To Conquer the Darkness Out There, We First Have to Conquer the Darkness Inside

Last week my son and I went to see “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.” It is a great movie and one the whole family will enjoy. The movie is based on a book by the same title, written by C. S. Lewis. Lewis was a Christian who thought deeply about real life issues. He wrote a series of books about the imaginary land of Narnia. The books were meant to be an allegory of the Christian life.

The movie was full of great scenes and powerful teaching moments. But one of the most powerful scenes was about the importance of overcoming temptation. Various characters in the movie faced one temptation after another. These temptations were designed to strike each character and his or her own point of weakness. Though some of the characters resist completely, most fall under temptation’s spell for at least a short time. Each time a character begins to weaken under the pressure of temptation, another character, or sometimes Aslan himself, steps in to help. Once the character being tempted sees what the temptation is dong to them, they break free from the temptation and choose a better course of action. Finally, during one crucial scene, Aslan says that to conquer the darkness out there, we first have to conquer the darkness inside. What a powerful statement, and one that we all need to take to heart.

The movie’s emphasis on temptation was not an accident. This was one of the main themes that Lewis put in the original book and the movie did not hold back in letting that theme come through. The film’s executive producer (Douglas Gresham) views himself as the guardian of the Christian legacy Lewis meant for his works to convey. According to Meridian Magazine Gresham said, “The central theme of the book and the movie is temptation, how you meet temptation and beat it. You have to fight it and defeat it.” As C. S. Lewis’s stepson, Gresham would be the one to know about Lewis’s legacy was all about. The movie is one of those rare combinations of entertainment and spiritual insight. It is worth seeing.