The Screwtape Letters first appeared not as a book but as newspaper articles in London's Guardian during World War II. It was first published in book format in Europe in 1942 and the succeeding year in America. The book was dedicated to his great friend and fellow writer J.R.R Tolkien.
C.S (Clive Staples) Lewis, is arguably the most brilliant writer of the recent era. His composition, The Screwtape Letters, contain some very profound and thought provoking dialogue between Screwtape and Wormwood. The very essence of the this book is the actual spiritual warfare that does exist within a realm that is unseen but yet the affects are very authentic. Lewis' use of satire exhibits a wit that surpasses a host of readers.
The dialogue between Screwtape and nephew Wormwood are as letters from Screwtape to Wormwood. Screwtape is introduced as a superior demon to Wormwood, who is in training and is assigned to a human who is referred to as the Patient. Screwtape makes reference to Satan in multiple letters as Our Father Below and thus referrers to God as the Enemy. Lewis uses these two characters to pose moral questions of: good vs evil, temptations, repentance, and grace. Lewis tries to get his audience to think about the influences within ones life and community. The book makes mention of conflicts that arise after the Patient is converted to Christianity. Not only do devils disapprove of conversion but are just as tactical in making converts miserable and convincing their conversion to Christianity for gain. In letter 23, Screwtape comments: ..."we do want, and want very much, to make men treat Christianity as means; preferably, of course, as a means to their own advancement, but,failing that, as a means to anything-even to social justice".
Lewis uses humility, pride, war (more than likely because of the presence of WWII), and sexuality (not just sensuality but also gender difference) to bring to light some of the ways that Satan can and does manipulate Christians. Screwtape makes multiple mentions of the Patients peevish nature and instructs Wormwood to capitalize. One of the most subtle ways that Satan temps believers is lowering God's Standard and living by a double standard. In letter10, Screwtape addresses this very issue: "He can be made to take a positive pleasure in the perception that the two sides of his life are inconsistent, This is done by exploiting his vanity, He can be taught to enjoy kneeling beside the grocer on Sunday just because he remembers that the grocer could not possibly understand the urbane and mocking world which he inhibited on Saturday evening; and contrariwise, to enjoy the bawdy and blasphemy over the coffee with these admirable friends all the more because he is aware of a 'deeper', 'spiritual' world within him which they cannot understand. You see the idea-the worldly friends touch him on one side and the grocer on the other, and he is the complete, balanced, complex man who sees round them all. Thus, while being permanently treacherous to at least two sets of people, he will feel, instead of shame, a continual undercurrent of self-satisfaction."
C.S. Lewis uses beautiful imagery to display how well the Enemy, in this case-Satan, knows humanity and how to exploit the sinfulness and depravity of man. Likewise, Satan knows the Word of God far better than anyone and does exploit it to his own purposes. The Screwtape Letters needs to be in every Christian's library, it correctly helps develop biblical theology and thinking also showing some of the wares of which the devil uses.
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