2 CORINTHIANS 2
5 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
– 2 Corinthians 2:5-11
2 CORINTHIANS 2 WATCH OUT FOR SATAN’S TACTICS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As Christians, we are soldiers for Christ equipped with God’s word
It is Scriptures that bring the truth and exposes lies from the world
When we do not know the truth, we are prey for being devoured
Let us watch out for Satan’s tactics so we can win and overcome
Satan uses subtle ways to entice humans to seek pleasures
Be wary of the wiles of the devil so you will not give in to cravings.
In this letter, Paul cautions the Corinthian believers to watch out for Satan’s clever and subtle ways of tempting them. He mentions someone in the church that sinned and was punished for it. His name wasn’t identified but some scholars think that it was the same man that was in the church who was having an incestuous relationship. Paul was probably glad that the sin was presented in the congregation to be addressed. But knowing how these Christians were, he also wanted them to forgive that man who has already repented and grant him grace. By doing so, they avoid being preyed on by Satan. It may feel like a condemnation if one doesn’t exercise grace after rebuking another Christian brother or sister.
It is not easy to correct someone in the body of Christ because all of us still live in our sinful bodies and we will face conflict of personalities, viewpoints, differing maturity levels of faith, etc. Without grace, correction may appear like condemnation
REFLECTION
· Why is it important for us to decode Satan’s tactics?
