C.S. Lewis was a brilliant man.
An atheist turned Christian, Lewis wrote incredible books, one of which was “The Screwtape Letters” novel. In this fictional book, a mid-level devil named Screwtape writes letters to his nephew, Wormwood, on how to best lure a new Christian convert away from the faith.
With more tricks up his sleeve than a magician, Screwtape mentors Wormwood on how to tempt the convert — simply called “the Patient.”
One trick is simple distraction. Screwtape boastfully tells how he distracted an atheist away from a spiritual epiphany by suggesting to the man that he was hungry and needed lunch.
Screwtape also encourages Wormwood to help the Patient become oh-so-sensitive to the faults of others — namely his elderly mother — while failing to contemplate that he, too, might have vices.
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Later, Uncle Screwtape is delighted when he learns about the Patient’s new, worldly, superficially intellectual acquaintances, who are a negative influence.
Screwtape provides numerous insights into human nature. He notes that the Patient’s acquaintances are scoffers, which draws the senior demon into discussion about how cruelty is shameful — unless a cruel man presents it as a practical joke.
The senior devil also urges Wormwood to keep the Patient from realizing his faith is opposite of his nonbelieving acquaintances and then induce him to live a double life — thinking he’s smarter than the Christian he kneels with at church and more godly than his smart, worldly friends.
Therefore, the Patient will think he can live in both circles.
Screwtape urges Wormwood to make the Patient imagine his choices are trivial and not let him suspect he’s drifting further away from the Lord.
The experienced devil discusses sin — deviously noting that it doesn’t matter how small the sins are as long as their snowballing effect is to edge the Patient away from his maker.
Under such tutoring, Wormwood seems to be doing well with his evil efforts until the Patient has a spiritual awakening and recommits his life to Christ.
Screwtape is not pleased.
He urges the fledgling devil to tempt the Patient to become entangled with the wrong women. With World War II approaching, Screwtape mentors Wormwood on fear and hate — noting that the more one fears, the more he hates.
So will the Patient avoid such snares?
Will the Patient live for God? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
In the meantime, Lewis has me thinking about Biblical scriptures on demons and evil — and Christ’s wonderful reassurances.
I first think of Christ’s declaration in John 10:10 as he compares Satan to a thief and says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Jesus then speaks the beautifully comforting words: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
I’m reminded of a devotional from Jonathan Cahn’s, “The Book of Mysteries.”
In the devotional, Cahn tells how wolves (an animal I actually like very much) symbolize those who seek to destroy God’s people with the devil being the ultimate evil one.
That’s when Cahn points to Jesus as our Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep.
Some 2,000 years ago, Jesus died a horrible death on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins. None of us are perfect, but if we repent of our sins and ask Christ to come into our hearts and be our Savior we can go to heaven.
God gives us the Holy Spirit, who is our helper, comforter and guide. God speaks to us through his word and his Spirit.
As we pray, read the Bible and see how God works in our lives, we can come to know and grow even closer to him.
And as Cahn says, “We must walk as close as possible to the Shepherd, and as far as possible from the wolf … stay as far away from temptation as you can, and as close as you can to the Lord.”
I think Lewis would agree.
Recently, I was reading about Lewis, who was born and baptized in Belfast, Ireland. Lewis was wounded in France during World War I and later fell away from the faith and became an atheist.
Lewis, however, would become great friends with J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote “The Lord of the Rings.” Lewis credited Tolkien and others with his return to Christianity.
Later in life, Lewis married Joy Davidson, a Jewish woman who’d become an atheist and then converted to Christianity. Lewis deeply loved her and was grief-stricken after she died of cancer in 1960. He wrote “A Grief Observed” following her death.
During his life, Lewis wrote more than 30 books, perhaps the best known of which are “The Chronicles of Narnia.” Included in that fictional, fantasy series is “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,” an allegory in which a lion, named Aslan, represents Christ. He also wrote “The Space Trilogy,” which includes fiction books about a professor, who goes to Mars and Venus, and apologetics books like “Mere Christianity.”
Lewis was 64, when he died three years after his beloved wife. News of his death on Nov. 22, 1963, was overshadowed by the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy.
Decades later, people still read Lewis’ books, whether they’re about a powerful lion, a traveling professor or a methodical demon and his hapless nephew.
Are people like Lewis still writing in heaven?
Or are they — like many others who died in the faith — basking in the glory of our merciful and almighty God?
Either way, I believe our Lord is still writing the stories of our lives today.
And he is the ultimate author.
Tammy Real-McKeighan is news editor of the Fremont Tribune. She may be reached at 402-721-5000, Ext. 1433, or tammy.mckeighan@lee.net.