Monday in the 2nd Week of Lent: Letter 9 Notes
Letter 9
The Propers for Today are HERE.
Welcome back to our study of The Screwtape Letters by C. S.
Lewis. Now you may have wondered why I
skipped Sunday for our study. There are 3
good reasons:
1.
Lent is 40 days long plus Sundays. This season of Lent began with Ash Wednesday on March 5 and ends with Easter Sunday, April 20. Our study will continue through Saturday,
April 12. The next day is Palm Sunday followed by Holy Week. So between March 5 and April 12 minus Sundays
there are 33 days which gives just the right amount of time to study all 31
letters with a day on either side for an introduction and a conclusion.
2.
Like I said Sundays are not a part of Lent. Sundays are always a feast day of our
Lord.
3.
I expect to see you in Church on Sundays and if
you are out of town, don’t forget you can always watch the 11am worship service
and Rich’s Sunday School class on online.
Today we look at Letter number 9 from the demon Screwtape to
his nephew Wormwood on how best to corrupt his assigned human known to us as
The Patient and draw him away from the love of God who Screwtape refers to as
the Enemy. We continue Screwtape’s instruction
on Spiritual Undulation and how the highs and lows work.
Screwtape advises his nephew Wormwood on how to exploit the "troughs" or periods of
spiritual dryness experienced by humans. During the HIGHS or PEAKS of the
Patient’s spiritual life, his resistance to temptation will also be at its
highest so it is better to focus on the troughs. Screwtape says to Wormwood,
“The attack has a much better
chance of success when the man’s whole inner world is drab and cold and empty.”
However, ironically and as we talked about in Letter 8, this
is also when God or the Enemy as Screwtape calls Him, has the greatest
influence on we humans and so temptation must be carefully planned and executed
in order to be effective.
Screwtape explains that these periods of spiritual
desolation and weakness can be used to tempt humans into abandoning their faith
or making poor spiritual choices. He suggests that Wormwood should encourage
feelings of despair, worldliness, and self-indulgence in his
"patient" during these times. The goal is to make the human believe
that this feeling that God is distant is permanent and that their previous
faith was an illusion.
The Nature
of Temptation
One of the central themes of Letter 9 is the nature of
temptation and how it can be most effective during periods of spiritual
dryness. Screwtape highlights the psychological and emotional tactics that can
be used to lead individuals away from their faith.
Screwtape encourages Wormwood to lead his patient into
self-indulgence and worldliness as a means of coping with spiritual dryness. Remember
that Lewis is writing to his fellow British citizens during World War II who
are facing the fear and uncertainty of war plus the temptations we regularly encounter
in everyday life such as consumerism, politics,
materialism, and social status as substitutes for deeper spiritual fulfillment.
Recognizing these temptations can help individuals seek more meaningful and
enduring sources of happiness.
Notice what Screwtape says about pleasure, how God made the
pleasures and demons have not been able to produce even one for their use. Remember, the work of a demon is to corrupt what
God has already done. Only God can
create. God gives to us and demons distract.
Screwtape warns Wormwood:
“Never forget that when we
are dealing with any pleasure in its healthy and normal and satisfying form, we
are, in a sense, on the Enemy’s ground.”
This is particularly relevant when we experience periods of
doubt, stress, and anxiety. This is when we are at our most vulnerable to
temptation. Yet it is also when God can
be our strength and comfort. Understanding
how temptation works can help individuals recognize temptation and resist it by
praying. If you are facing one of those
troughs in life, give me a call and we can pray together. My demon may be tempting me too and we can
help each other resist.
The
Importance of Perseverance
Another key theme is the importance of perseverance in
faith, even when we are feeling distant from God. Screwtape's advice to
Wormwood underscores the idea that faith is not dependent on feelings but on
commitment and trust in God. In fact, and as several earlier letters have emphasized,
demons want us to “FEEL” spiritual and religious. Screwtape divides humans into 2 different
types. There is the despondent or
pessimistic Christian who is just fine during the spiritual highs. However, when faced with a trough, these
persons tend to believe the trough is permanent in their spiritual life and go
about trying to recreate the old religious feelings he felt during the first
few days of his conversion. This type of
person tends to believe that the Christian life is a self-improvement course
and that if he works hard enough he will improve himself.
However, must of us fall into the second type of Christian
whose Screwtape calls the “wishful-thinking” type. When faced with a down time in our spiritual
lives, we become optimist and hopeful.
Life isn’t really as bad as we probably think it is and we should be
content with the way things are. Screwtape
tells Wormwood to use jargon – which we have also talked about in previous
letters – like “moderation in all things” and “religion is
all very well up to a point.”
From there Wormwood can go for the direct attack on faith –
believing the trough is permanent – and persuading him his faith was just a
phase he was going through and now is the time to get back to living “Real
Life”.
All 3 of our scripture lessons speak to the temptations
Screwtape is advocating in Letter number 9.
Daniel
9:3-10
In Daniel 9:3-10, Daniel prays to God, confessing his sins
and the sins of his people, seeking mercy and forgiveness. This passage emphasizes
humility, repentance, and a return to God's ways during times of distress. The
relevance to Letter 9 lies in the contrast between Screwtape's encouragement of
self-indulgence and Daniel's example of turning to God in repentance. In modern
times, this serves as a reminder to seek God's guidance and forgiveness rather
than giving in to despair and temptation.
Psalm 79:1-9
Psalm 79:1-9 is a lament over the destruction of Jerusalem
and a plea for God's help and forgiveness. The psalmist expresses deep sorrow
and a sense of abandonment but also calls on God's mercy. This mirrors the
experience of spiritual dryness described in Letter 9, where individuals may
feel abandoned by God. The Psalm teaches that even in the darkest times, one
should turn to God in prayer and seek His mercy, rather than succumbing to
hopelessness.
Luke 6:27-38
In Luke 6:27-38, Jesus teaches about love for enemies,
forgiveness, and generosity. This passage highlights the importance of
maintaining one's moral integrity and compassion even in the face of adversity.
Screwtape's advice to exploit spiritual troughs contrasts sharply with Jesus'
call to love and forgive others. In modern times, this teaching is a powerful
antidote to the cynicism and negativity that can arise during difficult
periods, encouraging individuals to act with love and generosity regardless of
their circumstances.
Conclusion
Letter 9 of The Screwtape Letters offers profound insights
into the nature of temptation and the importance of perseverance in faith. When
viewed in light of Daniel 9:3-10, Psalm 79:1-9, and Luke 6:27-38, the letter's
themes gain even greater significance. These biblical texts provide guidance on
how to navigate spiritual dryness, emphasizing repentance, prayer, love, and
forgiveness. In today's world, where many face similar challenges of doubt and
despair, the lessons from both C.S. Lewis and Scripture remain deeply relevant.
Our prayer for today reminds us that every day we should
remember our baptismal vows and promises.
This is especially true during one of our trough times. Martin Luther once said that each day we
should rise, make the sign of the cross, and remember that in our baptisms God promises
always to love and forgive us. Lent is a
good time to reread our baptismal vows which you can find in the BCP on page
________. I will also post them on my
blog at www.innerdriving.blogspot.com.
Let us pray together
Let your Spirit, O Lord, come into the midst of us to wash
us with the pure water of repentance, and prepare us to be always a living
sacrifice to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.