Walking circumspectly

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, - Ephesians 5v15


In “The Screwtape Letters” Uncle Screwtape, a senior demon, writes letters of instruction to Wormword, a young demon on an early assignment. I am reading this book for the first time in many years and am amazed at the insight of C.S. Lewis.

In one letter Wormword is exalting in the fact that his charge is losing his fervour for spiritual matters. Screwtape writes to warn him about certain things he needs to do to ensure that it continues. There is so much in that letter that I could talk about here, but one that really sticks out is this advice – “Keep his mind off the plain antithesis between the True and the False. Nice, shadowy expression – it is a phase…” Screwtape knew that if Wormwood could just distract his charge’s focus from the truth, and focus it on some “phase” we was going through the battle would be won.

Screwtape would hate this passage of the scripture (though indeed, he hated it all), for if someone could point Wormwood’s “patient” (the sneaky word Screwtape used) to this passage the patient would be aware of Satan’s ploys.

“Walk circumspectly,” Paul writes. “Keep looking around. Don’t allow you focus to be distracted. In this letter the patient was discouraged in his faith. Screwtape told Wormword to make sure that he does not look back into the scriptures. He wants him to think lightly of his problems, that they are not that big a deal.

I use this today, partly because I am reading the book again, but also because there is a clear warning for us. Sometimes we get so focused on what we are doing, even if it is a good thing, that we forget to look around. We forget the wily tricks of the devil. We must always be aware of the danger around us, in good times and in bad.

Keep ourr eyes open. Always be on our guard. Don’t let Wormwood and his Uncle Screwtape blindside us with their tricks.