'The Screwtape Letters'- Just finished this book recently, it's a really good read.. It's about a more senior devil teaching a junior devil how to tempt a new believer as to draw him further away from God..


Find that the book is so sharp in picking up the subtle thoughts which the devil could implant into our mind.. I was filled with 'oohs and ahs' as I read the book , as i caught myself falling into some of these 'traps' set by the devil.. Below are some excerpts/quotes which I find them either relevant to my life at this point of time or areas which I find new insights from the book.. =)


The trap in times of uncertainty


"We want him to be in the maximum uncertainty , so that his mind will be filled with contradictory pictures of the future, everyone of which arouses hope or fear. There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human's mind against the Enemy (God)He wants them to be concerned with what they do;our (the devils') business is to keep them thinking what will happen to them."


The trap in questions asked of a proposed course of action


"The Enemy loves platitudes.Of a proposed course of action he wants men so far as I (devil) cn see,to ask very simple questions;is it righteous?is it prudent? is it possible? Now if we can keep men asking "Is it in accordance with the general movement of our time? Is it progressive or reactionary? Is this the way that Histroy is going?" they will neglect the relevant questions. And the questions they do ask are, of course unanswerable;for they do not know the future and what the future will be depends very largely on just those choices which they now invoke the future to help them to make . As a result, while their minds are buzzing in this vaccum, we have the better chance to slip it and bend them to the action we have decided. "


Unselfishness vs Charity


For the devil, it is a great point gained if from the very outset, they could teach a man to surrender benefits not that others may be happy in having them but that he may be unselfish in forgoing them (parapharased)


"You(devil) must make them (couples/family/friends) establish as a Law that degree of mutual self-sacrifice which is at present sprouting naturally out of the enchantment,but which, when the enchantment dies away, they will not have charity enough to enable them to perform.... emotional resources died away and their spiritual resources have not yet grown-the most delightful results follow. In discussing any joint action, it becomes obligatory that A should argues in favour of B's supposed wishes and against his own, while B does the opposite. It is often impossible to find out either party's real wishes;with luck, they end by doing something that neither wants, while each feels a glow of self righteousness and habours a secret claim to preferential treatment for the unselfishness shown and a secret grudge against the other for the ease with which the sacrifice has been accepted"


"Love is not enough that charity is needed and not yet achieved and no external law can supply its' place"


Fear


"The act of cowardice is all that matters (to devil);the emotion of fear is , in itself no sin and , though we (the devils) enjoy it, does us no good."


Fatigue


"It is not fatigue simply as such that produces the anger, but unexpected demands on a man already tired..... To produce the best results from a patient's (Christian's) fatigue, therefore you must feed him with false hopes... Exaggerate the weariness by making him think it will soon be over;for men usually feel that a strain could have been endured no longer at the very moment when it is ending or when they think it is ending... (Let the patient avoid total committment), whatever he says, let his inner resolution be not to bear whatever comes to him, but to bear it "for a reasonable period" and let the resonable period be shorter than the trial is likely to last.... man would yield just when relief was almost in sight..."