How would a senior devil tell you to handle the current situation of the coronavirus pandemic?
Based on the famous book The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, where senior devil Screwtape advises a junior devil how to best tempt a human and steer him away from “the enemy,” which is what he calls God, we dive into the dark side of life’s current narrative to shed light on the enemy’s tactics.
The first piece of advice is easy to follow: Worry as much as you can. Fill your mind with reports of how the COVID-19 virus is crippling economies and rapidly taking lives. When you’ve fed your anxiety with daunting statistics, move on to the personal stories of loss. Make sure not to read it to gain compassion, or to pray for those who lost a loved one. Keep reading until this compassion is overtaken by a sense of hopelessness.
Screwtape says, “There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human’s mind against the ‘enemy.’ [God] wants men to be concerned with what they do; our business is to keep them thinking about what will happen to them.”
For maximum effect, replace any sermons about faith with endless news cycles, and replace time in the Word with time in the newspaper. An added benefit: no scriptures also means no unhelpful reminders not to worry, like Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with gratitude, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will protect your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Read more at What the Devil Would Like to Whisper in Your Ear During the Pandemic.
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