Lest Satan should take advantage

…lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. – 2 Corinthians 2v11

I don’t know exactly how God worked out all the details of the Holy Spirit moving human writers to give us His perfect divine word, but He did.

Saying that, when we read this section of the second letter to Corinth it almost seems that he is searching for the right words to express himself. He got to the point that he knows needs to be addressed so that it does not add to his sorrow.

Back in 1 Corinthians we read of a man who was involved in an incestuous relationship. They had not dealt with his sin, so Paul chastened them for not dealing with the sin. Apparently they had dealt with the sin, but now the sin was dealt with and they were still holding the sin over him, they would not forgive him and restore him to fellowship. In verse seven Paul says, “so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.” Enough was enough, in other words. Since he has repented, restore him.

He then gives just a glimpse to the source of the trouble – “lest Satan should take advantage.” Paul knew that the situation was fragile and that Satan would jump at the chance to take advantage of the situation. “We are not ignorant of his devices.” Satan will do all he can to destroy God’s work. If he can defeat us in spirit he may well defeat us in body.

We have a God, we also have an enemy. We need to be very, very careful that we don’t give him any chance to sneak in and take advantage of the situation. A familiar word pops out in verse eight – ‘Affirm your love to him.”

There cannot be too much love – it is the one thing we can do that Satan cannot answer.