Demonology 101: Screwtape – Letter 6

Screwtape’s Strategy for Distorting Virtue and Fostering Anxiety

One of the fascinating aspects of The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is how clearly it shows the devil’s tactics for keeping us from a close relationship with God. In one of the letters, Screwtape, a senior demon, writes to his apprentice Wormwood about the devil’s favorite strategy, creating anxiety and uncertainty in the human mind. Through this method, they can keep people distracted and distant from God, preventing them from living faithfully in the present.

The Trap of Future Worries

In this particular letter, Screwtape rejoices over the fact that his patient, a young man, might be called up for military service. For the devils, this is a golden opportunity. The uncertainty of war fills the young man’s mind with countless fears about his future. Will he survive? Will he be sent to battle? What will happen to his family? Rather than focusing on what he can control, his actions and trust in God, he begins to obsess over all the things that lie beyond his control. This anxiety becomes a barrier between the patient and God, who wants him to trust in divine provision.

The devil’s strategy here is simple: keep humans fixated on what might happen rather than what is happening now. This not only drains their emotional and spiritual energy but also prevents them from faithfully living in the moment. In our daily lives, this can take many forms, worrying about finances, health, relationships, or politics. While some concerns are valid, the devils want us to lose sight of the fact that we can’t change the future by obsessing over it. Instead, God calls us to focus on the present, trusting that he will provide for our needs each day.

Jesus himself emphasized this point when he taught his disciples to pray for their “daily bread”, a reminder that God provides what we need for today, not tomorrow’s hypothetical worries. The devils, however, try to exploit our fears about the future, making us feel overwhelmed and powerless. As Screwtape explains, if we’re consumed with anxiety about what may or may not happen, we cannot submit to God’s will in the present.

Virtue Distorted

But the devils don’t stop with fear and anxiety. They also have a clever tactic for distorting human virtues and vices. When humans engage in sinful acts, like anger or lust, the devils encourage them to focus outwardly, on whatever external thing triggered their anger, so they don’t stop to reflect on their own inner state or realize they are falling into sin. By focusing outwardly, we lose self-awareness and slip deeper into destructive habits.

However, when it comes to virtuous acts like charity or devotion, the devils reverse this strategy. Instead of encouraging humans to focus outwardly on serving others, they urge them to focus inwardly. When we do something good, like helping a neighbor or spending time in prayer, they want us to think about how virtuous we are, how noble our actions seem. This self-congratulation undermines the true purpose of virtue, turning it into an exercise in pride rather than genuine love for others.

This tactic is subtle but effective. By shifting our focus inward when we do good, the devils make us feel proud and disconnected from the people we are supposed to serve. Real virtue, according to God’s will, is selfless. It’s about serving others without seeking recognition. But the devils’ goal is to make our goodness about us, not about others or about God.

Hatred Close to Home

Screwtape also sheds light on another favorite tactic of the devils, misdirected hatred. Hatred is powerful, but it’s even more destructive when it’s personal. The devils prefer that we direct our hatred toward the people around us, our neighbors, coworkers, or family members, rather than toward distant or abstract groups like political figures or foreign nations. Why? Because hatred aimed at people we interact with daily does far more harm. It destroys relationships and fosters bitterness in our immediate environment.

On the other hand, if we reserve our love for distant, abstract groups that we don’t know personally, it’s easier to avoid the challenge of real love. It’s easy to say you love humanity or care about world peace when you don’t have to deal with the everyday struggles of loving difficult people in your life. The devils want to keep our love superficial and our hatred real and personal.

The Concentric Circles of Human Nature

One of the most profound insights in this letter comes when Screwtape describes the human soul as being made up of concentric circles. The innermost circle is the will, followed by the intellect, and then the outermost layer, fantasy. The devils’ objective is to push virtues outward into the realm of fantasy, where they remain theoretical and abstract, while pushing vices inward into the will, making them habitual and destructive.

For example, someone might fantasize about being generous or compassionate but never actually take steps to live out those virtues in real life. Meanwhile, sins like pride, greed, or envy are pushed deeper into the will, where they start to shape a person’s character and behavior. The devils want virtues to remain ideas, admired from a distance but never acted upon, while vices become ingrained and difficult to uproot.

Living Faithfully in the Present

This letter from Screwtape reminds us of the importance of focusing on the present, trusting God’s provision, and living out our virtues rather than admiring them from afar. The devils’ goal is to keep us distracted, either by future anxieties, pride in our good deeds, or by the everyday conflicts that draw our attention away from God.

But Jesus calls us to something higher. We are called to live in the present, serving others without self-congratulation, trusting in God’s provision for our needs today, and focusing on the relationships closest to us. We must guard against the devil’s tactics by staying grounded in the here and now, by practicing humility, and by making sure our virtues are lived realities rather than abstract ideals.

In a world filled with uncertainty and distractions, we must remember that the present moment is where God meets us, and it is here where we are called to live faithfully.