The Devil - January 8

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 117, 118; PM Palm 112, 113;Isa. 59:15-21; Rev. 2:8-17; John 4:46-54

The storybook images and illustrations of the devil, or the depictions we see in stories and movies, have never really been a part of my faith. I've always thought of them as humanity's way of making sense of evil. However, the devil—or Satan—does appear in Scripture, although probably not as often as we might assume. It shows up in today’s New Testament lesson from Revelation, which uses vivid imagery to provide spiritual context for addressing the challenges of the world.

This Sunday, many churches around the world will celebrate Baptism on the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus. During this celebration, questions such as these are asked: “Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God?” and “Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?” The second question resonates more deeply with me, but both have scriptural roots.

For the past several years, I’ve been part of a reading group that’s open to anyone interested. It’s mostly made up of people from Saint Stephen’s, though others have joined along the way. Each month, we discuss a different book, spanning a wide range of genres. This month, we’re reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, a fictional series of letters written from Screwtape, a senior devil, to his nephew Wormwood, a junior tempter. It’s a playful yet profound satirical exploration of the challenges of being human.

The opening paragraph of the first letter in Lewis’s 1941 classic struck me deeply:

“My dear Wormwood, I note what you say about guiding our patient’s reading and taking care that he sees a good deal of his materialist friend. But are you not being a trifle naïve? It sounds as if you supposed that argument was the way to keep him out of the Enemy’s clutches. That might have been so if he had lived a few centuries earlier. At that time, the humans still knew pretty well when a thing was proved and when it was not; and if it was proved, they really believed it. They connected thinking with doing and were prepared to alter their way of life as the result of a chain of reasoning. But what with the weekly press and other weapons, we have largely altered that.”

Screwtape goes on:

“Your man has been accustomed, ever since he was a boy, to have a dozen incompatible philosophies dancing about together inside his head. He doesn’t think of doctrines as primarily ‘true’ or ‘false,’ but as ‘academic’ or ‘practical,’ or ‘outworn’ or ‘contemporary,’ ‘conventional’ or ‘ruthless.’ Jargon, not argument, is your best ally in keeping him from the Church. Don’t waste time trying to make him think materialism is true! Make him think it is strong, or stark, or courageous—that is the philosophy of the future. That’s the sort of thing he cares about.”

Written more than eighty years ago, these words still resonate. While I continue to wrestle with the concept of Satan, Lewis’s insights challenge me to reflect on how often we fail to live into God’s vision for beloved community. He reminds us that progress doesn’t always lead to a deeper understanding of God. Here in 2025, we still struggle to grasp the significance of loving God and neighbor, too often entangled in jargon and ideologies that leave compassion by the wayside.

If you find yourself in a church this Sunday, I hope you’ll consider the Baptismal Covenant with fresh eyes, seeing it as a vision for our lives. These words were proclaimed at your Baptism: “Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God?” and “Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?” The answer was, “I do.” May we still hold this to be true.

John+

Question for Self-Reflection: To you, what are the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?