The Screwtape Letters: Letters 19-21

Welcome everyone!

Mention about the Wednesday evening prayer meetings (using the journals and entering the verses each week and praying over them.)

Alright, so we have been a couple of weeks away from our reading and discussing The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. Who can tell me what letters we are looking at tonight?

WAIT FOR SOMEONE, OR SOMEONES, TO ANSWER.

Now if you remember, Pastor Clyde filled in and covered the last set of letters a few weeks ago and I am sure that it was done with excellence! As a matter of fact, I was concerned that you guys may have finished the other half of the book in that one session! (Is that the case?)

Letter 19: (Summary) - In this letter, Screwtape has become a little concerned by Wormwood’s previous letter. In his previous letters, Screwtape blundered by uttering that the “Enemy really loves His creatures.” This would be considered heresy in the devil’s world, and Screwtape feels it best to explain it away through cynicism. However, he continues his talk on the subject of love noting that either the acceptance or rejection of “falling in love” can be useful if focused in the right way.

Highlighted thoughts and statements and questions:

“And there lies the great task. We know that He cannot really love: nobody can: it doesn’t male sense. If we could only find out what He is really up to! Hypothesis after hypothesis has been tried and still we can’t find out.” - Screwtape

Question: Screwtape displays his cynicism of God’s love when he says, “He is one being, they are distinct from Him. Their good cannot be His. All His talk about love must be a disguise for something else - He must have some real motive for creating them and taking so much trouble about them.” Why is it hard for some people to believe there is a God who is not motivated by anything other than pure love for His creation?

Answer: It’s hard for a human to understand true agape love. A cynical person may believe that people are motivated to some positive action (like love) solely because of self-interest. This attitude causes them to miss out on some wonderful things in life because they do not trust other people. From their perspective, there must be some self-serving motive behind every person’s words or actions. Therefore, this makes it hard for them to trust a God, who they cannot even see, who says that He loves them without any strings attached.

Question: What is Screwtape’s response to Wormwood on whether he “regards being in love as a desirable state for a human or not?”

Answer: Screwtape says that like most other choices in life, it’s neither good nor bad. It is the ability to corrupt and exploit the choice that matters most. Whichever view moves the patient further from the enemy is preferable!

QUOTE - “But really, Wormwood, that is the sort of question one expects them to ask! Leave them to discuss whether "Love", or patriotism, or celibacy, or candles on altars, or teetotalism, or education, are "good" or "bad". Can't you see there's no answer? Nothing matters at all except the tendency of a given state of mind, in given circumstances, to move a particular patient at particular moment nearer to the Enemy or nearer to us. Thus it would be quite a good thing to make the patient decide that "love" is "good" or "bad".’ - Screwtape

Question: Screwtape provides a couple of options for exploiting the patient based on whether he is an arrogant or an emotional man. The patient’s character will determine whether “being in love” is good or bad. What does Screwtape mean by an “arrogant” or an “emotional” man?

Answer: If he is an arrogant man, let him decide against love by making him feel distaste for normal sexuality while creating an inclination towards perversion. In this situation the man would not want to be tied down to any one woman when he can be with many.

If he is an emotional man, let him decide in favor of love by making him constantly strive for romanticism that is unfulfilled. In this situation, the man would be continually (and unsuccessfully) trying to replicate that emotional and romantic feeling. This will lead to many adulteries.

In the use of meth and drugs like it, the person receives an abnormal state of sexual pleasure from the drug and from that time on, they are continually looking for that same sensation again. This is how a warped sense of “love’ is. We are like the greyhounds on the track, chasing after the rabbit that we will never catch and forfeiting “true love” and true “freedom” in Christ all the while!

In , Paul says, “  Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?” What does it mean to be unequally yokes in marriage? do you think this is a common occurrence in marriages? How does instruct us to handle this matter?

Answer: God’s plan is for man and woman to become one flesh. He commands us not to make alliances or partnerships where we are unequally yoked. Unfortunately, it is common and can even occur after nuptials if one of the spouses becomes a believer. In , Paul tells us to prioritize our spouse’s spiritual welfare—not our own comfort level. If the unbelieving partner consents, live together in peace. The decisions we make can affect the spiritual state of our children.

In , God had said,

Deuteronomy 22:9–11 NLT

“You must not plant any other crop between the rows of your vineyard. If you do, you are forbidden to use either the grapes from the vineyard or the other crop. “You must not plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together. “You must not wear clothing made of wool and linen woven together.

Letter 20: (Summary) - For the time being, the patient has been able to withstand Wormwood’s attacks on his chastity. Screwtape suggests that Wormwood try another route: fill the man’s thoughts with the idea that chastity is unhealthy. Wormwood can best accomplish this by capitalizing on a particular culture’s taste in women as often manipulated by the media. Screwtape says that if they cannot use the man’s sexuality to make him unchaste, then using it to find the wrong woman to marry is also desirable.

Highlighted thoughts and statements and questions:

Question: Screwtape chastises Wormwood for directly attacking the patient’s chastity. Through this attack, what “dangerous truth” did the patient learn about sexual temptation?

Answer: The patient has learned a dangerous truth—that sexual temptation does not last and that it goes away faster when resisted.

, “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”

, “ So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

, “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

Question: According to Screwtape, temptation loses its power once God intervenes. What does say regarding temptation? Why do you think God allows temptations?

Answers: God will never allow a temptation or testing in our lives that exceeds our ability through Christ to overcome it. The problem with temptation is that we often do not feel like fighting it; we would rather give in. However, fighting the temptation is part of God’s plan for us, and that involves trusting Him in obedience. If we do this, He promises to always provide an escape.

reasons: to help us learn to discern good from evil; to learn humility; to become more aware of our own weakness; to experience the freedom we gain when we overcome; and to help us build character.

God allows temptations for several reasons: to help us learn to discern good from evil; to learn humility; to become more aware of our own weakness; to experience the freedom we gain when we overcome; and to help us build character.

Question: What is the difference between chastity and abstinence? How can we effectively teach our children the importance of chastity and not just abstinence?

Answer: Chastity is refraining from sexual intercourse outside of marriage. Abstinence is refraining from sexual intercourse completely. It is important to teach our children that abstinence is God’s plan prior to marriage and chastity during marriage. We can effectively teach these principles by first modeling them in our own life and then by having open conversations with our children about the consequences of disobeying these guidelines and the impact of that disobedience upon their lives.

Question: According to Screwtape, there is a demonic strategy in twisting “sexual taste” through the ages. He gives reference to past ages and to the current “age of jazz”. What do you think is the ideal “sexual taste” for a man or a woman in today’s culture? How does the media influence what we find desirable?

Answer: (Answers may vary). The role of mass media is a significant force in impacting our sexual taste in modern culture—particularly in America. We are bombarded on a daily basis with messages from a multitude of sources including TV, Internet, billboards, magazines, music, and more. The messages not only promote products, but they also promote what is beautiful or attractive. In addition they influence our moods, attitudes, and a sense of what is right and wrong.

Question: We learn that Screwtape seeks to make the “role of the eye in sexuality more and more important.” If the role of the eye (physical appearance) in sexuality is exaggerated, what will be its inevitable outcome? Should we discount physical appearance as a part of sexual attraction?

Answer: If the “role of the eye” in sexuality is exaggerated, then its demands become more and more impossible. The goal, according to Screwtape, is to direct the desires of men to “something which does not exist.” Whether physical appearance plays a role for you or not, Satan’s goal is to detach men from the reality of women, so they hunger after unrealistic images which leaves them unable to love the woman next to them.

Question: According to , what does the Bible tell us about the effects of sexual sin?

Answer: Paul offers us help by reminding us that as Christians our bodies are united to Christ Himself. When we unite our bodies and even our thoughts to sexual sin, we are essentially uniting Jesus with that sin as well. The Bible warns us that every other sin that we commit is outside the body, but sexual sin, is against our body!

Letter 21: (Summary) - In this letter, Screwtape explorers the concept of how humans relate to the ownership of their time, money, bodies and souls. Screwtape instructs Wormwood to employ a strategy that encourages the patient to believe that his time is his own, and when unexpected demands encroach on his time, he has the right to become angry, exasperated and impatient.

Highlighted thoughts and statements and questions:

“At present the Enemy says “Mine” of everything on the pedantic, legalistic ground that He made it. Our “father” hopes in the end to say “mine” of all things on the more realistic and dynamic ground of conquest.” - Screwtape

Question: Why does Screwtape suggest a strategy that involved darkening the patient’s intellect prior to moral attack?

Answer: If the patient has time to process and apply logic to the situation, he might react with more patience and thereby produce a different consequence. Therefore, Screwtape suggests darkening the patient’s intellect prior to moral attack.

tells us,

Proverbs 9:10 NLT

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

So, if you have a healthy relationship with the Lord, then you are much less likely to have the enemy come in and “darken” your intellect. Because, your intellect, your thoughts, your heart and your mind, are going to be on God and this brings wisdom and knowledge that supersedes anything the enemy can bring against you!

Question: What does Screwtape mean when he talks about people making claims on their own life? How do you respond when your plans are intruded upon? Why is it hard for us to accept that claims over our livers are not ours to make?

Answer: When we make claims on our life, we are essentially making a claim for something that we have no right to. We desire total control over our time, money, bodies, souls and more. We conveniently overlook the fact that all we have is a gift from God, and we should be using it in His service. We are, by our sinful nature, selfish people. This principle is hard to accept because from early childhood, we quickly learn the term mine! As we grow older, we conveniently apply that term to every aspect of our life.

,

Psalm 24:1 NLT

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.

,

Ephesians 5:15–16 NASB95

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

Question: (Read ). In this passage, Jesus is interrupted by a synagogue leader named Jairus who is seeking help for his little girl, and then, almost immediately, he is interrupted again by a woman seeking help for a long-term illness. How does Jesus handle these unplanned intrusions on His time?

Answer: Jesus responded graciously to each person without making him or her feel as though they had interrupted Him. He made them a priority regardless of whether they were deemed as important or not by society. It is also important to note that Jesus made it a priority to isolate Himself when needed. Often times we overreact to interruptions in our life because we are over committed. It’s important that we take time for ourselves to rest and to spend time with the Lord without interruption.

Question: Read . As a Christian, why is having a personal “sense of ownership” of our time “equally” funny in Heaven and in Hell?

James 4:13–17 NLT

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Answer: When we make plans without taking into account God’s sovereignty or Satan’s schemes, we are living in a way that is somewhat prideful and dangerous. Satan would be happy for us to think that we own our time because he knows that we cannot retain or keep our time, so our efforts are futile. As Christians we live for the Lord and die for the Lord. As part of the body of Christ, we are part of a greater community and uniquely connected to each other with a bond that promotes love and the sharing of those things (our time, money, and talents) that we believe most sacred to us.

Question: Screwtape makes the following statement, “We produce this sense of ownership not only by pride but by confusion. We teach them not to notice the different senses of the possessive pronoun—the finely graded differences that run from "my boots" through "my dog", "my servant", "my wife", "my father", "my master" and "my country", to "my God". They can be taught to reduce all these senses to that of "my boots", the "my" of ownership. And at the other end of the scale, we have taught men to say "My God" in a sense not really very different from "My boots", meaning "The God on whom I have a claim for my distinguished services and whom I exploit from the pulpit—the God I have done a corner in". How and why is it dangerous to use such a claim about God, when we mention Him?

Answer: (Answers will vary). When we mention God, like an object or something that belongs to us, and use His name in a non-respectful and non-reverential way, then we are dangerously taking the name and His position and title for granted and making light of it!

Like people always saying, Well, my G-d!”

Question: Why does Screwtape say that the word, “Mine” can’t be uttered by a human being about anything?

Answer: The word “Mine” cannot be uttered by human beings about anything because in the end, we will find out to whom our time, money, souls, and body actually belong. Ultimately no one belongs to himself; he either belongs to God or to Satan.