Wellness Gone Wrong: A Warning for Christian Women
Screwtape Strategy Part 3: The Culture
We live in a world overflowing with wellness advice—clean eating, biohacking, intermittent fasting, carb cycling, keto, plant-based, “what I eat in a day” videos, and the list goes on. As Christian women, we’re told that caring for our health is virtuous… but what happens when the pursuit of wellness becomes a trap instead of a tool?
If The Screwtape Letters were written about modern diet culture—specifically through the lens of Christian women navigating the health and wellness world in 2025—it might go something like this:
My Dear Wormwood,
I am quite pleased with your progress in keeping your patient entangled in her health pursuits, but I must insist that you do not neglect the greatest weapon we have against her: cultural pressure. You see, she is surrounded by voices—social media influencers, diet gurus, wellness trends—all whispering conflicting messages about what she should look like, what she should eat, and who she should be. If you wield these voices well, you will keep her so preoccupied with chasing an earthly ideal that she never seeks the Enemy’s design for her body.
Here is your strategy: first, distort her standard of beauty. Let her measure herself not by the strength and health the Enemy intended, but by unrealistic images of perfection. Fill her mind with filtered photos, impossible standards, and shifting beauty trends so that she is never content. Let her believe that her worth is found in her weight, her dress size, the shape of her body—anything but in the One who formed her. And when she falls short of these ever-changing expectations (as she always will), whisper that she is not enough. That she will never be enough.
Now, if she attempts to resist vanity, push her into obsession with discipline. Convince her that she is only “healthy” if she micromanages every bite, never missing a workout, never indulging in rest. Let her believe that control is the key to confidence, that she must earn her right to feel good in her own skin. And if she fails? Remind her of her failure constantly. Guilt and shame work wonders in keeping her fixated on herself rather than the Enemy.
And if, by some miracle, she begins to accept her body with gratitude, steer her toward apathy. Let her believe that caring for her health is unnecessary—that self-discipline is legalism, that she should simply “accept” exhaustion, pain, and weakness as inevitable. Let her see exercise and nourishing food as burdens rather than acts of worship. Convince her that stewardship is only for her finances, her time, or her relationships—never for her body.
Above all, do not let her see through the lie. Do not let her recognize that the Enemy made her body on purpose—that she was fearfully and wonderfully made, not to meet an earthly standard, but to glorify Him. Do not let her embrace the freedom He offers—the freedom to eat and move in joy, to care for her body in gratitude, to reject the cultural pressures that seek to enslave her.
If she ever begins to see her body as a temple, you have failed. So keep her distracted, insecure, and exhausted. Let her be too busy criticizing her reflection to reflect the Enemy’s light.
Your affectionate uncle,
Screwtape
P.S. read Screwtape Strategy Part 1 and Screwtape Strategy Part 2 (food).
If any part of this stirred something in your heart, know that you’re not alone. The enemy loves to twist what is good—like health and wellness—into something burdensome, shameful, or distracting. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
At BeyondFit, we believe in a different approach—one rooted in grace, not guilt. We offer faith-based fitness programs, practical nutrition coaching, and a supportive community of women who are pursuing health as a way to honor God, not to earn worth.
If you’re ready to stop striving and start stewarding your health with joy and balance, we’d love for you to join us.
Join the BeyondFit Community — where workouts, nutrition, and faith all work together to help you live well for His glory.
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So good. Thank you ❤️