Lewis and I: Satan's real goal

Lewis and I: Satan's real goal: Letter V "...the real business of undermining faith and preventing the formation of virtues." 1 Peter 5:8 "...the Devi...

Satan's real goal

Letter V

"...the real business of undermining faith and preventing the formation of virtues."

1 Peter 5:8 "...the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for anyone he can devour." 

Satan’s real goal

Satan's real goal is to undermine our faith. He will do everything he can to get us to lose our faith in God. 

Peter's original readers would have thought of those lions that other believers were being feed too, no doubt. Satan is not our friend. He is out to hurt us in anyway he can. Don't be fooled. There is a real spiritual battle going on in this world and even though Satan knows he will not ultimately win, he is trying to bring as many down as he can with him.

So how does Satan undermine your faith? Makes you doubt that you are loved and accepted by God. Makes you fearful of the future. Makes you question if God is near you. Makes you wonder if your prayers are really answered.  Makes you envy those who don’t believe in God and supposedly have a “better life.” Any of these sound familiar?

Satan is alway at work in us. Usually attacking us through our mind and heart. That is why we need the belt of Truth, helmet of Salvation, breastplate of righteousness and the shield of faith (Ephesians 6). They protect us from Satan’s ever present attacks whose aim is to undermine our faith.

So be alert. Be ready. Be prepared. Don't be lazy in your spiritual life. Are you preparing yourself by daily studying God's word? Are you praying for a God led heart for the day? Are you preparing yourself for the lies of Satan that will come your way today?

Take up your armor and be ready to fight.

Lewis and I: Desire to Pray

Lewis and I: Desire to Pray: Desire to Pray Letter IV of Screwtape letters by CS Lewis "It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into the...

Desire to Pray

Desire to Pray

Letter IV of Screwtape letters by CS Lewis

"It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out."

Interesting twist by C.S. Lewis. Most of us would most likely think that the devil is encouraging our minds with bad desires. Lewis says, instead of focusing on fueling our bad desires, keeping out of our minds the things God wants us to do, is the business of Satan. Maybe that is why prayer is so hard for so many believers. In fact, most polls find pthat even among pastors, the number one spiritual discipline that is the hardest to keep up is prayer. 

Prayer is a discipline and the devil is working hard at keeping us from it. As of this writing, the Winter Olympics are just about to get started.  Each one of those athletes from all over the world have worked hard to get to the Olympics. They didn’t decide last month to compete and then show up. They have worked hard for many years. It’s called discipline.

Spiritual disciplines are just like physical disciplines, we need to work at them. They don’t just happen. Satan works hard at keeping the desire to pray, serve, and read out of our minds and hearts. If we persist enough, he will lose. Do you want Satan to lose? Of course you do. So keep in mind, Philippians 4:8, " Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable-if there is any moral excellence and if any praise-dwell on these things."

We fail at these things because we don't feel led to do them. Spiritual disciplines are just that, disciplines. We need to work at them. Just like athletes that do a drill over and over again. When the competition starts they don’t have to stop and think about the drill, they just do it. If we wait for our feelings to get us to start praying, we will be waiting for awhile. We need to start praying. Maybe a minute a day and then add as you go, but start now. Discipline takes time and don't forget there is someone(Satan) trying to stop you in doing them.

Let me encourage this day to pray. Need something to pray about? I am sure there is more then enough things in this world alone. Don’t let Satan keep you from praying.

Lewis and I: Heavenly minded

Lewis and I: Heavenly minded: Letter III "Keeping his mind on the inner life." This is Screwtape's advice to Wo...

Heavenly minded

Letter III

"Keeping his mind on the inner life."

This is Screwtape's advice to Wormwood. It reminds me of the phrase, "Too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good." This can be a problem. You may not think so. You don't think of yourself as too heavenly minded. In fact you may think of yourself as too earthly minded. How about this? How many non Christ believing friends do you have? I mean friends, not just people you know. How often do you interact with people that don't believe the way you do? 

You go to church, go to bible study, your kids are home schooled by you or go to a Christian school, you listen to Christian radio, buy things at a Christian store, eat at Chick-fli-a. You get the picture. By the way. I must say none of these things are bad. In fact I do most of them.

The question we need to ask ourselves is how are we impacting others for Christ? If you neighbors aren't believers how are you befriending them? Is it just out of obligation or is it from the heart? We should not isolate ourselves from this world. Mark 16:15 " Go into the world..."

Also in Jesus' prayer for the disciples recorded for us in John 17, it is clear that Christ believing followers are to be in the world but not of it.  Today we are either not of this world or not in it. 

Once again it comes down to balance. How do we balance being heavenly minded with being earthly good?

Lewis and I: Emotion vs reason (Screwtape letter II)

Lewis and I: Emotion vs reason (Screwtape letter II): Letter II "Once they get through this initial dryness successfully, they become much less dependent on emotion a...

Emotion vs reason (Screwtape letter II)

Letter II

"Once they get through this initial dryness successfully, they become much less dependent on emotion and therefore much harder to tempt."

Too dependent on emotion.

In a backhanded way, Lewis tells the believer in Christ, that when you rely solely on emotion you are a easy target for Satan. There is a way of thinking that says to be super spiritual, you need to be led by the Spirit. This means the emotional, tingly feeling Spirit, not the Spirit of Truth. It's most likely a reaction to the image of the monks studying all day. Off in their monastary learning to be more holy.  Chanting Latin phrase and being somber.

We have the good news! We should be excited about this and spread it everywhere. Christian belief is all about the heart. You need to feel it. This would be the argument against being too worried about the mind.

Lewis is addressing the danger in this. It opens up one to be an easy target. The Bible actually has much to say about the mind. Unfortunately, not always seen. Mark Noll in his book, "The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind," written in 1994, addresses this issue. In fact , he writes, "The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind."

Almost 20 years later John Piper wrote a book entitled, Think. C.S. Lewis also brought this up back in 1942. So why does this subject keep coming up? 

It is easier to "go with my heart" than to be like the Bereans in Acts 17 who "examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so."

We need to examine, think, discuss the things of God to be built up in the truth. We also need to be led by the Spirit. There needs to be a balance.

Here are a few verses to think about.

Acts 17:17 "So he(Paul) reasoned in the synagogue..."

Ephesians 3:4 "By reading this you are able to understand my insight about the mystery of the Messiah." 

So how do you have balance in this area in your life? Do you rely on emotions more than reason?

Lewis and I: Propaganda vs the church (Screwtape letter #1)

Lewis and I: Propaganda vs the church (Screwtape letter #1): Letter 1 " Jargon, not argument, is your best ally in keeping him from the Church." ...

Propaganda vs the church (Screwtape letter #1)

Letter 1

" Jargon, not argument, is your best ally in keeping him from the Church."

Propaganda vs the Church 

How do you define jargon and propaganda, which to me are similar. Well here is one attempt from Mr. Webster.

Jargon-special words that are difficult for others to understand. 

Propaganda- ideas or statements that are often false or exaggerated and that are spread in order to help a cause.(Merriam Webster)

True arguments demand facts not just opinions.  When dealing with facts you eventually have to make a decision about those facts. When the church sticks to propaganda or jargon, which seem similar, it fails to capture that heart of God. The church should be the place of truth, that is God's truth. We do not need to allow jargon or propaganda rule the day. Let that be for the politicians of the day. 

In today's political world, jargon or propaganda rules the day. If you listen to one side or the other you would think the worst of the opposing side. There might be some truth to the statements but eventually the bias comes out. 

So let's stop the propaganda in the church. Stop the spin. Don't tell people everything will be okay once you have Jesus I your heart. The problem is that in saying this you most likely are talking about he eternal aspect of things. The hearer is trying to find money to pay the rent.

Some verse to ponder.

1 Thessalonians 2:5 "For we never used flattering speech, as you know, or had greedy motives..."

2 Timothy 2:16  "But avoid irreverent, empty speech, for this will produce an even greater measure of godlessness."

Lewis is right. People will be turned off by propaganda in due time.  It happens in the world and it will happen in the church.

Lewis and I: Thoughts from Screwtape letters

Lewis and I: Thoughts from Screwtape letters: As I start these new post about C.S.Lewis Screwtape Letters  I am enduring the one of worst cold spells here in Minnesota, USA. So it is iro...

Thoughts from Screwtape letters

As I start these new post about C.S.Lewis Screwtape Letters I am enduring the one of worst cold spells here in Minnesota, USA. So it is ironic to start to think about a book about Satan who dwells in the lake of fire. My plan is to find one or more quotes from each letter and then comment on them adding a verese or two from scripture. Hope you enjoy.

Preface

"One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them."

Which way do you lean?

At the beginning of a book on Satan, Lewis reminds us that there are two ways of thinking about Satan. We are in need of this reminder even now, some  70 plus years later.  Do we make too much of Satan or disregard him altogether? This is the reality of where we live. Some will try to find Satan under every rock, while others will ignore his everyday workings. Scripture reminds us that balance in this area is essential.

2 Corinthians 2:11 "I have done this so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes." 

Paul obviously thought that Satan was real and his schemes are real too.

James 4:7 "Therfore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you."

James, the leader of the early church, definitely believes that Satan is real. The advice that we are given here, is foundational. Yes we will be attacked by Satan, but there is a way out, submit to God.  

Wayne Grudem in Systematic Theology, reminds us that Satan's work is to "destroy every work of a God." You are a work of God and Satan wants to destroy you. Satan doesn't bother with those who are not a threat, but rather to those who have chosen to reject Satan and follow God. 

 

We need balance in our understanding of who Satan is and isn't.  There is a real spiritual battle going on. We need not give Satan more attention then he deserves yet we need to treat his attacks seriously.

What do you think?