RiverStone Rhythms — Episode 26 — the Screwtape Letters Review
Unyielding Flame Part 5 of 5.
Hey Everyone,
I hope you are all doing well. Due to numerous reasons, we did not record a podcast episode for this final post.
I have gone through and written why I think Lewis included each chapter and what I believe it matters for us as a replacement.
We will be launching our next theme for the coming months soon. We will probably have podcast episodes with RiverStone Residents and blend our theme with the central residency verse.
Blessings!
1. Undermine Reason
Why Lewis included it:
Lewis, a trained philosopher and Christian apologist, saw firsthand how modernity had shifted public discourse from truth-seeking to slogan-sharing. He believed that when people stop believing in truth, they don’t believe nothing—they believe anything.
Why it matters today:
We live in an age dominated by emotional impressions, social media hot-takes, and short-form distraction. Thoughtful reasoning is drowned by noise. This makes us vulnerable to deception and disconnection from the gospel’s rational coherence.
2. Church Disillusionment
Why Lewis included it:
He knew many rejected Christianity not because of Christ, but because of Christians. Lewis exposes how the enemy uses hypocrisy and imperfect community to make people abandon the deeper spiritual reality of the Body of Christ.
Why it matters today:
Deconstruction is often fueled by disappointment with church culture. This letter reminds us that flawed people do not nullify a faithful God—and that spiritual maturity requires looking beyond surface offenses.
3. Family Friction
Why Lewis included it:
Lewis observed that our most “unseen” sins are often committed at home. Pride thrives in familiarity. Screwtape delights in spiritualizing selfishness while avoiding basic kindness.
Why it matters today:
We still elevate abstract causes while neglecting those closest to us. Social justice, ministry, and personal growth mean little if they bypass ordinary love in the home.
4. Distract Prayer
Why Lewis included it:
Prayer, when real, is dangerous to Hell. Lewis shows how even good intentions can be derailed by vagueness, distraction, or emotionalism.
Why it matters today:
In our performance-driven world, even prayer can become a self-focused ritual. The temptation to “feel” rather than “commune” still robs prayer of its relational power.
5. War and Fear
Why Lewis included it:
Written during WWII, Lewis wanted to show that external crisis is not always spiritually damaging—often it leads people back to God.
Why it matters today:
Cultural fear (pandemics, politics, global instability) is easily manipulated. Yet fear can also awaken a longing for permanence. It’s not the crisis that damns us—it’s how we respond.
6. Foster Anxiety
Why Lewis included it:
Lewis understood anxiety as one of the most corrosive spiritual forces. The demons aim not to cause suffering directly but to stir up obsessive preoccupation with imagined futures.
Why it matters today:
Our digital age constantly pulls attention to "what ifs." Chronic anxiety detaches us from God's presence in the present, replacing prayerful trust with compulsive speculation.
7. Moderate Christianity
Why Lewis included it:
He warned against a watered-down, culturally acceptable faith that doesn't actually shape a person. Screwtape loves when Christianity is “just a part” of someone’s life.
Why it matters today:
Cultural Christianity thrives on comfort, not conviction. When faith is tame and part-time, it loses the power to transform.
8. Spiritual Dryness
Why Lewis included it:
Lewis wanted readers to know that spiritual low points are not failures, but tests. God uses these troughs to grow real obedience.
Why it matters today:
Many give up when they no longer "feel" close to God. This chapter is a reminder: perseverance in dryness is proof of mature faith.
9. Use Pleasure Carefully
Why Lewis included it:
Lewis held that God created pleasure—but demons pervert it. When real, simple pleasures are enjoyed as God intended, they become dangerous to Hell.
Why it matters today:
We often confuse pleasure with indulgence. Reclaiming delight in creation (books, nature, rest) is actually a form of spiritual resistance.
10. Worldly Friends
Why Lewis included it:
Social influence is subtle but powerful. The desire for approval can lead to double lives and compromised beliefs.
Why it matters today:
In an image-driven world, we’re tempted to be someone different in every crowd. But duplicity fragments the soul.
11. Laughter and Sin
Why Lewis included it:
Humor can humanize or corrupt. Flippancy, in particular, desensitizes people to evil by laughing at what should be taken seriously.
Why it matters today:
Online culture thrives on irony and mockery. Flippancy deadens conscience and makes holiness seem silly.
12. Gradual Drift
Why Lewis included it:
Screwtape reveals that the safest road to Hell is a slow fade—not some dramatic rebellion, but distraction and apathy.
Why it matters today:
Many lose faith not by crisis, but by comfort. Slow drift is harder to notice—and more dangerous.
13. Loss and Recovery
Why Lewis included it:
Lewis affirms that real pleasure (books, walks, beauty) can reconnect us with God. These are often moments of grace.
Why it matters today:
Re-enchantment begins with delight. Spiritual renewal often starts with simple joys that awaken our true self.
14. False Humility
Why Lewis included it:
Real humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. Screwtape wants us to fixate even on our humility.
Why it matters today:
Obsession with self—even through self-loathing—is still pride. Freedom comes in self-forgetfulness.
15. Time Manipulation
Why Lewis included it:
Hell wants us in the past or future—anywhere but the present, where God actually dwells.
Why it matters today:
Smartphones make it easy to escape the now. But spiritual life is always present tense. "Today, if you hear His voice..."
16. Church Shopping
Why Lewis included it:
Church-hopping keeps believers disconnected. It fosters consumerism rather than covenant.
Why it matters today:
Treating church like a brand or event makes deep discipleship almost impossible.
17. Gluttony of Delicacy
Why Lewis included it:
We often think of gluttony as excess—but Lewis exposes a subtler form: fussiness, entitlement, and control.
Why it matters today:
In an age of curated lifestyles, even our preferences can become idols.
18. Distort Love
Why Lewis included it:
Romantic relationships are ripe for distortion. Love can be twisted into selfishness and idolatry.
Why it matters today:
When feelings become the measure of love, sacrifice and fidelity vanish.
19. Mock God’s Love
Why Lewis included it:
Screwtape cannot comprehend God’s love. He assumes it must be manipulation.
Why it matters today:
Many view God through cynical lenses—projecting human brokenness onto divine love.
20. Disordered Desires
Why Lewis included it:
Lust isn’t just about appetite—it's about distortion. Demons tempt us with ideals we can never attain.
Why it matters today:
Our culture sells desire as identity. Lewis warns: unchecked longing never satisfies.
21. Sense of Ownership
Why Lewis included it:
Entitlement breeds anger. Screwtape rejoices when people feel owed their time, rights, or pleasures.
Why it matters today:
Gratitude disarms the enemy. When we give thanks for what is not "ours," we live freely.
22. Enemy of Pleasure
Why Lewis included it:
The patient falls in love, and Screwtape is furious. Real love and joy make Hell tremble.
Why it matters today:
Beauty and virtue are still spiritual weapons. Wholesome delight draws us toward God.
23. Corrupt Theology
Why Lewis included it:
Theological jargon can become a smokescreen. Screwtape loves when faith is all talk and no transformation.
Why it matters today:
Sound doctrine matters—but so does heart-level obedience. Truth must shape life.
24. Spiritual Pride
Why Lewis included it:
Pride can grow even in church. Feeling "holier than thou" is its own temptation.
Why it matters today:
Comparison poisons community. Humility is the only soil where grace can grow.
25. Christianity And…
Why Lewis included it:
Faith easily gets tangled with ideologies. Screwtape prefers "Christianity and politics" or "Christianity and psychology."
Why it matters today:
Jesus is not a mascot for movements. When He becomes a means to another end, He ceases to be Lord.
26. Romantic Miscommunication
Why Lewis included it:
Misunderstandings in relationships can erode love. Demons thrive on assumptions and silence.
Why it matters today:
Good communication is spiritual warfare. Grace must be practiced, not presumed.
27. Doubt and Reason
Why Lewis included it:
Doubt disguised as sophistication is useful to Hell. Lewis warns against using reason as a mask for avoidance.
Why it matters today:
True faith is not unthinking, but many doubts are lazy or borrowed. We must test them honestly.
28. Fear of Death
Why Lewis included it:
If the patient dies now, he goes to Heaven—a loss for Hell. Screwtape prefers a long, distracted life.
Why it matters today:
Death clarifies what matters. The goal of evil is not to kill, but to keep us comfortably numb.
29. Cowardice and Courage
Why Lewis included it:
Cowardice, when unacknowledged, is damning. But if admitted, it can lead to courage.
Why it matters today:
Vulnerability is strength. Admitting fear opens the door for grace to work.
30. Fatigue and Temptation
Why Lewis included it:
Tiredness lowers resistance. Screwtape knows that exhaustion makes sin feel justifiable.
Why it matters today:
Burnout is spiritual exposure. Rest is not a luxury—it’s a weapon against despair.
31. Final Victory
Why Lewis included it:
Despite Hell’s efforts, the patient is saved. Screwtape’s loss affirms God’s ultimate triumph.
Why it matters today:
Grace is stronger than deception. Even flawed, failing people can finish well when they cling to Jesus.