"...the children discover a charming, peaceful land inhabited by talking beasts, dwarfs, fauns, centaurs and giants that has become a world cursed to eternal winter by the evil White Witch, Jadis. Under the guidance of a noble and mystical ruler, the lion Aslan, the children fight to overcome the White Witch's powerful hold over Narnia in a spectacular, climactic battle that will free Narnia from Jadis' icy spell forever."
"C.S. Lewis is someone who paints a picture and lets you imagine the rest. To me it's about making a movie which lives up to my memory of my book rather than specifically the book itself. And it needs to live up to everyone else's memories and that is what my challenge is - to make it accessible and real.... I want it to feel real...."[2] Director Andrew Adamson
"There is a prophecy that two sons of Adam and daughters of Eve will appear and defeat the white witch and put an end to this 100 year winter."
"The future of Narnia rests on your courage," the lion told Peter
The enticing pagan worlds nurtured by C.S. Lewis and his myth-making friends were not inspired by God's Word or Spirit. Those stories grew out of a lifelong immersion in the beliefs, values, rituals, languages and lifestyles of former pagan cultures. C. S. Lewis himself -- even years after professing faith in Christ -- remained obsessed with those old myths. As in his famous 1931
"conversion" encounter with Tolkien, he continued to suggest that Christianity and paganism were, in some ways, mutually supportive. Ponder his description of a 1960 visit to Greece three years before his death:"I had some ado to prevent Joy and myself from relapsing into Paganism in Attica! At Daphni it was hard not to pray to Appolo the Healer. But somehow one didn’t feel it would have been very wrong — would have only been addressing Christ sub specie Apollinius. We witnessed a beautiful Christian village ceremony in Rhodes and hardly felt a discrepancy."[5]
The same book quotes Lewis' earlier statement of regret that he hadn't been taught the supposed link between Christianity and paganism during his school years: "No one ever attempted to show in what sense Christianity fulfilled paganism or paganism prefigured Christianity."[5]
The white witch, Jadis -- the self-professed Queen of Narnia -- emerged from that pagan worldview, not from a Biblical frame of reference. Her ritual sacrifice of Aslan has more in common with the ancient Winter Solstice rituals and blood sacrifices to cultural gods (whether Hindu, Mayan, Inca or Babylonian) than with the crucifixion of our Lord. Small wonder the movie director chose a sacrificial setting for Aslan that looks strangely like the ancient ritual stones and pillars at Stonehenge, now a gathering place for the world's fast-growing networks of neopagans.
Does this picture remind you of the Armor of God or the Sword of the Spirit? If so, it's a misleading match. That victorious Sword is the eternal, unchanging Word of God. It has no place in the myth of Narnia.
"...not only was Lewis hesitant to call his books Christian allegory, but the stories borrow just as much from pagan mythology as they do the Bible."
Christianity Today
In fact, those who want to see Aslan as Jesus Christ would have to do some mental gymnastics. The two opposites simply will not match unless God's truth is conformed to the human imagination. Sad to say, such spiritual compromise is happening every day. And the better the counterfeit, the more deceptive is its power.
God's Armor -- a summary of the true Gospel -- is made up of six parts.
The Belt of Truth -- The vital truth about God and His plan for redemption
The Breastplate of Righteousness -- The truth about our need for the cross and God's righteousness
The Sandals of Peace -- The gracious gift of the Prince of Peace to those who walk in His Truth and Righteousness
The Shield of Faith -- Putting all our trust in the sovereign power and love of our King and His Word.
The Helmet of Salvation -- Keeping our eyes fixed on the hope of His victory today and forever.
The Sword of the Spirit -- His Word, hidden in our hearts, and wielded against any enemy to peace that might come against us.
1. God's TRUTH
"...what really makes [Lewis] so compelling is his ability to blend reason and imagination in his works. As he wrote, 'For me, reason is the natural organ of truth, and imagination is the organ of understanding.' He is right. The imagination sees what the mind might take only to be as abstract truth. So Christians and non-Christians alike can appreciate both Lewis’s endlessly creative imagination, and the way he grounded even his works of fantasy in absolute truth." Chuck Colson
But Colson as well as Lewis seems to define truth from a humanistic rather than a Biblical perspective. God's Word warns us repeatedly that neither the imagination nor man's reason or logic will lead us to His truth. "Lean not on your own understanding," He warns us in Proverbs 3:5-7. "Do not be wise in your own eyes."
And the faithful (but despised) Old Testament prophet Jeremiah shows us the result of humanist thinking -- both then and now: "They obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart..." (Jeremiah 11:8)"A prophecy says that four sons and daughters of Adam and Eve will come to Narnia and help Aslan... free Narnia from the White Witch. To thwart the prophecy, the White Witch has told everyone that, if they see a son or daughter of Adam and Eve, they should kidnap and bring them to her....
“...the movie focuses more on the children being the solution to the evil in Narnia when, in fact, the victory is Aslan’s....
“In fact, the movie is a very clear Christological allusion, or imagining, of the story of Jesus Christ. The minor changes do not take away from that meaning in the book...
"Andrew Adamson ... understands the element of sacrifice and redemption, but his concern was for the empowering of the children....” Dr. Ted Baehr
While that statement should disturb those who love the Gospel, it matches Narnia's ancient prophecy very well. To us, the word "prophecy" implies God's omniscient (foreknowledge of future events) revelation of what lies ahead. Because we know Him and trust His Word, we take seriously the precious Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. Everything God has told us will or has already come true! Jesus came and gave His life for us! He will come again for His people!
But Narnia's prophecy promises no such Savior. In stark contrast, it promises that four humans will come and save the land. What a sham to call this deceptive story a picture of truth!
If that appalling lie colors our understanding of the Gospel, we will see ourselves as co-saviors. We will pat ourselves on the back, rather than humbly and joyfully praise our God for His amazing grace in our weakness! Translated into the language of the gospel, this view implies that Jesus' death and resurrection was not sufficient to save His people. Instead, God depends on us to accomplish His salvation. That untruth has already become a vital marketing ploy in today's man-centered Church Growth Movement.
Joseph Pearce (Tolkien's biographer"... the power of Tolkien lies in the way that he succeeds, through myth, in making the unseen hand of providence felt by the reader.
“In his mythical creations, or sub-creations as he would call them, he shows how the unseen hand of God is felt far more forcefully in myth than it is ever felt in fiction. Paradoxically, fiction works with facts, albeit invented facts, whereas myth works with truth, albeit truth dressed in fancy disguises.”
Do you see the strange reasoning? If the mythical realm of magic "makes the unseen hand of providence felt by the reader," what message does it actually teach? What new "truths," feelings and perceptions do people "take home" when they leave the theater? - Or when they read the book? Remember, the two blend together in the minds of Narnia fans.
For example, what truth or deception does the following conversation from the book transmit to a child? Peter asks,
[Peter] "Isn't the witch herself human?"
[Mr. Beaver] "She'd like just to believe it, and it's on that she bases her claim to be Queen. But she's no Daughter of Eve. She comes of your father Adam's... first wife, her they called Lilith. And she was one of the Jinn."
Our wise God has a far different view of the human imagination than either Tolkien or Lewis, and He is well aware of its power to inflate lies and distort truth. Therefore, He warns us repeatedly that "the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth."
[Genesis 8:21]
I am the Lord your God.... You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath... you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God....
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain...." Deuteronomy 5:6-11
A major lesson in Genesis 3: By blending partial truths with an enticing lie, the serpent presented Eve with a catastrophic deception. Yes, there are allusions to truth in the Narnia stories. But there are many more contrary messages, and the over-all context is pagan, not Christian. Keep in mind, what looks like truth makes the deception more palatable!
Whether Lewis intended it or not, the main "Christian" justification for filling minds with Narnian suggestions is that a four-footed mammal helps us to better understand Jesus and to respond emotionally to His sacrifice. Through digital realism, this animal representation of our indescribably holy Lord is becoming more vivid to our imagination than any Old Testament idol ever was! Paul's letter to the Romans makes it abundantly clear that God doesn't want to be pictured in this way:
"For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts [or 'vain in their imaginations'], and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals...." Romans 1:20-23
Those who see Aslan as Jesus may also see Genesis 1 through the filter of C.S. Lewis' creation myth. Not only did Aslan give birth to Narnia, he created a myriad of other "worlds" as well. Stretching far beyond any Biblical parallel, that creation story is told in The Magician's Nephew, the book that precedes The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in the seven-set Chronicles of Narnia. Ponder its view of the "creator" and his universe. Would these images be right (or righteous) in the eyes of God?
"One moment there had been nothing but darkness; next moment a thousand, thousand points of light leaped out -- single stars, constellations and planets, brighter and bigger than any in our world....
"Out of the trees wild people stepped forth, gods and goddesses of the wood; with them came Fauns and Satyrs [man & goat].... Out of the river rose the river god with his Naiad daughters. And all these and all the beasts and birds in their different voices... replied: 'Hail, Aslan. We hear and obey. We are awake. We love. We think. We speak. We know."
"'Creatures, I give you yourselves,' said the strong, happy voice of Aslan. 'I give you forever this land of Narnia.... Laugh and fear not, creatures.... I will call some of you to my council. Come hither to me, you the chief Dwarf, and you the River-god....
While this man-centered message threads through the new movie, we may never give it a thought. Yet, the impact of the dramatic images we see will imprint them in our minds whether we are conscious of it or not. They often stir cravings or obsessions that drive people toward more and ever stronger emotional stimuli.
“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” Psalms 101:3
In stark contrast, C. S. Lewis and his myth-loving friends in the Inklings steeped their minds in occult fantasies, magical worlds and fabled mysteries. The compromising stories they wrote were swallowed by the Christianized world. Like ancient Israel, the public was hungry and thirsty -- not for what was true and right -- but for the pagan powers that tantalized their imagination. "You love evil more than good," warns Psalm 52:3.
C. S. Lewis"For the first time, there burst upon me the idea that there might be real marvels all about us, that the visible world might be only a curtain to conceal huge realms uncharted by my very simple theology. And that started in me something with which, on and off, I have had plenty of trouble since—the desire for the preternatural, simply as such the passion for the Occult. ... It is a spiritual lust; and like the lust of the body it has the fatal power of making everything else in the world seem uninteresting while it lasts.'”
That "everything else" would surely include our God and His ways! Which begs another question: Can those who are captivated by myth and magic also love God with all their heart, mind, strength and soul?
The answer has to be no! For when their hearts are divided between God's good and the world's counterfeits, they become blind both to the wonders of God and to the darkness of sin. The Old Testament prophet Elijah understood this problem well. Concerned that God's people (who claimed to trust Him) loved the pagan myths and rituals that surrounded them, he asked them, 'How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” [1 Kings 18:20] Years later they were still pursuing their double-minded ways. They "feared the Lord, yet served their carved images..." 2 King 17:41
How can we stand firm and stable in this time of "continual change" and unceasing assaults on the Bible? We can put on God's armor -- an outline of vital truths that bring victory in this intensifying spiritual war! Let's look at the second part of that armor -- and share it with our children and grandchildren.
2. God's RIGHTEOUSNESS in those who have received Him
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness," said Jesus. (Matthew 6:33) This God-given righteousness involves an understanding of both what is right and what is wrong in God's sight. It doesn't minimize sin (rebellion, immorality, corruption, blasphemy, etc.). For His Truth -- revealed in His Word and made alive in us through His Spirit -- shows us the mind and will of God. It tells us what God loves and what he hates. It also shows us what we will love or shun, if indeed we are "born again" and "have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:9-16
Through the blood of Jesus, we are washed and given "right" standing in God's sight when we, by faith, are joined to Jesus through the cross. But living in that righteousness means making daily choices to renew our minds with His Truth, not with the popular myths or fantasies that focus our hearts on pagan mysteries and counterfeit powers.
"Take careful heed to yourselves," explained Moses, "for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth...." Deuteronomy 4:15-17
"Take heed," warned Jesus. "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 13:33; Matt 26:41)
"Be sober, be vigilant," wrote Peter, "because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith...." 1 Peter 5:8-9
Throughout history, people would hear but not heed. "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light...." John 3:19-21
When we, by faith, "put on the breastplate of righteousness," we won't need to hide from that light. Instead, we will seek and delight in it! But we will run from any darkness that would cloud or replace that light. And today's enticing fantasies do just that. Tony Zakula explained it well:
"A child reading the book, is, as advertised, 'stepping into another world'—a world of fantasy. Lewis, like Disney, was a New Ager. He built entire surrealistic worlds for our children to escape into—escape from reality and from real life. These worlds invariably contain creatures of every sort endearing our children, performing heroic feats, and displaying often greater powers than our Savior displayed when He was on earth.
"Who will our children most readily identify as having awesome power—Lewis' characters, Disney characters, some time-space traveling hero, or the almighty Jesus? Is it any wonder that we have a very difficult time convincing our children to give their all to Someone so far down the totem pole of their experience?" Tony Zakula
Those are good questions. They point to the heart of one of Satan's strategies:
l Offer counterfeit images of God's creation.
l Introduce forbidden lures.
l Present enticing promises of pleasures that feed the flesh, not the Spirit.
l Make evil seem good and good seem evil. (Isaiah 5:20)
l Stir cravings that blind victims to God's truth and make mystical fantasy worlds ever more enticing.
l Prompt them to hate the Light.
l Train the masses to chase man-made dreams and mythical visions that captivate hearts but can never satisfy. [3] See The Nature and Tactics of Satan
God has a better plan for us. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness," said Jesus, "for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6
Narnia' a Classic Tale for the Ages"'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'... is worthy of support from anyone, whether conservative or liberal, who believes in classic, humanistic storytelling. ... Aslan, it has been debated, is intended by... C.S. Lewis to be a symbol for Christ... but of course the lion is also a royal and divine symbol throughout world religion; there are numerous lion-like divine figures in ancient Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, Hindu and Buddhist religious symbolism....
"Is it perhaps that like a shamaness, the White Witch dons the lion's garb in order to assume his magical powers, or to signify some deeper connection with the figure of Aslan - a connection that surmounts the duality of good and evil? Why would the White Witch be garbed in leonine costume at the end, except perhaps as a sign that she and Aslan are two halves of one whole, and that they are playing out in ritual fashion an eternal cosmic struggle, where good and evil, light and dark, summer and winter alternate in ascendancy throughout the round of time?"
“Supposing there really was a world like Narnia... and supposing Christ wanted to go into that world and save it (as He did ours) what might have happened? The stories are my answer. Since Narnia is a world of talking beasts, I thought he would become a talking beast there as he became a man here. I pictured him becoming a lion there because a) the lion is supposed to be the king of beasts; b) Christ is called ‘the lion of Judah’ in the Bible.... The whole Narnian story is about Christ.”[3] Narnia's lion really is Jesus
"Lewis was anything but a classic evangelical, socially or theologically. Though he shared basic Christian beliefs with evangelicals, he didn't subscribe to biblical inerrancy or penal substitution. He believed in purgatory and baptismal regeneration. How did someone with such a checkered pedigree come to be a theological Elvis Presley, adored by evangelicals? ...
"Part of Lewis's current appeal... is a postmodern interest in 'thin places'—places where the physical world and the spiritual world meet—and for myth that makes sense of life in a way that rational thinking can't. For their dose of myth, postmoderns turn to The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and, of course, Narnia."
"Fantasy allows you to explain and grasp and integrate into your life things that are not logical.... It is to say that we can tell each other truth in story." , Christianity Today "C. S. Lewis Superstar"
But when you communicate "truth in story," the truth can be stretched like a rubber band. When the author creates the context out of the imagination, it takes on new colors and character. Such "truth" is nothing like God's absolute truth which was written for eternity according to the words and inspiration of our Lord Himself. In fact He warns us repeatedly against any meddling with His message! He will not let us add or delete anything. His certainty must not be tainted with our uncertainties.
The last book written by C. S. Lewis (published in 1964) shows the author's view of social change and ambiguity. ...He tells us that when people no longer like the old Paradigm or cultural "Model" with its beliefs and values, they will simply discard it. Nothing is permanent; everything changes along with human thought, wants, and speculations. Even "ultimate realities" must change:
"No Model is a catalogue of ultimate realities, and none is a mere fantasy. Each is a serious attempt to get in all the phenomena known at a given period.... But also, no less surely, each reflects the prevalent psychology of an age...
"It is not impossible that our own Model will die a violent death, ruthlessly smashed by an unprovoked assault of new facts.... The new Model will not be set up without evidence, but the evidence will turn up when the inner need for it becomes sufficiently great. It will be true evidence." The Discarded Image
Lewis has a remarkable ability to bring Christian readers into new worlds and make them feel at home in the midst of pagan rituals, occult mysteries and magical forces. In so doing, he presents unbiblical versions of the most important gifts God has given us: His unchanging truth, His uncompromising righteousness, His peace in the midst of turmoil, His unwavering faith, and His eternal gift of salvation.
3. God's PEACE to have and share
God's peace is based on certainty: absolute confidence that God will be and do what He has promised in His Word -- no matter how difficult our circumstance. This peace is incompatible with the postmodern belief that everything must change and nothing is absolute.
Likewise, it clashes with the dialectic process, which is driving the transformation of churches as well as schools, corporations, government and homes. In other words, there can be no peace when truth (thesis) and myth or opposing opinions (antithesis) continually merge together (synthesis) into an evolving consensus. In this context, everything becomes uncertain -- even truth itself. Everything is subject to change with each new thought, feeling or group input. Any new belief or supposition must be accepted as another "truth" by a person or group. In this context Narnia can be interpreted in countless ways. Which brings us back to an old question again:
"USA Today asked: 'Is the world created by C.S. Lewis a rip-roaring piece of fantasy – or a fairy tale suffused with Christian imagery? 'The answer is both."
"For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life." But "thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ!" [2 Corinthians 2:15-16, 14]
“Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” John 20:21
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 [See PEACE]
4
. The shield of FAITH -- absolute confidence that God's word is true and right.When C.S. Lewis wrote about Narnia half a century ago, the actual practice of witchcraft and ancient occultism was generally out of reach.... This is a different era. Magical powers are now both real and tantalizing. Among teens, witchcraft is said to be the fastest growing religion, accessible to all through the Internet. And children in public schools are trained to view all religions through a pluralistic filter that rules out any claim that one "God" is better than any others.
"Faith is in the eye of the beholder," declared Tilda Swinton who played the part of the Witch. "Lewis' original book is more 'spiritual' than religious.... You can make a religious allegory out of anything if that's what you're interested in."[2]
The possibility that "the visible world" might conceal huge "uncharted realms started in me something with which, on and off, I have had plenty of trouble since—the desire for the preternatural, simply as such, the passion for the Occult. Not everyone has this disease; those who have will know what I mean. ... It is a spiritual lust; and like the lust of the body it has the fatal power of making everything else in the world seem uninteresting while it lasts. It is probably this passion, more even than the desire for power, which makes magicians....
"The vagueness, the merely speculative character, of all this Occultism began to spread--yes, and to spread deliciously -- to the stern truths of the creed. The whole thing became a matter of speculation: I was soon (in the famous worlds) altering 'I believe' to 'one does feel.' And oh, the relief of it!... From the tyrannous noon of revelation I passed into the cool evening of Higher Thought, where there was nothing to be obeyed, and nothing to be believed except what was either comforting or exciting.” Surprised by Joy
A similar obsession apparently drove ancient Israel from God's loving care. Fascinated with the beliefs and practices of their pagan neighbors, they put their faith in their own imagination and ignored His warnings: (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)
5. The helmet of SALVATION -- a steady hope in God's promised victory
The Last Battle, the final book in the Narnia series, gives us a glimpse of Lewis' view of salvation and eternal life. The idol of the neighboring nation is Tash, a large, frightening creature who walked like a man but had a head like a vulture. After the final destruction of the worlds, the evil characters have all died. But Emeth, one of evil Tash' faithful servants, ends up in the new heavenly Narnia along with Aslan's loyal subjects.
"Do tell us who you are and what's happened to you," begs Jill, a "saved" human who has been reunited with King Peter, King Edmund and Queen Lucy. So Emeth begins his long story:
"...always since I was a boy I have served Tash, and my great desire was to know more of him.... But the name of Aslan was hateful to me." He then describes the events of the final battle between the evil forces of Tash and the faithful followers of Aslan. Finally he shares his surprise at finding himself in the new world -- face to face with Aslan:
"...the glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, 'Son, thou art welcome.' But I said, 'Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash.' He answered, 'Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me.'... I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. ... no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him.'
What does this passage suggest? That a person who serves Satan faithfully will reap eternal blessings if he does some "good" things? That those "good deeds" will save you, even if you trust in a false god and reject the true gospel? Don't believe it! God's Word tells us that -
"...this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:3
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
“...this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." Matthew 24:14
6. The Sword of the Spirit: The WORD OF GOD.
Never have our children been surrounded by so many spiritual counterfeits, seductive suggestions, digital delights and occult images. And seldom has the Christian community been less prepared to resist such spiritual temptations. We can't trust Christian schools or youth pastors to fulfill our God-given assignment. But when we -- as families -- trust God, memorize His Word, wear His armor, follow His way, and praise Him together, we will know a fellowship in our families that far exceeds the fleeting fantasies that the world offers.
"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
"Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." Colossians 2:6