In the next two chapters, Lewis continues to present Christianity, but he tries to do so in a contemporary setting. Remember, he is writing this book in the late 1940s England, a very different context than we have today and very different from the setting of the Scriptures. What Lewis attempts to do is frame Christianity in such a way that it makes sense to the reader of his time.

Lewis begins the chapter entitled The Obstinate Toy Soldiers by trying to imagine the Christian life had Adam and Eve never eaten of the forbidden fruit and been banished from the garden, but this is trivial thinking. As Lewis suggests, there is no sense in having our thoughts dwell there; it is better to deal with what is at hand.

The issue at hand is the fallen, sinful, obstinate world in which we now live, striving for greatness and recognition at the cost of others. Whether we choose to recognize it or not, we are a selfish people; we are our own biggest cheerleader. Lewis puts it this way:

The natural life in each of us is something self-centered, something that wants to be petted and admired, to take advantage of other lives, to exploit the whole universe. And especially it wants to be left to itself: to keep well away from anything better or stronger or higher than it, anything that might make it feel small. It is afraid of the light and air of the spiritual world, just as people who have been brought up to be dirty are afraid of a bath” (155).

Selfishness is a natural part of our very humanity, yet an essential part of the Christian life, beginning at conversion, is a need to die to that part in order to make room for more important matters.

Lewis’ primary emphasis in this chapter is that the coming of Christ did something for humanity that was not fully realized until then, and we still struggle to understand it fully now. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, we have been united to one another through Him in such a way humanity has never known before. Lewis says, “If you could see humanity spread out in time, as God sees it, it would not look like a lot of separate things dotted about. It would look like one single growing thing – rather like a very complicated tree” (157). Imagine that – a organic unit growing out and yet together in such a way that it forms a complex network of interconnectedness – quite the opposite from an obstinate toy soldier!

What is even more amazing is that God has done the work for us. He has given His Son on behalf of a fallen humanity to find salvation through faith in Him. “We have not got to try to climb up into spiritual life by our own efforts; it has already come down into the human race” (157).

After Lewis presented this section, some critics wrote to him asking about a simple but challenging question. Why didn’t God beget more sons like Himself rather than making sons and then going through such a dreadful journey? It’s a legitimate question. However, Lewis, in his wonderful wisdom, presents the dreadful situation of Adam and Eve’s active rebellion and obstinate allegiance when God gave them a choice with one prohibition, and he concludes by addressing the “could have been” that many of us find ourselves asking.

Anyone studying the Bible needs to remember this simple question: “Have the words ‘Could have been’ any sense at all when applied to God?” Of course the answer is “No”. Part of the Christian life is resting in some truths without having to figure them out or question their significance. The Bible presents the problem of evil and suffering in the world, and then it presents the solution – the Son of Man. Can we ask if God could have done things differently? Yes. Would it be helpful? No!

An equally challenging question about Christianity is the issue of identity. If I become a Christian, does that mean I lose my particular identity and have to conform to something not like me? Shockingly, the answer is yes and no. Being “in Christ” means living to the greatest extent of your being while dying to your own selfish wants and desires; it requires seeing yourself as more than what you already do – as part of an organic unit working together for something greater than yourself.

Christianity thinks of human individuals not as mere members of a group or items in a list, but as organs in a body – different from one another and each contributing what no other could. When you find yourself wanting to turn your children, or pupils, or even your neighbours, in to people exactly like yourself, remember that God probably never meant them to be that. You and they are different organs, intended to do different things (161).

The Christian life is one of sacrifice but not a sacrifice that leads to resentment or loneliness. The Christian life builds upon the foundation and work laid through the work of Christ. We each serve a particular and unique part in that work. As Christians, we should seek new ways to encourage one another as we navigate the difficulties of this fallen world knowing that our labors serve a greater purpose than we could ever imagine for ourselves.