The Screwtape Letters follows the life of an unnamed man who is being tempted by Wormwood, a demon assigned to this job. (In the book, each person has a demon assigned to tempt them. This is an element of fiction in the story and there is no Biblical proof that such a one-to-one “relationship” exists; Lewis uses this idea to bring the story to life and to make it effective satire.) Although his initial salvation was key, a second turning point in this man’s life and spiritual struggles appears to be falling in love with a strong Christian girl with a strong Christian family. Although having a romantic relationship intertwined with his spiritual life left the man open to several types of temptation, it eventually helped him escape from temptation, and when he died in the Bombing of London, he was free from his temptation forever, in part because of the influence of his girlfriend’s family.
Lewis writes this section of the book in part to argue for the importance of deep Christian community. Through the influence of his Christian friends, the protagonist is able to throw off more and more of the temptation he faces each day, although he is not fully removed from it until death. Lewis shows that Christians struggle more on their own than in a community, and that spending time and sharing experiences with other believers can seriously alleviate the pressures of temptation.
I have personally felt the necessity for a Christian community in many ways. I have felt the struggle of switching churches after going to one for most of my life. I had grown up in that particular community of believers, and having to switch was a hard move for me. On the other hand, I have also felt the incredible community that comes from going on a missions trip. On my most recent trip to Costa Rica, the team members grew very close to one another, and we are still keeping up intentional conversations with each other, challenging and encouraging each other to grow closer to Christ. This is the strongest Christian community I have ever felt.
Being in a community of strong Christians is vital because of Jesus’s commands to us: “Love God and love others.” We are called to love all our neighbors, and we are called to have a particular love for fellow Christians. God has given us spiritual gifts, and many of those involve us relating to other Christians. So we can best utilize the gifts God has given us by being in community with other Christians, where we can mutually benefit each other with our particular gifts.
In my own life, I have experienced sharing spiritual gifts with other Christians and benefitting from their gifts. I have been given the gift of encouragement, and I enjoy using that gift to help others. There have been times where I have been able to help people who are hurting because of my gift of encouragement, and this is when it is important for me to be involved in a strong Christian community. We each have our own experiences, and God has revealed different things to each of us. For example, my experiences with having doubts about my faith has enabled me to advise and encourage several people who are struggling with similar doubts.
On the other hand, there have been times where I have been the one in need of help, and it is here that I am equally in need of a strong Christian community. In the time when I struggled with doubts, what often helped me was the encouragement of my parents, friends, and pastor. If I had to go through these struggles all alone, it would have been much more difficult to endure. As C.S. Lewis shows, Christian community, though not vital to salvation, is very helpful in maintaining a strong Christian faith.
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