Unveiling Spiritual Truths: A Deep Dive into C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters

Are you ready to embark on an enlightening journey through the spiritual world of C.S. Lewis' classic literature book, The Screwtape Letters? Join us over the next three months as we dive deep into this intriguing work, discussing its relevance to our lives today and the beauty of living in a place with four seasons. Together, we'll explore the presence of demons, the power of faith, and the importance of spiritual preparedness in our everyday lives.

Through an in-depth examination of C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters, we'll provide you with unique insight into the perspective of a demon and the internal struggle Lewis faced while writing the book. As we continue to discuss this masterpiece, we'll emphasize the need to be aware of the schemes of the enemy and encourage you to join us in exploring some of the most powerful truths of the Bible. Plus, don't forget to check out our YouTube channel for a weekly dose of motivation and encouragement every Tuesday.

We can't wait for you to join us on this exciting adventure as we delve into The Screwtape Letters and uncover its spiritual undertones. Be sure to join the discussion on the Cheer Up Podcast Facebook group, and if you ever need prayer or want to share something personal, feel free to reach out to us at cheeruppodcast@gmail.com. Here's to a summer of growth, learning, and powerful conversations that will leave you feeling inspired and spiritually nourished.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:19

Hi and welcome to the Cheer Up podcast. I am your host, kara R Hunt, and with me is the lovely Sherry Swarwell. How are you doing this beautiful, low-quality morning here in the Midwest, sherry?

Speaker 2: 0:37

I am doing great. I can definitely tell that it is summertime or the beginning of summertime, with you starting. The allergies are out, the blossoms are out, the bugs are out, i don't know. I tell you what I mean. I tease about that, kara, but I love living where we love, with where we love. I love living where we live. I love having four seasons and I just love I don't know. I think for me, living in the four seasons, like we do, i feel like I get a new appreciation for God each season, over and over again, every single year, and I really don't think I would want it any other way.

Speaker 1: 1:19

I know It's like, was it a couple of days ago? my quote-unquote office is actually just a desk in one of the rooms in my house, but I have it facing a window. I think it was a couple of days ago. it was just gorgeous. it was sunny, it was warm, but it was a little breezy and I saw that little white stuff flying through the air I don't know pollen, you know it was like so much of it because the wind was blowing and so it was just kind of like blowing it everywhere. I remember sitting on my desk and I just kind of look at it when that happens and I've learned to be content by sitting and admiring from afar, because I know that if I had went out and the stuff was that bad it was just blowing everything everywhere I would have come in with possibly sinus issues, sneezing, coughing and everything else. I'm like you know what? that's okay, it's beautiful. I got this beautiful window I can look out at, i can see everyone else enjoying it and I'm okay with that.

Speaker 1: 2:44

I have to get out there eventually, maybe the next day or whatever, but as of right now, it's okay. I'm not going to do that because when I go out like that, i have to come in and immediately wash my hair, throw anything I was wearing in a washing machine just to not cross-contaminate, right. I don't want to sit down in a clothes I had on when it's that bad, like when you can see it. You know what I'm saying, because it's attaching to you your clothes, your hair, everything, so that I can actually breathe easy in my house and I constantly have to use saline spray and everything else. It's just, it's crazy, but it's beautiful. I cannot see myself living in an all winter state or part of the country, nor can I see myself living on a tropical island where it's warm all the time. So, god is good. I love being where we have four seasons. Yep, me too. Yeah, me too, and it's just like I love it. You know my body has its own issues with it, but you know what it'll adjust.

Speaker 1: 3:55

God is good, Yep it's all good, you know, and everything. So for those of you who may just be joining us, i just want to say welcome once again to the Cheer Up podcast. We have episodes uploaded every Wednesday and we are in our third season and probably on our 100, and, oh my goodness, this would be maybe our like 115th episode or something like that. So if you guys are new and you want to know more about us and everything else, just go to our website. You know, sherry would give you all of that information At the end of this episode how to contact us, how to go to our individual website, how to get to the Cheer Up podcast, and it's available on all major podcasting platforms.

Speaker 1: 4:47

By the way, you're Spotify, your iHeart, all of that and if you are new to it, or if you're not new to it but you've been listening to us for a while and you would like to help us get our message out to others, and if you've been blessed by it or ministered to by it, then please download, like and download the podcast, and that just helps get the word out better and just makes it higher in algorithm, i think. Kind of like on Facebook when you like something that your friend posts. It makes it higher in an algorithm for other people and your friends and stuff to see. So that's kind of how it works. Almost the same way with podcasting. So for June, july, august, are we going into September, sherry, with this particular series?

Speaker 2: 5:43

No No, Just June, July and August. No just June and July and August. Yep June, july and.

Speaker 1: 5:48

August. Okay, So for June and July and August we are going to be talking about the classic literature book, The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis. A lot of you may be familiar with C S Lewis. He has written other books like Myra, Christianity, you know, and some other type biblical type books and everything else. Now it's classic in the sense that I think it was originally written. The Screwtape Letters was originally written in the 1940s. Since then I think it has been reprinted, republished and you know, by different publishers and you know, and stuff since then I know like there's one in 1961, reprint, and then I think there was some more, But it's all the same.

Speaker 1: 6:48

It's just, you know, based on a book, The Screwtape Letters. And The Screwtape Letters, believe it or not, is one of those different classical literature books with very with spiritual undertones And, to kind of put it in a very quick nutshell, we'll explain a little bit more about it over the next couple of weeks as we're doing this. But The Screwtape Letters is pretty much about the two demons and a person, a human being, And it's Screwtape is like the head demon, so to speak, And he's writing letters to his nephew Wormwood And he's kind of teaching him, tutoring him, monitoring him as he tries to make this other person's life miserable, This human being's life miserable. So Wormwood Screwtape is kind of like the mentor to his nephew Wormwood, and he's doing it through letters And that's why it's called The Screwtape Letters. He's writing his nephew Wormwood both of who are demons on how to best deceive, manipulate, torment, harass their quote unquote patient which is a human being, and bring them to their father's house, And by that he means hell and Satan. So basically, that's just like a very concise version of it. It is not a very long book. It is only 31 chapters And I think each chapter has like maybe six paragraphs in it because, again, these are letters. But the whole theme of the book is very, very worthy of discussion as it talks about how, as Christians or as people in our life, some of the things that we really really really need to be aware of.

Speaker 1: 9:00

And I know that there are a lot of people who believe in angels, but you just don't see that same type of belief, I think, when it comes to demons, for example. I think most people are just oh yeah, that's just not the per se. You know the truth, like angels are good, and I believe in angels and I believe I have a guardian angel and everything else. But you know, I don't know so much about the spirit part, the demon part. But demons are real, Okay, And even though we cannot see their activities, that does not mean that they are not here, alive, functioning and watching what we do. These are fallen angels who followed Satan's rebellion from heaven, Okay, And I believe that part can be found in a book by Isaiah where it talks about Lucifer's fall from heaven. And they have hierarchies. Some are known as rulers, some are have authority, some are powers and they're just basically spiritual forces of evil. And if you, I highly encourage you to just do a word search, you know, and study on demons in the Bible. They are real As believers. Once we accept and realize all of this, I think the easier our spiritual walk would be.

Speaker 1: 10:28

And I just want to I'm going to slowly go through this in this episode because I want to give people, I want to give everyone, some scriptural foundation before we continue on with the series in the next couple of weeks, If you want to know exactly how. How say, excuse me, demons are, Like you're saying, what They have hierarchies, like. There's high level demons and low level demons. Um, yeah, And you can find that out in Ephesians 6-10 through 12. That's Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 10 through 12. If you want to know if well, are you saying that, that that demons can influence people, or that they can demonize people? and, you know, take over people? And if you want to know more about that, then read Luke, chapter 8, verse 30. If you want to know more about the rebellion against, when Lucifer was trying to go against our God Almighty, and when he left he took a lot of the people I think a third of heaven with him, I need to reread the scripture. But, um, and so they're called fallen angels, And those fallen angels are what the Bible refers to as demons, And you can read more about that in Isaiah, chapter 14, verses 12 through 15. Again, that's Isaiah, chapter 14, verses 12 through 15. And in the New Testament, you can read more about that in 2 Peter, chapter 2, verses 4 through 10.

Speaker 1: 12:14

Demons can actually also take shape and be visible to people. I know a lot of people don't want to hear that And you know they're like Kara, you're creeping me out. I just don't believe that. I know we could. People could see angels. Well, you know what. They can also be visible. Demons can also be visible to humans. If you want to know more about that, then you could go to Job, chapter 4 and 15.

Speaker 1: 12:39

If you want to know if a person can be possessed by demons, um, unbelievers, um, or if, um you can be oppressed by demons, um, as in believers, then you want to, uh, and if you want to know if they could be like, okay, well, what if I have one? What if I see one? Whatever, What can I do about it? If you want to know if they can be driven out from um a person, then you want to read more about that. You know, because it's very, very um, you, you, you got to be careful when you're doing that. So, um, very, very careful, Um, because, without doing it correctly, then you know that person you or yourself or someone else can be, you know, um, making yourself open to like a seven-fold infestation of them. So, and you want to read more about that in the book of Matthew, chapter 12, 45. Oh, okay, Demons love to confuse the truth with lies, Um, and we can see that every day.

Speaker 1: 13:47

All we have to do is pull up social media, see what some people are saying, saying how things that we know are false and ridiculous and people are embracing them as truth And they're saying that, no, no, no, this, this can be that and I can be this, And you know, and everything else, it's, it's they. He, uh, uh, uh, uh. Satan and his enemies love to do it with half truth, uh, putting in a little bit of truth with a whole lot of lie, and he mixes it together and get people all confused. Um, and you can read more about that in first John, chapter four, verse four. Um, if you worship idols or anything else other than the true God above the outfit and you'll make the Holy one of Israel the most high God, then you are, then it is very possible that you could be worshiping and sacrificing things to demons, and you may not even know it, Um, because, um, the whole purpose of demons is to help you be deceived. That's basically it, One way or not. I mean, I have multiple purposes, but one of the biggest things that they they're able to do that with is through deception, And if you want to read more about that, that's in first Corinthians, chapter 10, verses 20 through 21.

Speaker 1: 15:11

The Bible has. If you also go through the scriptures you can also see that, um, demons can inhabit animals. It's uh, and you want to read more about that in Matthew, chapter eight, verse 31. Um, there will be a time that demons of all levels and hierarchies and powers and authorities will be released to wreck incredible pain and torture on those who are not Christians. And if you want to read more about that in the Bible second Peter, chapter two, verses four and five, and the book of Revelation, chapter nine, verses one through seven, Again, a second Peter, chapter two, verses four and five, and revelation, the book of Revelation, chapter nine, one through seven Um, but the cool thing is that in all of this, we are going to have the victory. Christians are going to have the victory in all of this, God, and why? Because God, our Father, and Jesus Christ himself, is going to assure us that victory. Um, and you can read more about that in Revelation, the book of Revelation, chapter 20 and verse 10. So, thank you.

Speaker 1: 16:35

I just want to remind people that, even though a lot of this may sound scary, may sound very too supernatural, may sound very otherworldly, you know, and like, oh my goodness, like what? I wasn't even, I didn't even know this and I didn't even know. The Bible went into depth about demons and stuff like this. You know, and everything else. And you know, like, what can we do? you know, and everything else.

Speaker 1: 16:56

God has already given us every tool necessary but to stand against the enemy, Satan and all of his minions, We have just got to stay in the Word of God, We have got to stay prayed up, We have got to stay praying for our friends and our family when we see certain things going on in their lives. We have got to spend time with the Lord. And what does that do? It strengthens our relationship with God, And he and the Holy Spirit would give us Godly wisdom, insight, counseling and things on what to do, as well as the Word of God. And so it's not like a knowing situation, It's not like, oh my goodness, you know what's going to happen to me now. You know. It's none of that. When you become a believer, you are assured victory over everything we just talked about. Sherry, what is it that you would like to add?

Speaker 2: 18:03

Well, first off, i love how you laid it all out, because the Bible is truth, The Bible is infallible and that is where we need to get all of our information from, and the way that you laid it out like that it's unarguable. I mean, people can either believe the Bible or not believe the Bible, but the Bible is true. The Bible has been proven. What's in the Bible has been proven over centuries. So, wow, when I think of CS Lewis, i think of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe And I also think of Revelation.

Speaker 2: 18:44

When I was younger I talked about this many times on the podcast. They lived a life of fear And so I avoided Revelation at all costs. I wanted to be the ostrich with my head in the sand. I didn't want to think about Revelation and time, torture, any of that kind of stuff, persecution. But as I've gotten older, i've started reading Revelation and it is not a scary book at all, like it is a book of hope. And so when you suggested that we do the screw tape letters this summer, i'm like ugh, i never read it, kind of like Revelation. I just kind of put my head in the sand, i didn't want to read it. But I started to read it and I have to say I did not like it. And the reason I didn't like it is because it was so hard for me to read Wormwood and What's the other one's name again.

Speaker 1: 19:42

Screw tape is the uncle, wormwood is the nephew.

Speaker 2: 19:44

There we go. So when screw tape was talking and kept calling Satan's father, it messed with my head Because I'm so used to reading the Bible and our father is the Heavenly Father that I was like, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. Like that was what I quote unquote hated about the book. But it's such a good book to read, like I'm glad that you suggested it and I'm glad that I read it And I think that it's full of wisdom where we can, like take off and really talk about the different things and the different truths about it. Because you know what People can choose to live their life with their head in the sand.

Speaker 2: 20:29

But there's going to come a day when you're going to need to know these things. Like there's a part in the Bible that says ignorance is not, it's not going to save you, type of a thing. Like you're not going to get a free pass because you don't know. If you don't know, that's your fault And so. But God is a loving God. So he doesn't talk the way I do. He's not like oh, you know, you're so terrible type of a thing. He's more like come on, let's he invites you in.

Speaker 2: 20:56

Are you ready to read it this year. Are you ready to do it this year? How about this year? Are you ready now? Are you ready now?

Speaker 2: 21:03

So I guess I just want to encourage people that, as we, to stay with us the series, the summer with us, whether or not you consider it scary, whether or not you want to put your head in the sand, i think we're kind of past the point in our society where we can legitimately put our head in the sand. I think we're at a point in society where we need to start speaking the truth and love, and we can't speak the truth and love if we don't know the truth. So I just want to encourage people to stick with it and to join us this whole summer season. I promise you it will not be torture, it will be fun, and we're going to just kind of delve into some of these truths and see how we can align them with the Bible and how we can then have conversations with other people about what we believe and about the truth that are there Cause, like you said, demons are real and demons wreak havoc and that's their job. But God gives rescue, like he has a plan to save you and to protect you from these demons.

Speaker 2: 22:10

But we kind of have to be prepared. We can't have our heads in the sand. We have to know what we're doing, we have to train for it, we have to be ready for it so that, when God invites us into the battle and into the fight, we were ready. We've got our ammunition, we've got our weapons.

Speaker 2: 22:26

I love Ephesians six, 10 through 18, i believe it is the armor of God. I love that. So, um, so, yeah, so I guess that's what I wanted to add to encourage people like me, who are more hesitant, um, to read these types of things, who are more hesitant to get their feet dirty or get their feet wet. Um, i just want to say I think that we'll be glad that we did And I think that, with by the end of the summer, we'll have had a lot of fun And I think that we will um have learned a lot and that we will be able to better, we'll be more confident at being able to defend our faith, um, even in just little ways, like we don't have to be ready to, you know, run for office or anything, but just having casual conversations with our friends, because you never know what seed you're going to plant and how God is going to use that seed, or use you, to change the life of someone that you love, or even just a stranger.

Speaker 1: 23:26

Oh, absolutely, and I think, even more important, well, i can say more importantly. But another side of it is, you know, i think, as Christians, especially in today's times, that, and with the culture and culture change, and what's acceptable and what's not acceptable, um, what's tolerable, what's intolerable, um, what's racist, what's not racist, uh, and all the other type of things that are just going on, um, culturally, um, what is a boy, what is a girl? Um, are there only two genders or they're more? with so many things going on like that, i just, i just want to encourage believers We need to start looking at things through a lens of not just our physical eyes, not just our physical ears, not just listening through those two, um, but seeing, not just seeing and listening through those physically, but also spiritually, but also spiritually, into seeing, and to opening our eyes so that we are not deceived okay, so that we are not deceived by what is being thrown at us, whether it be culturally, whether it be through the media, whether it will be our family and friends, and sometimes even counselors and doctors and clinics, and pastors I'm sorry, say that again, sherri And pastors, oh, oh, my goodness, okay, i'm not gonna, yes. And pastors, for those of you who may not have heard her. She is absolutely, 100% right, 100% right. And we need to know in our golly-nore that God has given us, as believers, what is truth and what is not truth. There is no in between It, either to you saying it either is or it ain't okay, and it's like there's so many people who want us to believe that there's a gray area to everything and it is not. It is not. And that's why we have got to see things for what they are and spiritually see things that are spiritual eyes and listen to things that are spiritual ears. And if they don't connect with our spirit and you're getting that nudge in your spirit like, yeah, this ain't right, i can't, i'm not gonna let that in my ears because something's wrong, i'm not gonna do that, and so and that is the whole purpose of us doing this series throughout the summer And, like Sherry said, it's not gonna be all heavy-hearted, we're just gonna touch on like one topic or two and some of the letters or the topics that Screwtape does with his nephews.

Speaker 1: 26:31

Some of them are actually funny If you get the book see the Screwtape letters by CS Lewis. And I do wanna point out something that Sherry said, we have to remember that Screwtape is a demon who is in a higher position than his nephew Warmwood. Screwtape is writing these letters to his nephew And some of them are hilarious and some of them are funny and everything else. However, they are demons. Their father is Satan And that's what Sherry was referring to.

Speaker 1: 27:09

Like in the letters, screwtape may say something like I father wants you to do this, i father wants you to do that. Well, he's referring to Satan. And then he may say something like oh, be careful if you leave the person to do this or something like that, because the enemy may come against us in that way or this way. And to him, the enemy is God. Okay, so this is written from a demon's perspective point of view. So if you get the book and you're like, wait, i'm gonna share, yeah, i see this. Now You know how I could throw you off, because, especially if you're an avid Bible reader, it can really throw you off. But we just have to remember that it's told from his perspective and everything else.

Speaker 1: 27:53

If you get the book and if you decide to follow along, You do not need to get the book to listen to all the episodes that we're gonna cover this summer And we're just gonna cover like one or two topics out of each chapter, you know, and everything else. And if you get the book, you'll see that it's kind of lighthearted in nature, while still hitting on some very, very key points, and that's all we just kind of really are going to do over the next couple of weeks, so, and we look forward to you guys joining us again next week.

Speaker 2: 28:22

So, was there anything else you wanted to add, sherry The only thing I wanted to add before we wrap up is that even CS Lewis, i remember reading in the back of a commentary or something, and it was saying that CS Lewis himself, he wrote it and then he put it aside for a few years because he even struggled with the way that he wrote it And he struggled with the, with the switching things up of the father was really Satan and the enemy was really the father.

Speaker 1: 28:51

Right The father.

Speaker 2: 28:53

So I found that incredibly interesting and I thought, man, why an assignment from God to do, And if he really felt called to do this? and obviously it has blessed and touched so many lives, So I do believe that it was anointed in that it was something that God wanted him to do. But what, what a heart like God doesn't call us to push easy things. God called us to heart things and he obeyed and he did what he was supposed to do and he, he suffered in his spirit for it. He felt really, it was really really hard for him and that made it easier for me, Like. That made me feel like okay, good, So I am my, my feelings and my emotions here are okay, because even the author felt that way.

Speaker 2: 29:36

So I just want to encourage people who have personalities more like mine that you know this is really kind of a cool thing to delve into And, like I said when we first started, Kara, I'm so glad that you suggested this because I never, honestly, would have read it.

Speaker 2: 29:51

Read it on my own. I never had a desire to before And if it wasn't for us and our friendship and getting to do it for this, I probably never would have, but I'm so glad that I did. It's one of those things like diving into revelation. I'm so glad I have read Revelation now probably four or five times and I will continue to read it, because each time I read it I get something new and something different out of it, and God reveals even more. So I love when God likes to to just give more revelation about his love, about our purpose on the earth, about getting into the dark side, like figuring out the schemes and the wilds of the enemy, not in a fascination, fixation way, but in a No no prepare to defeat and overcome and not be sucked into his lies and his treachery and his schemes and his wilds.

Speaker 2: 30:53

So if you guys are interested, which we hope you are, we hope you will come back next week and when we dive into the first topic. So if you have any, anything that you want to share, anything that you want to, i think we should really start a discussion about this here on the Facebook group.

Speaker 1: 31:12

So Oh, absolutely Yes.

Speaker 2: 31:15

Head over to the Cheer Up Podcast Facebook group and let's start talking over there, because we want your opinions too. Whether you've read the book or just listened to the podcast, we want to know what you think. If you have something personal that you want to share with us, you can email us at cheeruppodcastgmailcom. Both Kara and I monitor that email and we would be happy to pray with you, respond to you, talk to you whatever you need. Head over to Kara's website, karaarhunt K-A-R-A-R-H-U-N-T dot com, and you can find out all about the Habakkuk series and when Lydia will be coming out. I am so excited to read Lydia, i can't wait.

Speaker 2: 31:58

Head over to my website if you want to learn more about the membership. That is a great way to. As Kara was saying earlier in the podcast, the ways that we can combat the devil and combat the enemy is through reading God's word and just growing our relationship with God, and that's what Jesus and the everyday membership is all about. If you would like to check that out and see if that's something that you would like to be a part of, you can head over to my website, cheriswalwelcom. You can also check out the different books I have. I have nonfiction and fiction over there. I have a YouTube channel. It's just five minutes every Tuesday of encouragement. If you want to check that out as well. We are so glad that you're here. I am loving the fact that it's summer and school just got out. It's going to be a great summer season. I hope it goes really slowly. I do love summer. Come back next week. We are so glad that you were here today. Have a great rest of your day.