The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

By: Taylor Dove

3R

December 10, 2011

"They shall walk after the Lord. He will rule like a lion. When He roars, then His sons shall come trembling from the west." (Isaiah 11:10) During "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", C.S. Lewis has much religious symbolism. He incorporates the gifts of the Spirit, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, as well as mans temptation.

In the Bible, there is a constant battle between good and evil. "Put on the armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."(Eph. 6:11-12) During Lewis' book, the White Witch battles the true kings and queens of Narnia who are said to be the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve. The kids prepare for battle, and they receive gifts to help them fight. These gifts represent the gifts of the Spirit. In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."(Eph. 6:16-17) Peter receives a shield and a sword, which represents the Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit. The eldest sister, Susan, receives a horn to call for help when needed, and a bow and arrows. "These symbolize her ministry of prayer, including imprecatory prayer - summoning help and being used of the Lord to defend the righteous against the wicked."(Hammond) Like the Bible, the kids cannot win without the help of Aslan.

Another major event in the book that shows Lewis shows religious symbolism in this book is the crucifixion of Aslan. The White Witch must kill the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve because of their great destiny. They are destined to defeat the White Witch and bring order once again to Narnia. The White Witch decides to kill Aslan because without the help of Aslan the kids would never be able to defeat her. "The Stone Table on which Aslan is sacrificed represents Moses' Table of the Law. Moses received the Ten Commandments on the top of Mount Sinai, and Aslan willingly surrenders himself for torment, torture and execution at the hands of the Witch and her demons on a hilltop, which is similar to Calvary."(Hammond) Calvary is the hill on which Jesus was sacrificed. Jesus did not fight or argue with the officers who arrested him and took him to Calvary to be nailed on the cross. Like Aslan, he willingly surrendered himself. Aslan explains to the children that, "when a willing victim,