“That they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:26, NIV).
The enemy doesn’t like the church of Jesus Christ — the body of Christ. He will do whatever he can to disrupt, distort, and disturb God’s children individually and in church congregations and Christian organizations. One of the methods he uses to disrupt is to “trap” people.
The word translated trap (NIV): held captive (KJV), snare (ESV) is an interesting word that was used when referring to “taking an animal alive.” An example would be putting an animal in a cage or behind bars at a zoo. These animals are not dead, but are live captives — caught, not able to be free.
Paul introduces this idea by saying, “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels” (verse 23).
Picking a verbal fight — arguing over senseless opinions
Frequently, people who are picking verbal fights are, themselves, victims caught (trapped) by the devil. When looking at their life stories, we frequently see hurt, rejection, pain, and disappointment either in their past or present. Their pain can come from their own decisions, from another person, or just from life itself. Typically, at some point, they transition from anger to bitterness and permit their hearts to become hardened and calloused. Their toughness is often a mask to cover up their fear and sense of rejection.
Their perceived freedom to act and say what they want is really a cage they are living in. Their calloused heart drives them to act in ways that are inconsistent with the person God created them to be.
What does this frequently look like? The person can be.... Keep reading
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