The Screwtape Letters

C.S.Lewis was brilliant.  I mean who doesn't like Narnia and has/had wished at least once in your life that you could have been Peter, Edmond, Susan or Lucy. Am I right!   If I could go back in time, Or like even in the imagination Station  (for those who don't know what an imagination Station is please listen to Adventures in Odyssey) anyway what was i talking about? Time travel? oh yes that's right... sometimes I get a bit distracted.. SO If I could go back in time and meet someone it would be C.S.Lewis or L.M.Montgomery.  actually I would meet both of  them. I could never chose between the two... like they are literally my FAVORITE authors ever, hands down. Ok  back to gushing about C.S.Lewis. Honestly this man had so much wisdom and passion for Christ! Every time I read one of his books I feel as though I am soaking up words of wisdom. *side note I think I just about used all the ink up from my pen, underlining my favorite lines in the Screw Tape Letters * (Scratch that I  think i underlined something on just about every page)

Anddd even though I adore all of his books, today I only want to talk about one in particular.(Note I said today because you can believe me I will be writing more about him. Probably in the near future) One that changed my perspective on life and the way I view it. This is a book that EVERYONE  should read at least once in their life (scratch that you should read it many times) and what book am I talking about??? I bet you guessed it all ready. Its not like I mentioned it at all *insert sarcasm*
Yes I am going to talk about the Screw Tape Letters.

The following excerpt from The Screwtape Letters is, I think, one of C.S. Lewis’ most sublime arguments. The senior demon, Screwtape, is trying to help his new tempting nephew, Wormwood, keep the new Christian sliding away from his faith. Within this part of Letter XII are several brilliant quotations and key points of subtle spiritual struggles.

As this condition becomes more fully established, you will be gradually freed from the tiresome business of providing Pleasures as temptations. As the uneasiness and his reluctance to face it cut him off more and more from all real happiness, and as habit renders the pleasures of vanity and excitement and flippancy at once less pleasant and harder to forgo (for that is what habit fortunately does to a pleasure) you will find that anything or nothing is sufficient to attract his wandering attention. You no longer need a good book, which he really likes, to keep him from his prayers or his work or his sleep; a column of advertisements in yesterday’s paper will do. You can make him waste his time not only in conversation he enjoys with people whom he likes, but in conversations with those he cares nothing about on subjects that bore him. You can make him do nothing at all for long periods. You can keep him up late at night, not roistering, but staring at a dead fire in a cold room. All the healthy and outgoing activities which we want him to avoid can be inhibited and nothing given in return, so that at last he may say, as one of my own patients said on his arrival down here, “I now see that I spent most of my life in doing neither what I ought nor what I liked”. The Christians describe the Enemy as one “without whom Nothing is strong”. And Nothing is very strong: strong enough to steal away a man’s best years not in sweet sins but in a dreary flickering of the mind over it knows not what and knows not why, in the gratification of curiosities so feeble that the man is only half aware of them, in drumming of fingers and kicking of heels, in whistling tunes that he does not like, or in the long, dim labyrinth of reveries that have not even lust or ambition to give them a relish, but which, once chance association has started them, the creature is too weak and fuddled to shake off.

You will say that these are very small sins; and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy. It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. 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,

Your affectionate uncle

SCREWTAPE

Yeahhhhhh. intense right! so this is what I learned from reading this book.

(I'm not trying to preach and you or make it sound as though I have it all together, cause believe me. I don't. But Honestly I just want to share with you what stuck out to me because I want to proclaim the FREEDOM that is found in Jesus.) 

1. We fight a battle against the Spirit World every second that we live.

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. 

Ephesians 6:12

And the next verses go onto say that we need not be afraid if we have the armor of God. Truth. The breastplate of righteousness. the gospel of peace( I love that) The shield of Faith. The helmet of salvation. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 

Isn't that astounding. God has provided a way for us to protect and fight back the enemy. 

 2.There is NO such thing as 'little' sin in our lives .

EVERYTHING we do effects our spiritual walk with Christ. There is no 'standing still' or comfortable when it comes to our relationship with Yahweh. The more we sin and compromise our standards the farther away we go from God. It is a constant battle to resist temptation. And lets be real, all of us have failed. But the beauty of that is God's Amazing grace. His grace is enough. Period. No more. No less. Just enough.

3. Recognize what we are actually fighting against.

So often when someone  hurts  or mistreats us  its easy to become angry or bitter against said person. But I think that in doing that we let Satan control that part of our life and so let him get a hold on us. Its so easy to carry grudges against people. BUT I challenge you to talk to God (and the person you are having issues with)  and let go of what you have been holding onto, even though you may have a perfect reason to feel the way you do. I promise you that if you give it to God you will feel so free. and that is really what being a Christian is all about. Freedom to forgive. To love.

4. Pray and Read my Bible DAILY.

God didn't leave is high and dry so to speak and let Satan torment us. NO its just the opposite. God is his great wisdom gave us a weapon. actually he gave us two. 1. The Bible. It's our life support its what keeps us alive (And yes I think we need to be alive to stand up and fight) to be on fire for Truth.   #2. Prayer. Now prayer is our weapon. James 5:16 says that The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth  much. We don't have to stand back in defeat and fear, on the contrary lets rise up and Fight! Fight because w are on the winning side! 

5. Fear NO Evil.

There is a line in one of my favorite songs that goes like this. 

If Were gonna Fear we fear No evil.

The thing is when Jesus died on the Cross He concurred Fear, Death, and the Grave. We have absolutely nothing to be afraid of. Nothing. So then why are we afraid (and I don't mean a fear of stuff like snakes and mice ) I'm talking about a Fear so strong that it grips you and keeps you in its terrible hold. That kind of fear. And I am here to tell you that We can shake off those chains of fear sand bondage and stand bold In the light and protection of Jesus. 

So that I may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Hebrews 13:6

All that God desire for you is that you live a fearless life, committed to Him. 

So lets look our fears in the eye and say, NO MORE. No more will you have power over me. We have been liberated. We are the children of Christ .So let us proclaim our Freedom. 

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This is one of My favorite songs. And you have probably heard it but just in case you haven't  here it is. I love it, and Its awesome. *side note if you are looking for powerful worship songs I highly recommend anything and everything by Bethel*

NO Longer Slaves

Also Another of my favorites... Honestly I have no words for this  song. Just listen.

Lions

And dears that is all the wisdom that I have to share with you today. I hope I didn't bore you to much. And maybe just maybe you got something out of my ramblings.

I would absolutely LOVE to know If and what your favorite C.S.Lewis book is.

-Janelle

I Pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time - walking and sleeping. It does not change God -it changes me. 

C.S.Lewis