Editor’s note – Nora Gwen connects two restless habits that feel very different on the surface but share the same root: the pull to have the last word online, and the quieter pull to perform our faith for God rather than simply walk with Him. The creative centerpiece here – prompting an AI chatbot to write as C.S. Lewis’s demon Screwtape – is a self-examination tool, not a theological pronouncement, and we’re running it in that spirit. It’s a sharp mirror for anyone who has confused being busy for God with being with Him.
The Impulse to Have the Last Word
Sometimes the best response is no response. I’ve already written about the fact that I have received some hurtful and hateful comments on other sites where I publish my work. I used to endeavor to be more Christlike, or so I thought, by responding with kindness in return. Turning the other cheek or offering up my cloak to my perceived enemy, so to speak. But I am learning slowly that sometimes the best response is no response at all… Reminds me of the Genesis song performed by Phil Collins, “No Reply At All,” even though those lyrics really have nothing to do with the point here.
You may also have a friend or family member, like I do, who feels compelled to respond to every single photo or comment shared in a group chat in a way that seems like “last word syndrome.” If you’re not familiar with “last word syndrome,” AI defines it as:
“Last word syndrome” is an informal behavioral pattern where a person feels a strong, often uncontrollable urge to deliver the final statement, correction, or closing remark in a conversation or argument.
Whether it appears in a series of comments here, in a group chat on our phones, or an in person conversation, we’ve all experienced this phenomenon on one side or the other.
According to psychology in another AI summary, the underlying causes for “last word syndrome” include the following:
Emotional regulation and closure: For many, an open-ended or unresolved discussion creates internal tension or anxiety. The final word acts as a “seal” to quiet that discomfort.
Ego and control: In other cases, it stems from a desire to project dominance, avoid perceived defeat, or protect self-image.
Past validation gaps: People who grew up feeling ignored, dismissed, or overlooked often associate silence with losing their voice.
A few suggestions for how to handle this impulse mindfully:
Notice the impulse: Pause before replying to check whether you are trying to solve a problem or just score a point.
Practice the pause: Allow silence to sit without rushing to fill it. A conversation does not always need a winner.
Disengage gracefully: If someone else constantly seeks the last word, you can step back by saying, “Let’s agree to disagree” or “We can revisit this later.”
Perhaps you’ve heard the polite reply “I will not dignify that with a response.” That is precisely my thought as I choose not to reply to a recent comment that was directed to me after I shared that this person’s story made me cry. The provocative comment in response to mine asking if other human atrocities cause me to cry as well simply did not warrant a response of any kind to suck me into another unproductive dialogue where we both already know we will once again end up agreeing to disagree on our religious, spiritual, and philosophical differences.
Rather than waste his time or mine, I will leave his question right there with no reply at all.
Editor’s note – Proverbs has a blunt line for this: “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise” (Proverbs 17:28). Choosing not to answer every provocation isn’t passivity or cowardice; it can be the harder, more disciplined choice, especially online, where the audience watching an exchange is usually bigger than the two people arguing. Not every disagreement is an invitation to a debate, and not every silence is a loss.
Shifting From Performance to Presence
Whether we are striving to get the last word in an online debate or constantly striving to achieve more in our daily lives, both habits stem from a similar impulse: the restless urge to control, perform, and prove ourselves. Learning when to step back from an unnecessary argument and choosing quiet presence over endless activity are both practices of letting go.
On a somewhat unrelated note, but relevant in regard to making an effort to listen more and speak less, I came across this brilliant recommendation in a Bible Study on the Bible App (YouVersion) this morning.
Editor’s note – This is worth naming directly: busyness for God and busyness for self can look identical from the outside, and the only way to tell the difference is to ask who you’re trying to satisfy. Paul asked something close to this of the Galatians: “Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?” (Galatians 1:10). The question works just as well turned toward God Himself.
The Screwtape Prompt Exercise
This particular exercise will be much more meaningful for those who have already read the fascinating book by C.S. Lewis titled The Screwtape Letters. In this redemption study by Jordan Raynor, host of the podcast Mere Christians, Jordan encourages us to load the following prompt into our favorite AI chat app to expose the myriad ways we may be acting for God instead of with and like God.
Based on what you know about me, write a “Screwtape letter” to imagine how Screwtape might advise Wormwood to thwart me personally. Highlight how I might be tempted to pursue goals that are FOR God while neglecting to pursue them WITH and LIKE God.
So I did it and was blown away by the accuracy of this assessment of my faith walk and by the similarity to the writing style of C.S. Lewis in his classic book, The Screwtape Letters. Before sharing my results with you, I want to provide a brief book synopsis for those who are not familiar with this famous book – here is a brief AI summary of the plot:
The Screwtape Letters is a 1942 satirical and theological novel by C.S. Lewis written in the epistolary format (a story told through a series of letters).
Core Premise
The Senders and Receivers: The book consists of 31 intercepted letters from an experienced senior demon named Screwtape to his nephew and junior tempter, Wormwood.
The Mission: Wormwood is tasked with overseeing and corrupting a young British man – referred to only as “the Patient” – to lead him away from God (“the Enemy”) and into Hell (“Our Father Below”).
Inverted Perspective: Written from the viewpoint of the demonic hierarchy, the book uses ironic inversion: virtues like love, humility, and self-sacrifice are viewed as weaknesses, while selfishness, pride, and spiritual apathy are celebrated as victories.
Major Themes of the book include:
Gradual Moral Decay: Evil rarely arrives as a dramatic monster; it creeps in through everyday habits, laziness, and unexamined resentment.
Spiritual Warfare and Free Will: Human beings navigate a constant tug-of-war between self-centered desires and divine grace, with free will being central to both temptation and redemption.
The Blindness of Malice: The demons fundamentally fail to understand selfless love, which ultimately causes their strategies to collapse.
Now, with this helpful background information and what you may or may not already know about me from previous personal, blog-style stories shared here, this is the letter from Screwtape to Wormwood generated by Chat GPT using the prompt above regarding the best ways to sabotage my faith walk with God. (It’s long, but spot on!)
Editor’s note – A word of caution worth stating plainly: an AI-generated letter is a writing exercise, not a word from God or a genuine window into demonic strategy. Treat it the way you’d treat a sermon illustration – useful for examining your own heart, not a substitute for Scripture or prayer.
A Letter From Screwtape
MY DEAR WORMWOOD,
You are making the common beginner’s mistake of trying to persuade our Patient that she should abandon her God.
Do not be so clumsy.
She has spent too much time seeking Him for that to be effective. She reads, writes, reflects, encourages, counsels, mentors, searches, questions, prays, walks, observes, and attempts to turn even the ordinary details of her life into occasions for meaning. She is particularly dangerous when she is quiet.
No, Wormwood. Do not try to make her stop doing things for Him.
Make her extraordinarily busy doing them.
This is much more promising.
You will find that she has a strong desire to encourage people, to help them discover hope, to use her words well, to grow, to become more disciplined, and to leave something meaningful behind. Excellent. Encourage all of it.
Give her noble goals.
Give her Christian goals.
Give her excellent Christian goals.
Then whisper one tiny alteration:
“You must accomplish these things for God.”
Notice the omission.
Never remind her that she was meant to accomplish them with God.
That distinction is everything.
If she is writing something intended to encourage another soul, encourage her to perfect the writing while neglecting the One whose presence originally gave her something worth saying. If she is mentoring someone, let her become so focused on helping that person that she forgets she is not their Savior.
If she is serving, let her measure the value of the service by its visible results.
If she is pursuing a dream, let her begin calling anxiety “responsibility.”
If she is tired, tell her that faithful people simply push through.
If she wants solitude, make her feel guilty for resting.
If she wants to sit quietly with her Creator, remind her of the five things she could accomplish during that time.
And if she objects that she has become exhausted, congratulate her.
Tell her she is simply learning what sacrificial obedience looks like.
Most importantly, Wormwood, teach her to confuse fruitfulness with faithfulness.
Our Enemy is maddeningly fond of growing things in hidden places. He seems perfectly content with seeds, roots, waiting, silence, and seasons in which nothing appears to happen.
We cannot allow our Patient that luxury.
Make her believe that if she is not producing, she is failing.
She is a recovering people-pleaser, you say?
Wonderful.
Do not merely tempt her to please people.
Teach her to please God in the same anxious way she once tried to please people.
That will be much harder for her to detect.
She will call it devotion.
She will make plans around it.
She may even put Scripture beside it.
Now, there is another particularly promising avenue.
Our Patient has a curious tendency to look for God in the wilderness.
She may even begin to understand that the wilderness is not merely somewhere she passes through on the way to her “real” life, but somewhere she encounters Him.
We must prevent this realization from becoming too useful.
Whenever she has a wilderness experience, encourage her to immediately extract a lesson from it.
Tell her she needs to turn the pain into a message.
The struggle into a story.
The growth into a ministry.
The insight into an encouraging post.
The experience into something useful.
Anything will do, provided she does not simply be with God in it.
Remember: nothing is more dangerous to us than a Christian who discovers that God’s presence is not merely a resource for accomplishing her purpose but the purpose itself.
And when she succeeds – ah, that is when you must work hardest.
Failure naturally drives some humans toward prayer.
Success can make them forget to pray.
Let her become proud of how well she has learned to serve.
Let her notice how many people she encourages.
Let her collect evidence that she is becoming the woman she believes God has called her to be.
Then quietly shift the question from:
“Lord, what are You doing in me?”
to:
“Lord, how can I do more for You?”
The first question keeps her dependent.
The second can keep her very busy.
There is one more thing.
She has a tendency to look at humanity as a tapestry woven together by its Creator. She wants to encourage people to recognize their worth and uniqueness. She believes deeply in the possibility of growth.
Do not attack these convictions.
Use them.
Make her feel responsible for everyone’s growth.
There is no need to make her cruel. Exhaustion will accomplish much of what cruelty cannot.
Let her carry people she was only meant to love.
Let her solve problems she was only meant to accompany.
Let her confuse compassion with responsibility.
And when she finally realizes that she cannot save everyone, make her feel guilty for discovering the obvious.
Above all, keep her focused on becoming a better instrument for God while distracting her from remaining a beloved child of God.
An instrument asks, “Am I useful?”
A child asks, “Are You here?”
You understand the danger.
If she remembers that she is loved before she is useful, much of our work collapses.
If she remembers that obedience is relationship rather than performance, our carefully constructed machinery begins to fall apart.
If she remembers that she can walk with God rather than merely work for God, she may discover something even worse:
that becoming like Him matters more than accomplishing something impressive in His name.
So let her dream.
Let her write.
Let her encourage.
Let her counsel.
Let her mentor.
Let her hike through the wilderness looking for Him.
Let her pursue every beautiful thing she believes He has placed in her heart.
Just make certain that, somewhere along the way, she begins running ahead of Him.
And should she ever stop, breathe deeply, become quiet, and realize that she does not have to produce anything to remain in His presence –
Wormwood, interrupt her immediately.
Yours affectionately,
SCREWTAPE
Whether we are striving to secure the last word in a tense exchange or exhausting ourselves to perform for God, both habits share a common root: the anxiety of having to prove our worth and maintain control. By relinquishing the need to win every debate and stepping away from the treadmill of religious performance, we make space for true peace. Embracing silence and quiet presence transforms our journey, freeing us from running ahead of God so we can simply rest in the truth of being His beloved child.
Editor’s note – The line that cuts deepest here is Screwtape’s distinction between an instrument and a child: “An instrument asks, ‘Am I useful?’ A child asks, ‘Are You here?'” That’s the gospel in miniature – God doesn’t love you for your output (Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 4:6-7).
Reflective Journal Questions
Choosing Silence Over Victory: Where in your online or personal interactions do you feel the strongest urge to get the “last word,” and what would it look like to practice a mindful pause instead?
Presence vs. Performance: In what ways might you be approaching your spiritual growth or service out of an anxious desire to perform for God rather than resting in His presence?
Walking With God: Which noble goals or spiritual activities in your life might be distracting you from simply remaining a beloved child of God?
Consider trying this same AI chat prompt for yourself:
Based on what you know about me, write a “Screwtape letter” to imagine how Screwtape might advise Wormwood to thwart me personally. Highlight how I might be tempted to pursue goals that are FOR God while neglecting to pursue them WITH and LIKE God.
A Word from the Editor
Jesus put it simply: “Abide in me, and I in you… apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5). The fruit He’s after was never meant to come from strain. If your faith feels more like a performance review than a relationship, that’s worth taking to Him directly – not as a project to fix, but as a child coming to a Father who was never waiting on your productivity to begin loving you.
Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words
Distributed by – BCWorldview.org
Editor Comment: Your creative use of C.S. Lewis's Screwtape framework offers a fresh, convicting way to examine whether we're performing for God or genuinely walking with Him.
This article appeared on Medium and is reprinted with modifications and by permission.