Oh dear. The Patient is becoming humble. Not artificially humble – no, but truly humble in a way that has Screwtape quaking in his boots. But ahh… for the counterattack. How can Satan sideswipe the rest and ease of true humility in exchange for something… manufactured and exhausting? In this episode, we dive deep into the mechanics of humility, and you might find that the invitation to be truly humble brings more ease and rest than you ever realised.

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Mentioned in this episode:

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. LewisMy essay on jealous: Dear jealous creative, what if this was the answer all along?Beauty is NOT “in the eye of the beholder.” C.S. Lewis on Beauty by Isaac Angel MezaGentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund

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In Letter 13, Screwtape admonishes Wormwood for a fatal mistake: he allowed the Patient to enjoy a book and go on a lovely country walk, all on his own, for no other reason than to experience pleasure. Once again, Lewis beautifully explores not only the ways in which Satan tries to tempt us but the ways in which we can fight back against him. And one of the most beautiful, underrated ways to exercise the victory already won for us in spiritual warfare is that of joy – not just the joy that comes from suffering (which we’re so great at talking about), not just joy separate from happiness, but real, sweet, simple, bubbling joy.

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Links and episode mentions:

Currently reading The Screwtape LettersDusty’s website Dusty on InstagramDusty’s Voice Memos podcastMy HarperCollins essay on C.S. Lewis’ Surprised by Joy Gentle and Lowly by Dane OrtlundMagic Like This on Instagram

How to become a paid subscriber:

Join the Book Club for £5 a month to get the extended, 1-hour version of each podcast episode (and join Book Club discussions) by clicking below:

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For fellow writers:

Join The Writer’s List to get writing tips rooted in Scripture and exclusive updates when I launch new writing resources.

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Screwtape's 9th letter is a hot take on all the crappy ways that we choose to cope with seasons of depression and dryness. Buckle up for Christina's spicy opinions on purity culture, pleasure, and the more fleshy delights of life (spoiler alert: this episode isn't REALLY about any of those things). Also, she gets a little dramatic, but it wouldn't be a podcast hosted by an Enneagram 4 if she didn't, right?

Mentioned in this episode:

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (always)

A look at "Deny thyself" by Phylicia Masonheimer

Enough Hope Left to Torture: Substack by Breanne Rodgers

Into the Wild

Join the Book Club conversation on...

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Or email me at magiclikethis@substack.com

Aaaand we're back! Diving straight in to Letter 8 (my favourite letter in the book). This letter covers so much: the Law of Undulation (i.e. the peaks and valleys of our faith), suffering, submission, freedom, and I maaaay also segue into a full break down of the gospel (sorry not sorry).

Join the Magic Like This Book Club here.

Books mentioned in this episode (apart from The Screwtape Letters, obviously):

God on Mute by Pete Greig (a fabulous book to read as we begin Lent about connecting with God when we feel He is being silent)

Even If He Doesn't by Kristen LaValley (pre-order this week to REALLY help support the author – this is a fabulous resource to address some of the trite advice we receive as Christians in seasons of suffering).

*I am in no way affiliated or paid to promote these books – I just believe in them and hope that they help you too!*

Dusty and I continue our conversation, looking at how to parent our children (and re-parent ourselves) in the context of disagreements/extremism and loving others well. This is the last episode of the year, and I look forward to joining you again as we resume our deep dive into the Screwtape Letters in the New Year!

You can join Book Club at magiclikethis.substack.com

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Christmas is such a magical time for us as children, but then adulthood hits, and we often lose the magic of the Christmas season (along with the magic in almost everything else – thank you adulting, ha!). But Jesus invites us, literally, to have faith like a child. So as we enter approach Christmas (a season that often carries as much pain as it does joy), I'm joined by mum of three, Dusty Hegge of The Business Brewery, to look back on some of the themes we've read in The Screwtape Letters so far – but through the lens of parenting. How can we embrace a magical faith-filled life like a child? And how can we, literally, disciple our children when they face their little Screwtapes? Both Part 1 and Part 2 are available now as a little Christmas gift!

Storybook Bible recommendations from Dusty (Note – these are the US affiliate links, and Dusty will receive a small affiliate sale if you purchase through this link): https://www.amazon.com/shop/dustyhegge/list/G58XLDVOI9M0?ref_=cm_sw_r_apann_aipsflist_aipsfdustyhegge_QKEWC2GRP5R64GDY6CJY&language=en_US

Even if He Doesn't by Kristen LaValley: https://www.kristenlavalley.com/evenifhedoesnt

You can join Book Club at ⁠magiclikethis.substack.com⁠

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Religion and politics: people's two favourite discussion topics at the Christmas dinner table, right? LOLZ.

As we look at the 7th Screwtape Letter, we dive into the topic of political extremism and how its toxicity corrupts even (maybe especially) the Church, as these savvy demons remind us: "All extremes, except extreme devotion to the Enemy, are to be encouraged."

Join us over in the book club at magiclikethis.substack.com or hang out with us on Instagram @magliclikethispodcast

As Wormwood's patient prepares for the possibility of going to war, Screwtape narrows in on one of the best tools at their disposal: fear. In short, Screwtape thinks that the more we focus on WHAT we're afraid of, the more we forget that God wants to help us with the fear ITSELF. So how can we fight back? How should we pray when we're afraid? Turning this letter on its head might give us a few ideas...

Mentioned in this episode: Try Softer by Aundi Kolber https://www.amazon.co.uk/Try-Softer-Aundi-Kolber/dp/1496439651

You can join Book Club at ⁠⁠magiclikethis.substack.com⁠⁠

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Screwtape's 5th letter looks at how faith is built up or torn down in times of war and conflict; and while it may have been written in the context of the Second World War, Lewis' work has not lost its potency or relevance for today's audience. News headlines remind us of the stark contrast of war and suffering against the hopeful invitation we're painted in the gospel. The numbers of lives lost are thousands of individual grieving souls, crying out in agony in this broken world. Does God see them? Does He care about our suffering? What's more – does He even understand it? I don't have all the answers, but I'm joined by theology graduate and retired Air Force Engineer, Steve Millington, as we engage these daunting but oh-so-relevant questions.

You can join Book Club at ⁠⁠magiclikethis.substack.com⁠⁠

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Screwtape's clever tactics in Letter 4 break break down how we trick ourselves into thinking that our prayers aren't heard, that God doesn't care, or that prayer itself is fruitless. But as C.S. Lewis warned us in the Preface, "The devil is a liar!" So in this episode, let's dig into the truth: what is prayer, really? Does it matter? And does God care? (Spoiler alert: He absolutely does).

You can join Book Club at ⁠⁠magiclikethis.substack.com⁠⁠

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Trigger warning: If you do not wish to hear Screwtape's mention of domestic abuse, skip ahead about two minutes from the time stamp of 15:45. If you are suffering in an abusive situation, please reach out to local law enforcement, a licensed therapist, or a trusted friend/pastor because you are precious and valuable, and you deserve freedom, safety, and healing.

What does love look like? Beyond the mushy rom com films, I mean. In Letter 3, Screwtape's goal is to make sure that the patient and his mother (who live together) are utterly hopeless to see each other for who they really are – or love each other well. By inflating their ego (and making them ignorant of the fact), these devils brew a troubling concoction of domestic chaos and tension. But the MOST troubling thing? I think most of us can see ourselves in these situations if we get real about what our home lives really look like...

Listen as we unpack all the nitty gritty ways that domestic bliss might fail to be so... well, blissful, in Episode 4 of Magic Like This.

You can join Book Club at ⁠⁠magiclikethis.substack.com⁠⁠

Hang out with us on Instagram at ⁠⁠@magiclikethispodcast

In the second letter from Screwtape to Wormwood, these two demons are devastated to find out that the patient has become a Christian! So what is Screwtape's first tactic? Make sure that this new Christian becomes swiftly disillusioned with the Church. This tactic, of course, is easily accomplished with two ingredients: pride (on the part of the patient) and brokenness (on the part of... well... all of humanity). So is the Church an accomplice to Hell? UCB 1 Radio Presenter, Becs Millington, joins us to share her story of walking away from God after being hurt by the church...

This episode looks a little different from our usual Magic Like This content, and I realise that many of you have actually just discovered Magic Like This through the essay which I’m about to share (if so, hi and welcome! I encourage you to go back and start listening to our deep dive of the Screwtape Letters). But for those who have been here a while and don’t follow me over on The Battle Cry, here’s what you should know: from the moment that God revealed this recent spiritual truth to me, I knew that I needed to take the audio narration from my essay over on The Battle Cry and turn it into a Magic Like This bonus episode. I feel called to talk about this on every platform which the Lord has seen fit to give me, and thankfully, it’s extremely relevant to what we study here on the podcast.

Don’t worry, we’ll be back to our usually scheduled programming next week, but there is also a hefty chunk of C.S. Lewis in this essay, not only from Screwtape Letters but from Lewis’ beautiful autobiography, Surprised by Joy.

You can, if you wish, read the essay which is narrated in this episode by clicking below. I really pray that you feel the Holy Spirit with you as you listen and that you find a deeper sense of freedom as a result of the work that the Lord has called me to do here.Read the essay: https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com/p/the-truth-about-the-enneagram-that

How to become a paid subscriber:

Join the Book Club for £5 a month to get the extended episodes here: https://magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribe

Or, if you'd like access to the extended Magic Like This episodes AND my exclusive podcast, The Waffler, you can become a paid subscriber of my primary Substack, The Battle Cry, and I will comp you a paid Magic Like This subscription as well for one year. You can become a paid subscriber for £8 a month here: https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com

Currently reading:

The Screwtape Letters

For fellow writers:

Join The Writer’s list to get writing tips rooted in Scripture and exclusive updates when I launch new writing resources: https://christinalynnwallace.myflodesk.com/writerslist

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Have you ever felt completely numb by your everyday life that big questions like "What is the meaning of life?" just seem ridiculous.

"Keep impressing upon him the ordinariness of things" is Screwtape's advice to Wormwood in this first letter of The Screwtape Letters. We open with a corker addressing questions like...

• Is there more to life than this?


• Should we ask whether an idea is indeed true?


• Is science in conflict with faith?

Through Screwtape's anxieties, Lewis highlights just how much we can access God by engaging our own curiosity and asking questions of both philosophy and science. God's existence is marked by the material and spiritual world, so in order for a demon to successfully dissuade the patient from discovering Him in either, he must prevent the patient from engaging in arguments. Because arguments prompt questions, and the true answers, then, aren't far behind...

In the preface of The Screwtape Letters, Lewis tells the reader that there are two "equal and opposite errors" that we can fall into regarding demons. One is to choose not to believe in their existence; the other is to believe and have an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. But most of us don't go worshipping demons... so what does that look like for us if we fell into either of those camps? Christina attempts to break down what is essentially a challenging warning as well as an invitation for how we might read these letters from one demon to another: letters that, while fictional, wrestle with real spiritual struggles.

Have you always wanted to be one of those wine and cheese and book club kind of people? Well, pop open your favourite red (if that's your thing) and nestle down in your comfiest chair. For all our book nerds who love engaging their curiosity and creativity, here's a little sneak peek of the magical world of C.S. Lewis we're about to embark on starting October 31st, 2023.

Screwtape’s 12th Letter feels like the most hard-hitting yet as he reminds Wormwood that the road to Hell, rather than overt and swift, is often a gradual one. Because Hell is not Satan’s first objective; his first objective is simply to move us further from God’s presence, and what better way to do that but subtly, right under our noses?

If you haven’t yet, I’d urge you to grab your copy of Screwtape and re-read Letter 12 before listening to this episode. While less dramatic in some ways, I find it more alarming in others because it draws our attention to just how easy it is to drift from intimacy with God without even realising is.

How to become a paid subscriber:

Join the Book Club for £5 a month to get the extended episodes here: https://magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribe

Or, if you'd like access to the extended Magic Like This episodes AND my exclusive podcast, The Waffler, you can become a paid subscriber of my primary Substack, The Battle Cry, and I will comp you a paid Magic Like This subscription as well for one year. You can become a paid subscriber for £8 a month here: https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com

Currently reading:

The Screwtape Letters

For fellow writers:

Join The Writer’s list to get writing tips rooted in Scripture and exclusive updates when I launch new writing resources: https://christinalynnwallace.myflodesk.com/writerslist

Click here to find me on Fable

The relationship between sex and humour was Screwtape’s particular focus in this letter, and while I personally have no prudish resistance to a “That’s what she said” joke, I did consider the YouTube documentary I’d just watched a few days ago: laughter was used as a buffer to minimise the reality of what was taking place here – namely, that society will happily exchange the beauty of sex for a cheap counterfeit, objectifying the human body in the process.

This phenomenon isn’t new, and it isn’t the point of Letter 11. The point is that there is power in our subtle behaviours. Never once had I considered the way that laughter (a gift from God which Screwtape himself admits is rooted in heavenly mirth) could be used as a way to permit a societal denial of true joy, true empowerment, true beauty. Humour can mask cruelty. Humour can make a coward look like a comic. One can deny the dignity of their own body, and with the right giggle in place, it becomes charming.

How to become a paid subscriber:

Join the Book Club for £5 a month to get the extended, 1-hour version of each podcast episode (and join Book Club discussions) by clicking below:

https://magiclikethis.substack.com/subscribe

Or, if you'd like access to the extended Magic Like This episodes AND my exclusive podcast, The Waffler, you can become a paid subscriber of my primary Substack, The Battle Cry, and I will comp you a paid Magic Like This subscription as well for one year. You can become a paid subscriber for £8 a month by clicking below. (NOTE: due to GDPR laws, you’ll need to message me to let me know that you would like to claim your comped Magic Like This subscription once you’ve subscribed to The Battle Cry).

https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com/subscribe

For fellow writers:

Join The Writer’s List to get writing tips rooted in Scripture and exclusive updates when I launch new writing resources.

Click here to find me on Fable.

If we looked at the people we choose to surround ourselves with, what would it say about us? How do we allow our relationships to shape our minds, our beliefs, even our sense of humour? In Letter 10, Screwtape is determined to lure the patient into a false sense of "security," believing that he is both worldly and pious, spiritually deep and practically experienced, all the while being two different versions of himself: the "fun guy" who hangs out with his non-believing friends on a Friday night and the "righteous man" who kneels in prayer next to the local grocer on Sunday morning. Pride blinds him to his own hypocrisy.

This letter might seem like it's telling you who not to be friends with, but it's really about something much deeper than that: it's about examining our motivations behind WHY we choose to surround ourselves with certain people and HOW we choose to be human in the midst of their company.

Join the Book Club here: https://magiclikethis.substack.com

Mentions in this episode

Bible references: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." - 2 Corinthians 10:5

Matthew 28:1-8

Psalm 28

Get weekly newsletters from Christina's OTHER Substack, The Battle Cry here: https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com

Read my article on idolatry, Taylor Swift and Our Inky Black Mire, here.

Listen to the Magic Like This episode about "jargon" here. (There are links on the Substack post to listen on your preferred platform).

Support your local book store by buying a copy of The Screwtape Letters!

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Housekeeping

07:01 Exploring the Screwtape Letters

15:13 Understanding Relationships and Spiritual Impact

29:24 Navigating Intellectualism and Friendships

39:08 Navigating Faith and Friendship

42:02 The Dangers of Inauthentic Relationships

Extended Book Club Version

01:02:27 The Call to Wholeness in Faith

In this fourth and final section of Christina Wallace’s interview with Dominick Baruffi, they explore the intersection of faith and politics, the role of victimhood in political discourse, and the importance of prayer for leaders. The conversation emphasises the importance of understanding the political landscape through a Christian lens, with hope being the end conclusion every time. Dominick shares insights on how Christians can navigate the complexities of modern politics while maintaining a focus on God's promises.

Read Dominick’s essay, Screwtape Endorses a Candidate, here:

Takeaways

* Dominick's essay draws parallels between Screwtape's manipulations and modern political tactics.

* Christians are called to care for the vulnerable, but must be wary of how this is politicised.

* Prayer for leaders is essential, regardless of personal political preferences.

* The discussion highlights the need for Christians to engage thoughtfully with political issues.

* Hope in Christ is a central theme, especially in times of political chaos.

* The importance of recognising the spiritual battle behind political discourse is emphasised.

* Christians should focus on their calling to love and serve others, rather than getting caught up in political divisions.

* The conversation encourages listeners to remain grounded in Scripture amidst political anxiety.

* Ultimately, the hope of eternity should shape how Christians engage with the present political climate.

Chapters

* 00:00 Reintroduction and Context Setting

* 08:24 Voting with the vulnerable in mind

* 45:54 Final thoughts

In this conversation, Christina Wallace and Dominick Baruffi explore the intersection of Christianity and political discourse, emphasising the importance of engaging with politics from a biblical perspective. They discuss the nature of politics as a good, the role of governance in Scripture, and the challenges of anti-intellectualism and jargon in contemporary discussions. The conversation highlights the need for Christians to actively participate in political life while maintaining a focus on love and understanding, rather than retreating into isolation or apathy.

Read Dominick’s piece, Screwtape Endorses a Candidate, here:

Takeaways

* Politics is the practice of ordering public life.

* God has an interest in how public life is ordered.

* We cannot eschew politics as a form of practicing virtue.

* Anti-intellectualism is a significant issue in political discourse.

* Jargon can hinder deep thinking and understanding.

* “Love your neighbour” must be defined in context.

* Isolation is a tactic of the enemy.

* Engagement in politics is a Christian responsibility.

* Anxiety should not be validated; we must cast our cares on God.

Chapters

00:00 Reintroduction and Context Setting

02:10 Engaging in Political Discourse

46:58 Navigating Christian Witness in a Divided World

Magic Like This is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

In this conversation, Christina Wallace and Dominick Baruffi explore the intersection of faith and politics through the lens of C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters – primarily in response to Dominick’s Substack piece, Screwtape Endorses a Candidate. They discuss the importance of dialogue among Christians with differing political views, the demonic agenda in political discourse, and how to engage in meaningful conversations while maintaining grace and respect. Dominick emphasises the need for self-awareness and humility in recognising our blind spots, while also highlighting God's long-term plan for personal growth and sanctification.

Read Dominick’s piece here:

Takeaways

* One election does not a doomsday make.

* Navigating politics requires intention and care.

* Dialogue among Christians in politics is crucial.

* Hell's agenda is to confuse and distort our perceptions.

* God's long game focuses on our sanctification.

* We must recognize our blind spots in political discourse.

* Engagement in politics should be approached with grace.

* It's important to stand firm in our beliefs without being rude.

* Jesus modelled how to honour humanity in disagreement.

* Personal growth often comes from uncomfortable experiences.

Chapters

* 00:00 Christina reintroduces herself and gives updates on the book club

* 29:34 Dominick's Background and Faith Journey

* 34:23 Exploring the Relevance of The Screwtape Letters

* 39:31 The Demonic Agenda in Election Season

* 44:16 Engaging with Politics as Christians

* 52:11 The two Extremes of Political Involvement

* 59:57 God's Long Game and Our Transformation

* 01:06:11 Engaging in Political Discourse

* 01:11:58 Outro

* 01:12:50 Part Two Sound Bite: Political Engagement and Love

Magic Like This is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

It felt like the right time to share my story with you. Happy Easter, friends.

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