The Screwtape Letters

The selection of The Screwtape Letters we read for class today I found very interesting because it is from the point of view of a devil, which is the opposite of how we normally view things. By reading the story from this point of view, I was forced to see how the devil tries to deceive Christians. A main focus of the letter we read was making the Christian slowly separate himself from his beliefs and gradually turn away from God. One quote that I found very interesting was the last line of the letter, “Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts”. This quote stood out to me so much because I know from experiences in my own life that it is true. It’s very easy to skip my devotions one day because I feel like there’s too much other stuff today. When the next day rolls around, it becomes easier to skip that day’s devotion, and the cycle continues. In the story, Screwtape is instructing his nephew Wormwood to slowly lead the patient away from God, and one way he does that is by showing him other things he could be doing rather than his devotions. The further the patient distances himself from God, the easier it will be for him to completely turn away from Him.

Another point mentioned in this letter is that the small sins are just as bad as the large ones. One small sin leads to lead may others, and this is so dangerous because it is sometimes hard for us to recognize the small sins that we commit. We can much more easily dismiss a small sin such as a little white lie rather than a larger sin such as adultery. The more and more small little sins we commit, the easier it will be for us to commit larger sins, and then, without realizing it, we are on the gradual road to hell. This story helped me see how the devil works at trying to turn Christians away from God, and it made me more cautious with the small sins that I commit.