Screwtape Letter #1

My dear Wormwood,

The question you raised in your last letter - ‘Why do we spend so much time and resources continuing to attack the belief of the humans the Enemy certainly has snatched into his camp’ is, of course, valid, but has made me ask some more troubling questions to myself. Have I been a bad mentor? Are you really my nephew? Should I just quit? Nevertheless, I find some comfort in the success of some of my other pupils. While we have not been in correspondence for all these years, I expected you to increase and not decrease in your maturity. Besides, I cannot help but ask: What has kept you going on the field all these years? Your question, after all, attacks the very foundations of your work. Or have I found the answer to why we find your work so unproductive? Whatever it be, it might be time for us to take a serous action… may be call you back for a period of re-programming or relieve you of your duties entirely.

I will, however, answer your question in this letter with the hope that my efforts might push you to work the rest of your days, whether few or many, with a renewed vigor to bring honor to our Father below.

It seems to me from your question that you do indeed understand the doctrine of assured loss. By that doctrine, we understand that we will never be able to completely bring a human back to our side that we have lost to the Enemy. We know this not only because the Enemy has claimed that, but also because over all the years we have had no success in this matter (we have not yet given up, but those matters are better left to more capable tempters than you, and are irrelevant to answer your question). Your question is a naive response to that doctrine, and has been asked by thousands, but during far earlier stages in their training. To a novice who first understands that doctrine, it makes much sense that we focus all our resources  on the ones we know we have not yet lost, rather than spending those on the ones we will never win back.

So why don’t we do that?

I am not going to assume you remember much of what has already been taught to you. So.. When the Enemy created these humans, He did it with much care – these beings are unlike any other creatures we know. While He did make them finite, almost like any animal, He did, in that finiteness, add some of His infinite qualities that make them beyond our complete understanding. Infact, some of our kin, who refused to follow our Father sti!ll fall in worship of the Enemy confounded by this simple being. How self abasing and despicable! Anyways, one of the things we do understand is that, ironically He created them with an overpowering desire to be completed – and completed in Him.  Often we have found them express this with some words they use like ‘joy’, ‘happiness’, and ‘satisfaction’ (Don’t try to figure that one out. Being faithful servants of our Father, we have been well protected from such dangers). They are restless without Him.

There is more you should know. Along with a desire to be completed in Him, they have a desire to 'enjoy' Him with other beings - with almost any thing that has breath. 

Now, having been well deprived of this thing they call ‘joy’ that they were created for, for centuries starting from our biggest win against the Enemy through a plan well crafted out by our Father, (the continuous study of which will do you well), these humans have reached a pitiable state. Not only have a lot of them stopped thinking He exists, (Isn’t that hilarious?) they have started finding satisfaction in any toy we have to offer… and sometimes in things even we would never imagine to work for our benefit, as a substitute for Him. They have also become completely confused as to what they live for, and rightly so. But, while we gain the advantage of years, you must remember, even in their pitiable state, all the time and every time, whether knowing or unknowing, they are looking for Him. We can use that desire to our advantage, but we cannot kill it.

The crux of the matter: We would not have spend any resources on any thing after our first win had the Enemy not been so stubborn on wining some of them back to Himself. Long story short (I do not want to get into the details of the implications of our biggest loss 2000 years ago), He brings them back to Himself by faith. Yes, to the same relationship he created them for. They must only believe in Him. Sounds ridiculous, you know that, but pay attention - the more they believe in Him the more they know Him. The more they know Him the more they get transformed to beings they were meant to be (pretty much like the first man from the Garden). That makes them more joyful, more perfect, more incomprehensible, more beautiful, and far less susceptible to our schemes.

It gets worse. Once that happens, they cannot help but communicate Him to all others around them one way or another (and whether they use words for this or not is hardly the point). That is when it becomes problematic. We start loosing our grip over the minds of the ones we have blinded, who on seeing them start wanting what they have. And we all know that deep down, they want Him with that same overpowering desire that they were created with. Even the thought of it makes me shudder.  Against that, our most powerful efforts can fail.

I hope you now see that we have as many humans captured in our camp, not only because our direct efforts to keep them, but that complemented with our efforts to undermine the faith of those on the Enemies camp. So, my dear apprentice, keep at it. Every day... every hour... every second. Incessantly beat against your patients faith, whether you chip little pieces or huge chucks. Change strategies... try out new things, but keep his faith as low as possible. That is your goal and your calling. Your efforts are not in vain. 

In the meanwhile, I will see what can be done to bring you back…

Your affectionate uncle,

Screwtape.