Demonology 101: The Screwtape Letters – 5th Letter

How the Enemy Uses Division to Distract Us

In one of his more sobering letters, Screwtape, the senior demon in The Screwtape Letters, sheds light on how demons exploit societal turmoil to further the purposes of hell. Written during World War II, Screwtape focuses on the war at hand, but his tactics are just as relevant in our modern world. Whether it’s a global pandemic, political elections, social unrest, or economic crises, the methods used by demons remain the same: sow division, keep us distracted, and shift our focus away from God and the values that truly matter.

Let’s explore some of these tactics and how they apply today.

Division Is the Goal—Not Just the Means

Screwtape explains that while war is a terrible thing, it isn’t as helpful to the purposes of hell as his nephew Wormwood believes. At first glance, we might assume that the cruelty, suffering, and death brought by war would be the perfect conditions for the enemy to do his worst. But according to Screwtape, war often drives people toward God, either in fear, grief, or the pursuit of something higher than themselves. When people turn to God, even in the midst of something as terrible as war, it works against the enemy’s goals.

The key for the enemy is not war itself but the division it creates. Whether it’s war, a pandemic, or political debates, the goal is to use these events to divide us, to make us hate, fear, and misunderstand one another. Screwtape puts it plainly: the real danger is when people turn away from self-centeredness and start looking toward higher values, even if they are on opposing sides of an issue. The last thing the enemy wants is for us to rise above our divisions and work together.

In today’s world, this tactic is easy to see. Just scroll through social media during any major event, people take sides, argue, and tear each other down. What the enemy desires is not necessarily cruelty or evil acts, but self-righteousness, pride, and the illusion that “we” are completely right, and “they” are completely wrong.

The Devil’s Playground: Extremes

Screwtape highlights that demons prefer extremes. Extremism, whether on the side of total pacifism or extreme nationalism, creates division. The devils want us firmly planted in one camp, hating the people on the other side and feeling completely justified in our anger and bitterness.

It’s important to recognize that the devils are not concerned with which side we are on. Their concern is keeping us so deeply entrenched in our views that we stop listening, stop empathizing, and stop loving. This is when we fall into their trap. They want Christians on the far ends of every debate, convinced that God is on “our side” and that those who disagree are enemies.

When we find ourselves in such a place of pride and certainty, we’ve lost sight of the bigger picture, the call to love God and our neighbors. Whether we are arguing over politics, health mandates, or any other societal issue, if we lose our ability to love, we are working for the wrong team.

The Dangerous Reminder of Death

Screwtape also shares his dislike for how war reminds people of their mortality. During times of peace, people can live comfortably, pretending that life will go on forever. This “contented worldliness,” as Screwtape calls it, is one of the enemy’s most powerful tools. When people are lulled into thinking that this life is all there is, they stop thinking about eternity. They stop considering their relationship with God. They stop caring about the things that matter most.

But war, plague, and suffering shake people out of this comfort. When death is near, people start thinking about what really matters. They turn their focus away from selfish pleasures and consider bigger questions about life, faith, and eternity. And this terrifies the enemy.

For the devils, it’s much better if people die in comfortable hospital beds, surrounded by lies and false assurances that all is well. It’s far more dangerous for someone to face death with the sober realization of their mortality and with their heart turned toward God.

What the Enemy Wants: Self-Righteousness Over Righteousness

One of the most profound points Screwtape makes is that God is less concerned with whether we are right about every single issue and more concerned with the state of our hearts. God doesn’t want us to be perfect in our understanding of every political or social issue, he wants us to be humble, compassionate, and obedient to him.

The enemy, on the other hand, thrives on our obsession with being “right.” He wants us to focus on proving that we are morally superior to others, to become so wrapped up in being correct that we lose sight of loving others. This happens all the time in our churches, our friendships, and even our families. The more we focus on our own righteousness, the less we focus on God’s righteousness.

How Do We Respond?

So how do we avoid falling into the enemy’s trap during times of social or political turmoil?

1. Look Up: When society is in chaos, whether due to war, pandemics, or elections, our instinct should be to look to God first. Let the turmoil drive us to pray, reflect, and seek his guidance. Our focus should be on his will, not on the noise around us.
2. Remember the Bigger Picture: The most important thing in any moment of crisis isn’t being right. It’s about growing closer to God, submitting to him, and loving those around us. Screwtape wants us to lose sight of that. Don’t give him the satisfaction.
3. Resist Extremes: Don’t allow yourself to be dragged to the far ends of any debate. Being a Christian means thoughtfully, prayerfully considering every issue and responding with humility, not with hatred or pride.
4. Love Your Neighbor: This can’t be emphasized enough. If the enemy can make us hate others in the name of righteousness, he wins. But when we love those we disagree with, even when it’s hard, we reflect the true heart of Christ.

Final Thoughts

Screwtape’s fifth letter reminds us that the enemy will use any means to distract us from what truly matters. Whether it’s war, politics, or a pandemic, his goal is to divide us, to make us obsessed with being right, and to keep us from loving others. But we don’t have to fall for it. We can rise above the noise, keep our eyes on God, and love our neighbors through the chaos. And that’s something the devils fear more than anything.