Acts of the Apostles (16:16-18)
Now it happened, as we [Paul et al] went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.
St. John Chrysostom says this about the altercation:
What may be the reason [that the demon spoke well of Paul] and Paul forbade him? Both the one acted maliciously, and other wisely: the demon wished in fact to make himself credible. For if Paul had admitted his testimony, [the demon] would have deceived many of the believers, as being received by him: therefore [the demon] endures to speak what made against himself, that he may establish what made for himself: and so the demon himself uses accommodation in order to destruction. At first then, Paul would not admit it, but scorned it, not wishing to cast himself all at once upon miracles; but when [the demon] continued to do this, and pointed to their work, saying “who preach unto us the way of salvation,” then he commanded [the demon] to come out. …. And why says it, “But Paul being grieved?” It means, he saw through the malice of the demon, as he saith [in his second letter to the Corinthians], “For we are not ignorant of his devices.” (2 Cor. ii. 11.)
What tactics does this demon use to bring people to ruin? Why might these be effective?
Screwtape Letters.
Chapter Nine:
Screwtape writes that “the Trough periods of the human undulation provide excellent opportunity for all sensual temptations, particularly those of sex.” Why is this true for temptations, in general? Why, for sex, in particular?
The meaning of sex has changed over the last couple of generations (in addition to its old meanings, it has increasingly become a form of entertainment where the partner/ship is de-emphasized). Would Screwtape see this as a great gain, loss, or a mixed bag? Why? (1 Co. 6:15-20)
Screwtape is dubious about the utility of pleasure – why does pleasure put the battle “on the Enemy’s ground”?
How can we end up with “increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure?” (There is only one insatiable pleasure!)
Converts and reverts often have a great deal of zeal/enthusiasm; why does this often set them up for failure (he describes two ways)? How can “experienced Christians” help them through this? Why is the word “phase” so dangerous to faith?
Chapter Ten:
Superficial skepticism seems to be useful for the demons. Why?
“There is a subtle play of looks and tones and laughs by which a Mortal can imply that he is of the same party is those to whom he is speaking. That is the kind of betrayal you should specially encourage, because the man does not fully realize it himself; and by the time he does you will have made withdrawal difficult.” Note how we respond to the company we keep; it is often automatic and un-noticed. Do we really “tend to turn into the thing [we] are pretending to be?” Why would God make us this way?
Notice the danger of living two lives. How can we avoid the pitfalls associated with living among different sorts of people? What qualities should we look for in our friends? (e.g. Proverbs 17:17; 18:24; 22:24; 27:6; James 4:4 and St. John 15:12-15).
Chapter Eleven:
What do you think of the causes of laughter “Joy, Fun, the Joke Proper, and Flippancy”? Which do our society value?
What is the real cause of Joy? (e.g. Jn 15:5-11; 16:19-24)
Chapter Twelve:
Is it true that we do not always notice “our real position” relative to God? Why?
Screwtape thinks that a “vague, though uneasy, feeling” that we haven’t “been doing very well lately” is useful to the demons as we move away from God. Why is this? How is this “feeling” different from genuine repentance? See 1 Jn 1:8-10.
The trade-off between “sin” and “goodness” is usually portrayed as one between “fun” and “dull.” Screwtape suggests a different reality. In what sense can a condemned man say “”I now see that I spent most of my life in doing neither what I ought nor what I liked?”
People often excuse absence from Confession by saying that “they haven’t done anything really bad”. What are the implications of Screwtape’s assertion that; “Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts”?
Next Week: Chapters 13-16
