Doing the (too) Hard Task

In C.S. Lewis' book, Perelandra, Elwin Ransom is carried to Venus. He isn't sure why, except that it involves the great cosmic battle between the Lord and the devil (he uses different names). When he arrives he meets the Queen, the woman of the first couple. Venus seems to him like paradise. But then comes another from earth, with a different purpose. He comes in the body of a scientist who has discovered interplanetary travel. Weston is his name. And he comes to bring death to Venus, just as he brought it to Earth. The enemy enters into a long, protracted conversation with the Queen. He tries to get her to see that by disobeying the Lord, she can help the King. The conversation carries over many days, maybe into a week or more. Ransom tries to counter Westin's arguments but is in way over his head. He prays for a miracle to occur, so that the devil can be kept from getting a foothold in Venus. He knows the conversation can't just keep going on. Something has to be done. Then the Lord puts it in his head, the miracle has occurred--"you too have been brought to Venus (and not by human ingenuity, but by the direct work of supernatural beings we would call angels)". Ransom protests... "What can I do to counter the devil." "Fight him if you must." "But we 'battle not against flesh and blood.'" "You're wasting time." "I can't do it. It's too hard." And then he realizes that in reality the battle would be between two fifty something year old scholars... and who knows how that would turn out. But still, the terror of the devil is too much to overcome. What could he do? How could he do it? Did God really expect him to risk his life to save humanity on Venus? "It is not for nothing that you are named Ransom." An accidental twist of phonetics or linguistics. His name didn't really come from ransom..., God must be mistaken... "What you are asking is just way too hard!" "My name is also Ransom," said the Voice. Here, I am stopped. I am undone. All that I have ever thought about ceases. What can I do? How can I ever do it? How can I please God and gain His approval? What is required of me that He accept me? "My name is also Ransom," says the Voice. He is the one who does what is impossible for me, for us, for anyone to do. Elwin Ransom was called upon to risk his life, a task way above his pay grade. Jesus is our ransom! He didn't merely risk his life, he gave his life. Ransom was right..."it's too hard. I can't do it." And God answers, "Jesus is His name." He does what is too hard for me to do. To gain acceptance or approval, or even to do a small part of His will. I can't do it. It is too hard. But Jesus did, and He helps me. His name is Ransom, too.