Sometimes a good quote just sums it up

I found this in the intro. pages of "The Divine Conspiracy."
It's a quote from Lewis' "Screwtape Letters" - so the perspective is inverted and the insight comes from a demon's analysis and criticism of his Enemy's strategy and methods.

"You must have wondered why the Enemy (God) does not make more use of his power to be sensibly present to human souls in any degree he chooses and at any moment.
But you now see that the irresistable and the indisputable are the two weapons which the very nature of his scheme forbids him to use.
Merely to over-ride a human will (as his felt presence in any but the faintest and most mitigated degree would certainly do) would be for him useless.
He cannot ravish. He can only woo. For his ignoble idea is to eat the cake and have it; the creatures are to be one with him, but yet themselves; merely to cancel them, or assimilate them, will not serve . . . Sooner or later he withdraws, if not in fact, at least from their conscious experience, all supports and incentives. He leaves the creature to stand up on its own legs-to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish . . .He cannot "tempt" to virtue as we tempt to vice. He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away his hand. . . our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys."
- Uncle Screwtape

In other words:
Why doesn't God show himself plainly? Why doesn't He "prove" himself beyond all doubt? God is "holding back." His Love demands our freedom, and without a choice to believe we would not be free. The autonomy and self determination we were created with and which reflect God's image are attributes which God refuses to over-rule. His purpose is that we develop our individual will, and yet subordinate it to His authority. The greatest test of this, and the surest way to frustrate the devil, is to bend our will to follow him in the absence of any apparent rewards.

In my experience:
Satan tells us that our efforts are futile and that following God is not worth it.
We often believe his lies and begin to think that there is no good reason to obey.
But then we stubbornly continue to walk in faith and obey anyway.
And God is pleased.

Cross references:
Rich Mullins says "You're up there just playing hard to get."
Jacques Ellul says: Verbal truth does not come to us in the same way as visual reality. A propositional truth-claim always asks us to make a judgement; is it true or false, will I accept or reject this assertion? God reveals Himself in verbal truth out of respect for our freedom to choose.
Philip Yancey says: God is holding back. He does this for our own good.

- Matt Lundquist