I just finished The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis, book four in “The Chronicles of Narnia” series. The story is of Eustace Scrubb (a name he once almost deserved) and Jill Pole, acquaintances at school, who are rushed away from a troublesome situation at their school into Narnia by Aslan.
They are tasked in finding a lost son of King Caspian, Prince Rilian. He had been missing for 10 years after having been drawn away by a beautiful woman, many who believed to be a queen.
Along the way they come across a guide who is a Marshwiggle named Puddleglum. Puddleglum is like a reptilian version of Eeyore, but with great respect and admiration for Aslan.
Into the depths of the earth they trek to find Prince Rilian, through many failures and dangers, eventually to find the prince bewitched by the woman thought to be a queen. He is forced to sit in an enchanted silver chair that poisons his mind every night, convincing him that the witch is truly a queen, that there is no Aslan, he is not a prince, and she truly loves him. He only has one hour in his right mind every night, and he is chained to the chair until that hour passes and another 23-hour spell settles into him.
Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum are able to free Prince Rilian, who destroys the chair. They are also able to resist the alluring spells of the witch, who reveals herself to be a serpent and whose head is decapitated with great difficulty by the three servants of Aslan. Eventually they make their way back to Narnia where the Prince becomes king, Puddleglum returns home, and Jill and Eustace are freed from their troubles at their school.
The allegory struck me as a helpful perspective on freeing a brother in Christ who is caught in sin, temptation, or even depression. The three trekkers go through great pains to free Rilian. And Rilian is greatly deceived.
I have been where Rilian was–wrestling with my flesh and losing, in a fog of sorts spiritually, and held captive to the enemy. The Scripture calls it “in the flesh.” Sometimes I say, “The Devil is on my face.” It is times when, although we are still Christians, it seems as if our enemy has a foothold in our lives and has our minds captive by his perspective. In those moments, we do not feel as though we are Christians at all and are not walking in victory over our flesh or the Devil.
How grateful I have been for friends in those moments to recognize that something was wrong and enter into my world to help bring me out of the darkness I was walking in. They remind me who I am. They speak the name of my Savior and King Jesus, who has conquered over the darkness and can deliver me from my flesh.
The book was impactful to me, and I recommend it for any who enjoy fiction that can be applied allegorically to the Christian life–especially for those who have ever gone through depression of have a loved one who has gone through it.
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