Satan's Trap

Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. [2 Timothy 2.23-26]

A friend was arguing with me the other day about some difficult scriptures. First, he really could not get his head around John 20.23:

If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” [John 20.23]

His response started like this "You mean to tell me..."

Then the conversation then shifted to faith and healing and he argued that it is not always God's will to heal citing Paul's thorn in the flesh (specifically stating that "grace" was sufficient but without any consideration that Paul told Timothy, Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. [2 Timothy 2.1]).

So, what does it accomplish here to rehearse this disagreement? I am glad you asked! 

There is a little revealing phrase in Paul's encouragement to Timothy above that is important to understand: it will take God changing their heart so they can come to their senses and escape Satan's trap!

What is Satan's trap? It is worldly thinking. Worldly thinking dilutes, or worse, ignores powerful Bible passages like John 20.23 and what the great faith passages all teach (there are simply too many of these to list here!!). Worldly thinking "reasons" that God's power is spiritual but not tangible based on man's experience of it (or lack thereof). Satan's trap of worldly thinking is content in workless faith (which is actually not faith at all). It is, in a nutshell, religion.

Why is it, when a man does not understand, or his experience does not agree with God's Word that he actually believes he can therefore define God and God's will by his own experience as a man? This "grading on the curve" might be acceptable to some, but has no credibility whatsoever when dealing with God's pure and holy Word!

Satan's trap can also be defined as judging ourselves by ourselves (grading on the curve). In other words, if we don't experience God's physical healing, then God doesn't always heal. Or, if we don't experience God's material provision, then He doesn't always provide. Can you see the problem with this? God simply cannot be defined by man's experience!

As Paul told Timothy, the only solution to escape Satan's trap is the truth of God's Word which is the only thing that can change a man's heart. God's Word is Absolute Truth. Man's experience, on the other hand, eh, not so much! Man's experience remains subject to man in his fallen condition (and that pretty much tells the whole story why man's experience then cannot be trusted).

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand... this brings us back to:

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. [2 Corinthians 10.3-5]

Human reasoning is a stronghold of Satan. Period. As long as we keep trying to "figure it out" based on our experience of God, we will NEVER know God by faith (which is the only way to please God).

Bottom line: most people simply do not agree with what I have revealed here about God and His Word. The truth is, I struggle with it myself. But, that does not change the fact that God's Word is truth regardless what our experiences ever attain to. My arguing with anyone about this topic is useless unless the Holy Spirit changes them...

Father, help us to see Your Word for all that You intended. Help us not argue about it, but gently instruct one another and encourage one another to know You and Your Word above all else - including our own experience of You.