Turn and Run.

This summer I have made a new friend. Clive. Clive Staples Lewis. You may know him as C.S. Lewis. Well, regretfully I doubt we would've been friends. He probably would have spoken five words to me and I would have walked away scratching my blonde hair in confusion. The man was brilliant.

I never thought one dead man could affect my walk with Jesus so much.

This book, "The Screwtape Letters" is written from one demon, Screwtape, to his apprentice, Wormwood, giving Wormwood advice on how to destroy mortals. Everything is backwards. When he writes, "the Enemy" he is referring to God. When he writes, "the Kingdom" he is talking about Hell. Did I mention he was brilliant?

This book has changed the way my mind works. It has given me perspective into the mind of Satan and let me tell you something, he too is also brilliant. Satan is sneaky and manipulative. He is smart and ruthless. He is deceptive and unpredictable.

But let me tell you another thing I have learned, he is NOT unstoppable.

Satan does whatever he can to distract us from having an eternal perspective. He does whatever he can to turn our minds away from Jesus and toward the desires of the world.

The more this book makes me aware of his tactics, the more I begin to see the importance of our foundation and depth in our relationship with God. The deeper our foundation with Jesus is, the more challenging it is for Satan to accomplish his goals. Satan's tactics WILL work if we are not rooted in the gospel.

C.S. Lewis reminds me of the power we have through Jesus. Sure, Satan is powerful, but oh how much more powerful we are when we have Jesus on our side.

We can't let Satan win. Even the small things. We must refuse to skip church because we are "too sleepy." We must refuse to spend an hour watching T.V. before bed when we could be diving into the word. We must refuse to laugh at the things Jesus cringes at. We must refuse to be silent in the opportunities Jesus would seize! What a POWERFUL GIFT it is to have Jesus on our side!

What a wonderful warning he has given me through this book. Satan is active. He is moving and working and doing things daily in our lives. He is not just a mythical red-horned man with a pitchfork. It's ironically fantastic though because the more aware I am of Satan, the more aware I am of the constant work Jesus is doing in my daily life.

What a needed challenge to all of us to look for the signs of Satan, turn from them, and run into the arms of God.

"Indeed the safest road to hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones and without signposts." -Screwtape

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Eph. 6:10-13