The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
Week 5: The Valley of Humiliation and the Valley of the Shadow of Death — Fighting Apollyon and Walking in the Dark
Read from Christian descending from the Palace Beautiful (§140) through the end of the Valley of the Shadow of Death, past the cave of Giant Pope and Giant Pagan (§168). Key Scriptures: Romans 8:37; Micah 7:8; Psalm 23:4; Job 29:3; Ephesians 6:18.
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After the warmth and fellowship of the Palace Beautiful, Christian descends into two valleys that Bunyan calls the hardest stretches of the entire journey — a demon who must be faced and a darkness that must be walked through, not around.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Christian has no armor for his back, so he resolves to stand and face Apollyon rather than run. Apollyon is monstrous — clothed in scales, dragon's wings, bear's feet, a lion's mouth — and he opens by claiming Christian as his subject: "All that country is mine, and I am the prince and god of it." How does Apollyon's opening gambit ("you belong to me") compare with the kinds of accusations the enemy lodges against believers today? What is the truth that answers this claim?
2.Apollyon lists Christian's failures with devastating accuracy: fainting in the Slough of Despond, trying wrong ways to be rid of the burden, sleeping sinfully, almost going back at the sight of the lions, and being inwardly desirous of vain-glory. Christian does not deny any of it: "All this is true, and much more which thou hast left out; but the Prince whom I serve and honour is merciful, and ready to forgive." What does Christian's response teach us about how to handle honest accusations about our own sin and weakness?
a.How is Christian's answer different from either denial or despair?
b.What role does the mercy of the Prince play in Christian's ability to keep fighting?
3.The battle lasts more than half a day. Christian is wounded in head, hand, and foot. His sword flies out of his hand. Apollyon pins him to the ground and says, "I am sure of thee now." Then Christian "nimbly stretched out his hand for his sword" and quotes Micah 7:8: "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall I shall arise." What makes the difference between a fall that ends a pilgrim and a fall from which he rises? What is the key to Christian's recovery here?
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