Memo to Junior Demons: “Driving The Wedge”

AS I MENTIONED in my last memo, nothing is so threatening to the safety of our kingdom as a simple church body that is united in the revolting practice of “love”. This is a phenomenon, frankly, we don’t understand. Whereas we get our nourishment from devouring others for our own satisfaction – it just makes sense -- they seem to thrive when they do just the opposite. It is a mystery we may never fathom, but on with the lesson.

One of the best weapons we have found against this vulgar weakness is “the wedge”. It is surprisingly easy to use against the human vermin since my successful work with their first parents. There is a part of them that really wants to be like us and it only needs a little encouragement for that part to get the upper hand. You will find this work very gratifying.

“The wedge” is any point of difference you can place between two of them that becomes more important to them than the other person. It might seem too obviously a contradiction of the Enemy’s commands to “love each other,” “put the other first,” and all that drivel but they are not bright and quite easy to deceive. The weakest of them fall for it every time. It really doesn’t matter what the wedge issue is. If they love the Bible make it even the smallest difference of interpretation and application of the Bible. If they love worship encourage them to cling to a certain way of worshiping that others don’t cling to. Do they love missions? Make them feel that others don’t love missions enough. I’ve seen the delightful implosion of churches over the least significant things – a dress-code, the use of drums, who is in charge of what, and, my favourite, basic personality differences.

But here’s the trick. This spawn of the Enemy knows that they are to do right (we’d say “wrong”). That is, they are to do just what he would do. Some incomprehensible part of them actually wants that. For the wedge to really work, therefore, they must believe their view or practice or personality is “right” and that they are only motivated by a desire for righteousness. The other person, of course, is sinning. Once you get them believing that, they will do almost anything for you. They will do it with PRIDE so stir up their pride (they are almost incapable of spotting that in themselves). Help them feel things like indignation, resentment, hurt, and contempt, all in the name of standing for what is right. Carefully cultivate those feelings because where they exist love cannot. Never allow them to suspect that those very feelings, so consistent with our own, make anything they do “wrong” automatically. If they come to realize the obvious, that only the “right” they do in love is “right” to the Enemy, the game is over. Should you fail your mission, remember that I am,

Your ever famished Prince.

(Note: This article is written in imitation of C. S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters)