C.S. Lewis is a genius. I absolutely love all of his books. One that especially intrigued me was “The Screwtape Letters.” If you haven't read it, please do. It's not a long book, but it is so interesting. The book is basically a dialogue through letters between two demons. An Uncle, Screwtape, is writing correspondence to his nephew, Wormwood, giving him instructions on how best to drag people into their control. It is fascinating to read something from the other side of the coin, and gain an “inside perspective” on C.S. Lewis' ideas of how the devil gains footholds in our lives. It gives great food for thought.
All of that is to say that I am going to put in an excerpt from “The Screwtape Letters” before diving into the topic of angels and demons…the spiritual forces that are at work in the world. Remember that in it excerpt, this is a demon writing, and when he mentions the “Enemy,” he is talking about God.
My dear Wormwood,
I wonder you should ask me whether it is essential to keep the patient in ignorance of your own existence. That question, at least for the present phase of the struggle, has been answered for us by the High Command. Our policy, for the moment, is to conceal ourselves. Of course this has not always been so. We are really faced with a cruel dilemma. When the humans disbelieve in our existence we lose all the pleasing results of direct terrorism and we make no magicians. On the other hand, when they believe in us, we cannot make them materialists and skeptics. At least, not yet. I have great hopes that we shall learn in due time how to emotionalize and mthologise their science to such an extent that what is, in effect, a belief in us (though not under that name) will creep in while the human mind remains closed to belief in the Enemy. The 'Life Force', the worship of sex, and some aspects of Psychoanalysis, may here prove useful. If once we can produce our perfect work- the Materialist Magician, the man, not using, but veritably worshiping, what he vaguely calls 'Forces' while denying the existence of 'spirits'– then the end of the war will be in sight. But in the meantime we must obey our orders. I do not think you will have much difficultly in keeping the patient in the dark. The fact that 'devils' are predominantly comic figures in the modern imagination will help you. If any faint suspicion of your existence begins to arise in his mind, suggest to him a picture of something in red tights, and persuade him that since he cannot believe in that (it is an old textbook method of confusing them) he therefore cannot believe in you.
Lately I have come across various things that speak of the spiritual forces at work in the world. Through a few blogs on the World Race website, through an article in my PathWays class homework, and through sermons. All pointing back and reminding me of the fact that angels and demons are truly very real forces. There is a spiritual battle raging around us, and we, in America, for the most part, have forgotten about it. I am guilty of this, too.
I have always been intrigued by the idea and thoughts of angels and demons, by the spiritual realm. I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that there is a spiritual realm surrounding us this very moment. Even in scripture it is mentioned:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:10-12)
Our battle is against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. It also mentions in the Bible that Satan prowls around like a hungry lion, waiting to devour.
This is real.
So why do we push it aside and ignore it? Why do we act as if this isn't real? Why do we make the devil into a comic character in red tights, adorned with two horns and carrying a pitchfork? Is that the cunning devil we know?
No. He disguises himself in this world by many masks. In America, he has disguised himself well, wheedling his way into many aspects of life, and has slipped in unnoticed in many cases. Just the way he likes it. He doesn't want us to know that we've fallen asleep to his existence. He wants to keep on what he's doing- distracting us from the one who truly loves us, and calls us His own- God.
In my PathWays class, this idea is called “The Excluded Middle.” In many countries around the world, the spiritual awareness of evil and good is very present, and an active part of life. This is evident in the presence of shamans, witch doctors, and magicians in other cultures. People are aware of spiritual oppression, disease and problems, and would take these to the shamans.
When they are introduced to Christ, and come to know him, they are still aware of these problems, if not more aware of spiritual darkness, and would go to missionaries for answers on how to deal with things such as possession, curses, and black magic. Many missionaries did not have an answer, or say that they don't really exist. But for these people, it is very real, and because they could not find the answers they needed, they would turn back to the magic for their cures.
We often exclude the spiritual, supernatural, middle level from our worldviews. We try to explain it all away with science, facts and theories. Paul Hiebert remarked that “When tribal people spoke of fear of evil spirits, the missionaries denied the existence of the spirits rather than claim the power of Christ over them. The result, Lesslie Newbigin has argued, is that Western Christian missions have been one of the greatest secularizing forces in history…So long as the missionary comes with a two-tiered world-view, with God confined to the supernatural and the natural world operating for all practical purposes according to autonomous scientific laws, Christianity will continue to be a secularizing force in the world. Only as God is brought back into the middle of our scientific understanding of nature wil we stem the tide of Western secularism.”
This was a very interesting thought to me. Christianity, a secularizing force? Isn't secularism the very thing we are trying to battle? But it is true, that we are playing right into the world when we deny the existence of Satan, and a very present evil in the world. There is a spiritual battle raging all around us. Satan is trying and succeeding in pulling people under his cloak of darkness, every moment, every day.
But this is not without a fight. God has power over everything, and we can claim His power over these dark forces of this world, and that is a beautiful, powerful thing. Will we stand in battle and use it? Will we shine our light, cutting through the darkness with the Word that cuts bone from marrow? Will we suit up in our armor, recognize the real presence of evil, and FIGHT it? Will we battle for those under the addiction of drugs and alcohol, will we battle for those who are under spiritual darkness by another religion? Will we stand against the blatant evil of sex trafficking and prostitution? Will we stand against the evil choking millions with the chains of pornography? Will we stand against the strongholds that the devil has used in our own lives?
Will you stand?
I know that I am striving to stand every day. Sometimes it takes a reminder every moment, to take my thoughts captive, to put on that armor. To fight. It is a battle, and it is not easy. But it is so worth it. To stand against the schemes of Satan and fight for the people that God loves with all of his heart- there is nothing better.
But it all starts with recognizing that there truly is good and evil in this world. That there are forces right now battling over our souls. God is calling us to His heart, and that is the last place Satan wants to see us. Will we stand against him and run fast into our Father's heart?
I challenge you to pray. Pray that God opens all of our hearts and eyes to the battle that is raging around us. Pray for others. Pray for healing. For the chains to fall, and the Light of the World to burst in. Pray for the world.
We know who wins ultimately in the end, but that isn't going to stop Satan from trying to drag down as many people as he can. Let's stand together and fight for them, for God's beloved.
Pray, beloved. Seek His heart, and know that even as evil may surround us, HE is greater than it all, and He is also fighting for us. And that is joyous news indeed.
