A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.
C. S. LewisRead
On the back of Satan's neck is a nail scarred footprint.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that even the forces of evil are marked by the suffering of good, symbolizing hope in the face of darkness.
In this profound quote, C. S. Lewis uses the imagery of a nail-scarred footprint on the back of Satan's neck to illustrate a powerful idea: that evil is forever haunted by the suffering inflicted through good and sacrifice. It evokes the Christian narrative of redemption, suggesting that even the darkest forces cannot escape the impact of sacrifice and love, represented here by the scars of Christ. This imagery can lead to reflection on the nature of good and evil, and how even in despair, hope and light persist.
Themes
SufferingHopeGoodEvilSacrificeRedemption
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a sermon to illustrate the victory of good over evil.
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes βI enjoyed my breakfast this morning, and I think that was a good thing and do not think it was condemned by God. But I do not think myself a good man for enjoying it.
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Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
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Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
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I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
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The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred
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Do the gods of different nations talk to each other?...Is there some annual get-together where they compare each other's worshippers? Mine will bow their faces to the floor and trace woodgrain lines for me, says one. Mine will sacrifice animals, says another. Mine will kill anyone who insults me, says a third. Here is the question I think of most often: "Are there any who can honestly boast, My worshippers obey my good laws, and treat each other kindly, and live simple generous lives?
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A broken life in the hands of God is ripe for blessing.
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in the presence of extraordinary actuality, consciousness takes the place of imagination.
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