by archenland_knight » August 8th, 2008, 7:12 am
I see a couple of thought processes running concurrently here, so I'm going to respond to the themes rather than to specific quotes.
First, if one believes that each human has a specific "guardian angel", then why would it be so hard to believe you have a "nemesis demon"?
Now, personally, I don't believe at all that humans are assigned individual guardian angels. It makes for great stories, but I don't see any support for it in scripture. In fact, what I see in scripture indicates that they operate on more of a "zone defense" than "man-to-man coverage".
However, I wouldn't say I can prove that, either.
Second, if you ever read anything in Lewis' work with which you disagree, it does not make you a heretic. Lewis was a hard-core Anglican ... straight up "Church of England". Unless you too are Anglican, he probably had many beliefs with which you would disagree. I know I disagree with quite a bit of what he said. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy reading his work and taking wisdom and inspriation from it, even the parts I with which I disagree.
Third, I do believe that Lewis was saying that "Yes, this is how the devils work on our weeknesses". I think he believed, and I certainly believe, that devils watch for opportunities in our own weaknesses and own lusts, and have some power to strike at those points in us. The exact nature of this power I do not pretend to understand. I know only that the scriptures speak of it without explaining it in detail.
I am not suggesting that they can control our minds at all, but that they can attack and offer suggestions and rationalizations for our sins. We know that in the case of Judas, that satan actually entered into him, though we also know that by this point Judas had been in sin for some time, taking from the disciples' purse, and that he had left himself open to this kind of demonic influence.
1 Thessalonians 3:5 speaks of us being tempted by "the tempter", indicating that satan can influence tempations on humans. 1 Corinthians 7:5 speaks specifically of satan tempting through our lack of self control. In that verse, it is speaking specifically of sexual temptation, but I think the principal would apply to any temptation.
Most frightening of all is 1 Timothy 4:1
[quote="The Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 4:1]"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons."[/quote]
While v.2 says that "Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron," the liars must have gotten the doctrines from the demons mentioned in v. 1.
So yes, I think "Wormwoods" are very, very real. I think that like angels, they play a zone defense, but that makes them no less real, and no less dangerous.
However, the closer we are to God, the more time we spend in prayer and studying the scriptures, the stronger in us is the Power Of The Holy Spirit. And as you know, "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." So, if you belong to Christ, fear no demonic influence, my friend. You will always have the final say in whether you will follow Christ or the flesh. It is always your choice.
Now, finally, much of the difficulty with SL that is being expressed in this thread comes from a confusion about the goal that Screwtape and Wormwood have. The "patient" has become a Christian, but S & W are determined to draw him away from Christ and essentially recapture his soul for the kingdom of hell. No one mentions it here, but in the book Screwtape is even seen to say that "Many of these adult converts have been reclaimed after a brief sojurn in the Enemy's camp."
I suspect that those of you who are bothered by this are from churches that teach either the doctrine of "Unconditional Eternal Security" (i.e. Once Saved Always Saved) or the more Calvinistic doctrine of "Perserverence of The Saints".
Now, while this thread is not the place to have a debate on the truth or falsehood of those doctrines, you must understand that Lewis did not hold to either of these doctrines. He made this very plain in his other works.
No, no! Please don't try to tell me why you belive these doctrines are true. That is not the issue this thread is addressing. The issue for this thread is that Lewis did not belive either of them.
Remember, as I said before, Lewis was a hard core Anglican. The best insight into his own beliefs can be found in "Mere Christianity". In MC he states that if you want to know what he personally believed, "... it is written in the Common Prayer Book."
He wasn't Baptist. He wasn't Reformed Presyterian. He certainly wasn't Pentecostal (like me). No, no. He was "Church of England" through and through, and an understanding of Anglican theology and practice helps in understanding his work.
The Church of England does not now, nor has it ever, taught, the doctrines of Unconditional Eternal Security or Perserverence of The Saints. (I know, there have been Calvinists within the CE that have taught the latter, but it has never been the teaching of that church.)
In fact, in "Mere Christianity", Lewis speaks very plainly of the possibility of a person, once saved, being able to "loose the Christ life". From his writings there can be no doubt that he believed that it was possible for a truly born-again, saved Christian to fall away and loose that salvation.
Again, if you disagree with Lewis on that (I don't) then you probably need to start another thread to talk about it. Let's not clutter up this one with it.
So, Lewis was writing from the perspective that Screwtape and Wormwood actually did have a shot at getting their patient back, and that Screwtape has actually succeeded in this before. You may disagree with him, but that was his perspective.
I hope that helps.