The Screwtape Letters emphasizes the spiritual warfare over human souls. Screwtape says, “Do not think lust an exception. When the present pleasure arrives, the sin (which alone interests us) is already over.” (Lewis 76-77) Throughout the book, Screwtape suggest to Wormwood to use many temptation of lust against the Patient to lead him off course. The Screwtape Letters shows how human nature is full of temptations of lust that are constantly used by the devil to mislead a person.
A major time when temptation of lust is used to draw a person away from God is during the Trough periods. Screwtape clearly states this with this quote, "…the Trough periods of the human undulation provide excellent opportunity for all sensual temptations..." (Lewis 43) During this time, a human is feeling empty and depression from a lose or anything that has not gone according to plan. To fill this emptiness, the devil provides sexual temptations along with other temptations to draw the person away. The devil is very cunning in the ways he provides these temptations and when to target a weakened person. A Christian should especially be aware of this time. The devil is constantly targeting Christians and uses lust many times. An example of an actual time was Samson and Delilah. Delilah tempted Samson and he fell into sin. Temptation of lust is a dangerous sin for many that causes great lose and affects many people.
The Screwtape Letters shows that during difficult times, the temptation to sin is high. The devil is constantly working to ensure that a person especially Christians would fall into temptations of lust. Once someone falls into temptation, it is difficult to get out of it. It’s a never-ending cycle of sinful desires of the flesh that continually grow throughout time. However, God is there for those that look toward Him for help. Yet a Christian should be highly aware of the devil with his trickery and stay close to God. Although it may be hard to do so in the “trough periods”, there are many things such as godly friends and the Bible that could remind us to follow God and avoid lust.
Works Cited
Lewis, C. S. The Screwtape Letters. New York: HarperCollins, 2001. Print.
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