2 Coríntios 2
Ray Stedman · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Coríntios 2
Stedman - To put it briefly, his second reason for not coming was because the Spirit led him to see that he had already caused pain enough by his letters and his painful visit. If that would do the work, then there is no point in adding any more to it. Paul is like a skillful surgeon. The surgeon has to cut people, but a good surgeon cuts only as much as he has to. He derives no joy out of cutting people's bodies open to remove the tumor, or the cancer, or whatever. As soon as that is done, and thoroughly done, he stops cutting, because he does not like to create pain. That is what Paul is saying here. "I wrote to you a sharp and painful letter." (Some think it is what we call First Corinthians. Other scholars say, "No, there is another letter here he is referring to that is lost to us." I do not know which is the case; I lean toward the latter view that there is another letter we do not have.) At any rate, Paul says, "I have already caused you much pain by what I wrote. The Spirit has shown me that if I came again I would just cause more pain; that might be quite unnecessary, so that is why I did not come, because," as he puts it so beautifully, "I don't want to cause you pain. When you hurt, I hurt. Who is going to make me glad if I unnecessarily cause you to hurt? I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears." What a beautiful picture of this great apostle writing, the tears flowing from his eyes. "I want you to see that, behind the writing, and the sharp rebukes, there is not a desire to hurt you, but a great heart of love that is unwilling to let you miss the love and the joy of God. That is why I wrote." This is a marvelous picture of the spirit in which we ought to handle misunderstandings. Not to hurt in return, not to retaliate, not to try to get even because somebody has misunderstood us, but to explain it as plainly and simply and clearly as we can, always with the intention that if there is anything hurtful to be said that it be as minimal as possible; and that we affirm our love and our concern for the individual involved. That is the way Paul did it. (When You Are Misunderstood)
2 Coríntios 2
Stedman comments on to all of you - This is the problem with actions that are wrong -- they are always hurtful, not only to a few people, but to everyone. There is nothing more deceiving than the attitude that many people take today of, "Well, this is only between me and another person. No one else is being hurt by it." That is never true in a church. As John Donne has well reminded us, "No man is an island." That is true of all humanity, but in a church we are in a family. It is impossible for there to be strife and hurt and grievance between any two individuals that does not begin to spread and touch others as well. I have been in churches where feuds had developed where one family group would not speak to another. As a result of that, the whole church had been paralyzed spiritually; nothing was happening out in the community, no testimony of love and restoration was going on, and the church in its effectiveness had ground to a halt. That happens many, many times, and that is why discipline must be carried out on a wider basis. In this case in Corinth, the majority of the congregation had been involved in trying to reach the individual referred to here. But the point, of course, is that it had already happened; it had already worked; this man had repented. He had admitted that what he did was wrong; and that is what repentance is. It is coming to a conclusion about yourself that what you have done is hurtful and wrong. This man had reached that place and had demonstrated it by what I like to call, "the mark of repentance." It is mentioned here in Verse 7. Paul urges them to comfort him that he may not be "overwhelmed by excessive sorrow." (When Discipline Ends) Say too much (be a burden) (1912) epibareo from epí = upon or an intensifier + baréo = to burden) means to weigh down, to place a weight upon someone, to put a burden on or to be burdensome to. To press too heavily on or be too severe with. 3v in NT - 2 Co. 2:5; 1 Th 2:9; 2 Th 3:8 2 Corinthians 2:6 Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, AMP For such a one this censure by the majority [which he has received is] sufficient [punishment]. KJV 2 Corinthians 2:6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. NET 2 Corinthians 2:6 This punishment on such an individual by the majority is enough for him, BGT 2 Corinthians 2:6 ἱκανὸν τῷ τοιούτῳ ἡ ἐπιτιμία αὕτη ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν πλειόνων, NLT 2 Corinthians 2:6 Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. ESV 2 Corinthians 2:6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, NIV 2 Corinthians 2:6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. GNT 2 Corinthians 2:6 ἱκανὸν τῷ τοιούτῳ ἡ ἐπιτιμία αὕτη ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν πλειόνων, YLT 2 Corinthians 2:6 sufficient to such a one is this punishment, that is by the more part, ASV 2 Corinthians 2:6 Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the many; CSB 2 Corinthians 2:6 The punishment inflicted by the majority is sufficient for that person. MIT 2 Corinthians 2:6 That penalty imposed by the group was enough for such a one. NKJ 2 Corinthians 2:6 This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, NRS 2 Corinthians 2:6 This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person; NAB 2 Corinthians 2:6 This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person, NJB 2 Corinthians 2:6 The punishment already imposed by the majority was quite enough for such a person; GWN 2 Corinthians 2:6 The majority of you have imposed a severe enough punishment on that person. BBE 2 Corinthians 2:6 Let it be enough for such a man to have undergone the punishment which the church put on him; which: 2Co 13:10 1Co 5:4,5 1Ti 5:20 2 Corinthians 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: Matthew 18:15-17 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. SUFFICIENT DISCIPLINE Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority - The punishment was severe enough. To say "sufficient" implies that some may have wanted to get a few more "lashes" (so to speak). Paul says as the saying goes "Enough is enough!" As noted below the Greek word for punishment (epitimia) conveys the sense of causing such a one to suffer what they deserve. The specific action taken by the church is not stated and could have been anything from rebuke to removal from participation in body life (e.g, excommunication or disfellowshipping such as exclusion from partaking the Lord's Supper, cf 1Cor 11:27). For more on what this punishment may have looked like see Jesus' instructions on disciplining sinning believers (Mt 18:15-17 ). Whatever the punishment, the majority of the church concurred (it was not unanimous). The fact that the majority of the church presented a united front would have been sufficient to show the offender the seriousness of his offense and would have helped motivate repentance. Related Resource: What does the Bible say about church discipline? | GotQuestions.org The identity of such a one is debated - some favor this as the man sinning in an incestuous affair as Paul . It is interesting that the same phrase "such a one" is used by Paul in 1 Cor 5:5 and 1 Cor 5:11 and twice in this letter - 2 Cor 2:6 and 2 Cor 2:7. Murray Harris on such a one - Many older commentators (ED: Lenski,) found in vv. 5–11 a further reference to the man guilty of incest (1 Cor 5:1-8+). But most modern writers rightly reject this identification for a variety of reasons (ED: Furnish in Anchor Bible Commentary, C K Barrett, Alfred Plummer, Paul Barnett, Ralph Martin, John MacArthur's note above) Evidently, after Paul’s painful visit an insult of some description had been directed against him or one of his representatives either by a visitor to Corinth (so C.K. Barrett) or by a Corinthian, who perhaps at that time headed the opposition to the apostle at Corinth and objected in particular to Paul’s disciplinary methods such as those outlined in 1 Cor 5. Paul here discounts the sorrow caused him by the unfortunate episode. (Expositor's Bible Commentary)
2 Coríntios 2
Stedman - It is Satan who keeps bringing back to your mind the hurts of the past; he keeps interjecting them back into a situation. He is trying to get hold of you through the situation and wreak havoc with you and your loved ones by taking advantage of it. It is Satan who makes the leadership of a church quail at confronting some situation, makes them say, "Oh, let's not get involved; let's forget it." That is Satan. He is seeking to gain an advantage over that whole congregation so he can dilute their testimony and render them powerless in their effect upon the community.....When an arsonist is loose, you can expect fires; they are going to break out all over the place. We have an enemy who is like that, and when you have an enemy you can expect casualties. When you are engaged in warfare, you never can decide on your own terms that you are not going to have any more casualties, because the enemy is there; he is the one who keeps it going. We often say in American history, "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." That is true in the spiritual realm as well. It is only as we are aware that we are in a battle, and an enemy is constantly trying to take advantage of the situation, that we must realize that the thing that defeats him is to extend ready and full forgiveness when there are broken relationships within us. That is what keeps Satan from gaining an advantage over you. Paul said that in Ephesians: "Do not let the sun go down on your wrath," Ephesians 4:26-27). Settle this matter before nightfall, before you go to bed. Don't carry it over to the next day and thus give opportunity to the devil. When you let it go on and on and on, unresolved, you are giving the devil an opportunity to get hold of everybody involved, to create more problems and spread it widely and turn the whole church upside down eventually. Therefore, one of the elements that restoration always involves is that spiritual awareness that we are in a battle, that we live in a crazy world under the control of a madman, basically, so we cannot expect to settle it all once and for all. As an old movie once described it, It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. -- I saw that title in Spanish on a marquee down in Latin America: Todo El Mundo es Loco, Loco, Loco, Loco! We are to deal with these problems then in our own hearts. That is the way you turn off the attack of the enemy. Some years ago I read about a mental hospital that had devised a very effective test to know whether the patients were ready to go back into life again. The patients would be brought into a room where a water tap was flowing out on the floor and handed a mop and told to mop up the water. If they took the mop and just started mopping away, with the water still flowing, they would be put back in the hospital. But if they had the sense to go and turn off the tap first, and then mop up the water, they knew they were ready to go back into life. There is no sense in trying to clear up a situation until we have turned off the devil's tap by forgiving that which has been acknowledged as wrong. If we persist in bringing it up, over and over again, we are trying to mop up a situation where the water is still flowing. That is foolish; it cannot be done. That is why in many marriages, in many family relationships, and in a church, these kinds of hurtful things go on and on and on for decades. Nobody has turned off the tap; nobody has forgiven one another and let it rest in the past, realizing that we all are in need of forgiveness continually. When forgiveness happens, then marvelous healing begins to take place. I could tell you story after story of how I have seen this happen. Whole congregations have been restored, whole family groups have been opened up by two people who were mad at one another deciding that they would forgive; and when there was any degree of acknowledgment at all that there was injury done, extending forgiveness. Is there any more beautiful picture in all the Scriptures than the story Jesus told of the Prodigal Son? The story of the old father waiting at home, watching the horizon and knowing that, when that boy had reached the end and was ready to admit his wrongdoing, he would show up at the house again? At the first glimpse of his son on the horizon, the old man is running down the road to meet him, his arms wide open. Before the boy can utter a syllable of his memorized statement that he has been repeating to himself all the way home -- "I am no longer worthy to be called your son" (Luke 15:19 RSV) -- the old man has his arms around him and he is calling out for a celebration, to kill the fatted calf. (I remember the little story of the Sunday School boy when the class was asked, "Who was sorry when the Prodigal Son came home?" The expected answer was, "The elder brother," but one little boy said, "The fatted calf!") Well, there was one who was not sorry, and that was the father. He was overjoyed, because he knew that his son would never have been back if he had not acknowledged that he was wrong. And he did not wait for the boy to say that. He had already forgiven him. The very appearance of the lad on the horizon was enough to tell the father that his son was home again, sorry for what he had done. And, "lest he be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow," the father forgave him from a full and free heart. Now that is God's picture of what he does with us. (When Discipline Ends) Not Ignorant - General George Patton of World War II fame was seldom at a loss for words. What he said during a battle in North Africa may be legend, but it typifies the man. Patton’s troops and tanks were engaged in a successful counterattack of German forces under General Erwin Rommel. Patton is reported to have shouted in the thick of the battle, “I read your book, Rommel! I read your book!” And that he did. In Rommel’s book Infantry Attacks, the famed “Desert Fox” carefully detailed his military strategy. And Patton, having read it and knowing what to expect, planned his moves accordingly. Satan has authored no book. God, however, has exposed our enemy’s tactics in His Holy Word. Here are but a few of his subtle strategies: Quote Scripture to lead us astray (Mt 4:6+) (ED: ACTUALLY MISQUOTES Ps 91:11-12!) Afflict the body (2Cor. 12:7+). Pluck away the seed of the Word (Mark 4:15+). Tempt by impure thoughts (1Cor 7:5+). Tempt by pride (1Ti 3:6). Hinder through circumstances (1Th 2:18+). Seduce by pleasure (1Ti 5:11,15). Severely buffet in a crisis (Luke 22:31+). Tempt to hypocrisy and lying (Acts 5:3+). The name Satan means adversary. He is also described as “the accuser of our brethren” (Rev 12:10+) and “a murderer from the beginning” and a liar (John 8:44). Shrike System Ephesians 6:10-18 April 4, 2006 The ancient sport of falconry used trained hawks or falcons in the pursuit of wild game. When the "educated predator" was allowed to fly, however, it often rose too high for human eyes to see. So a hunter often carried a small caged bird called a shrike. By watching the antics of the little bird, the man could always tell where his hawk was, for the shrike instinctively feared the predator and cocked its head to keep it in view. Christians desperately need an alert perception similar to that of the shrike to detect their spiritual enemy. Our adversary, Satan, "walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Our responsibility, according to the apostle Peter, is to be sober and vigilant. In other words, we’re to be always on the alert. It would be nice if God had giant sirens to warn us of an attack by the devil. But He doesn’t operate that way. Instead, we must read the Bible regularly, meditate on its truths, maintain a prayerful attitude throughout the day, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Only then will we be sensitive to an imminent assault by the evil one, and be armed by grace to meet it. —Mart De Haan The devil is clever, deceiving us all, He cunningly causes the strongest to fall; But we his sly methods are sure to discern By making God’s warnings our daily concern. —D. De Haan He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. —1John 4:4 The Angel Of Music Ephesians 6:10-18 May 28, 2006 In Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical The Phantom of the Opera, a young chorus girl named Christine Daae receives voice training from a mysterious musician she calls the “Angel of Music.” Christine believes this is the angel her dying father had promised to send to complete her musical training. As the plot thickens, we find that her mysterious mentor is really a demented man who wants to carry her away into a bizarre underworld beneath the opera house. What the girl thinks is a supernatural agent sent by her beloved father is really a madman who wants to possess her for his own ends. The “Angel of Music” is evil masquerading as good. The believer in Christ also faces an evil one who masquerades. One of Satan’s key strategies is to look like someone who is good. Paul told us, “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light” (2Corinthians 11:14). The Greek word translated as “transforms” means “to change appearance, masquerade, or disguise oneself.” In preparing us to face the evil strategies of the devil, God has provided all the equipment we need to stand our ground. Protecting ourselves with the armor of God unmasks the evil that opposes us and stabilizes our spiritual walk (Ephesians 6:10-18). —Dennis Fisher When you’re making a decision, Evil sometimes wears a mask; Trust the Lord for true discernment— He’ll give wisdom if you ask. —Hess God’s armor is tailor-made for us, but we must put it on. Blackbeard March 22, 2006 Ephesians 6:10-18 As a young man in the late 1600s, Edward Teach joined the crew of a British ship that was headed to the Caribbean. Much later in his nautical career, he managed to capture a merchant vessel and turn it into a 40-gun warship. Teach soon became known as Blackbeard—the most feared pirate in the hemisphere. Blackbeard had some success as a pirate, but his “career” abruptly ended when he encountered a contingent of the British Royal Navy. In a desperate battle, he and his fellow pirates were killed, putting an end to their terrorizing exploits. Long ago in the heavenly places, an angel fell into spiritual piracy. Lucifer was a cherub who stood in the radiant glory of God (Ezekiel 28:11, 12, 13, 14, 15). But his own self-love replaced love for his Creator. Desiring to be like the Most High, he led a rebellion and was cast out of heaven (Isaiah 14:12, 13, 14, 15). Today he and his henchmen are doing whatever they can to commandeer the lives of human beings (Luke 8:12; 2Cor 4:4). Even so, we don’t need to be afraid. Satan is a dangerous enemy, but Jesus sealed his ultimate fate when He rose from the dead. And He has given us everything we need to withstand the devil’s attacks (Ephesians 6:10-18). —Dennis Fisher And though this world with devils filled Should threaten to undo us; We will not fear, for God has willed His truth to triumph through us. —Luther He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. —1John 4:4 My Achilles Heel Ephesians 6:10-18 July 17, 2001 Nobody is temptation-proof. Even mature Christians have weaknesses in their spiritual armor that make them vulnerable to a wounding attack by the enemy of their souls. Our pride can provide the very opening needed for the sharp thrust of a satanic dart. So can the love of money, a quick temper, a critical tongue, or chronic impatience. What, after all, is temptation? It's any enticement to think, say, or do something contrary to God's holy will. It may be a weak impulse or a powerful urge. It's anything that's against what God approves or desires for us. The ancient Greeks told a story of a warrior named Achilles. His mother had been warned that he would die of a wound, so she dipped him as an infant in the river Styx. That was supposed to make him invincible. But she held him by one heel which the protective waters didn't cover. And it was through that heel that he received his fatal wound. Each of us must ask: What is my Achilles heel? We need to know our weaknesses, where we could easily be wounded spiritually. Then, as we rely on the Lord for His help, we will be protected from "the fiery darts of the wicked one" (Ephesians 6:16). —V C Grounds Leave no unguarded place, No weakness of the soul; Take every virtue, every grace, And fortify the whole. —Wesley Our greatest weakness may be our failure to ask for God's strength. One of the Devil’s most effective schemes or stratagems is to instill doubts about God’s goodness. These seeds of "doubt" can grow into an ungrateful spirit that refuses to thank God at all times for all things. Doubts about God was one of Satan's greatest tools against Martin Luther. After the frightful Anfechtung (Contestation) of 1527 Luther wrote that "For more than a week I was close to the gates of death and hell." It is therefore no surprise that Luther's great hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God has such great stanzas on "spiritual warfare. Roland Bainton, Luther’s biographer, writes: “The content of his depressions was always the same, the loss of faith that God is good and that He is good to me." A Mighty Fortress Is Our God by Martin Luther A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing; Our helper he, amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing: For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great, And, armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal. Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing; Were not the right Man on our side, The Man of God’s own choosing: Dost ask who that might be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth, his name, From age to age the same, And he must win the battle. And tho this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us, We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph thro’ us: The Prince of Darkness grim, We tremble not for him; His rage we can endure. For lo, his doom is sure, One little word will fail him. That word above all earthly pow’rs, No thanks to them, abideth; The Spirit and the gifts are ours Thro’ him who with us sideth: Let goods and kindreds go, This mortal life also; The body they may kill: God’s truth abidest still, His kingdom is forever. Question: What are the wiles of the devil in Ephesians 6:11? | GotQuestions.org Answer: Wiles are tricks or manipulations designed to deceive someone. The tongue-in-cheek phrase a woman’s wiles refers to the seductiveness of femme fatales in using charm or sex appeal to elicit a desired response from men. Wiles of the devil are those clever schemes used by Satan to ensnare us through temptation, threat, or intimidation. Ephesians 6:11 warns us to “put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (KJV). Other Bible versions speak of the “devil’s schemes,” “strategies,” or “evil tricks” rather than “wiles.” Scripture gives us insight into our enemy’s tactics: “We are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11), and we are wise to heed its warnings. Here are some of the devil’s wiles we see in Scripture: 1. Challenging God’s Word. Genesis 3 gives us a detailed look into this tactic of our enemy. It led to the first human sin, and Satan still uses it because it works so well. The first recorded words of the devil, through the serpent, were these: “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1). With those words, the devil invited the woman to reconsider what she understood God to have said. By adding her human interpretation, she convinced herself that God’s Word was far too restrictive. By suggesting that we should reexamine the clear teaching of God’s Word, Satan invites us to add our own interpretation and thereby nullify God’s stated will. Entire church denominations are falling prey to these wiles of the devil. “Did God really say that homosexuality is wrong?” he hisses, and churches crumble. “Did God really say there are only two genders?” he suggests, inviting us to put our own spin on reality, making ourselves gods in place of the Lord. Ephesians 6:11 says that we need to be clothed in the whole armor of God to withstand such wiles. 2. Challenging our identity. Luke 4:1–13 gives insight into several of the devil’s wiles. Satan came against Jesus to tempt Him in the wilderness. On two different occasions, Satan began his temptations with these words: “If you are the Son of God.” Satan knew exactly who Jesus was (Mark 1:34). Jesus was there when Satan fell “like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). Significantly, the devil chose a time when Jesus was physically weak and hungry to attack His identity. Satan does the same with us. To make his wiles more effective, he hits us during a crisis or a spiritual struggle and suggests, “If you were a child of God, this wouldn’t happen. If you were actually a Christian, God would help you right now.” Again, we need the “helmet of salvation” firmly in place to withstand such attacks against our identity and God’s character (Ephesians 6:17). 3. Twisting Scripture. Another of the wiles the devil used against Jesus was to quote Scripture, but with a twist. In Luke 4:10–11, Satan quotes Psalm 91:11–12 in an effort to persuade Jesus to act in the flesh rather than follow the Spirit (see Galatians 5:16, 25). But Satan failed to complete the thought of the psalm. The next verse, Psalm 91:13, says, “You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.” Those animal references are metaphors for fierce and dangerous enemies—and the devil is likened to both a lion and a serpent in Scripture (Genesis 3:15; Revelation 20:2; 1 Peter 5:8; cf. Romans 16:20). The true meaning of the passage in Psalm 91 is that God will protect and empower His servants as they overcome the enemy, Satan. One of the wiles of the devil is to leave out key parts of Scripture in order to twist its meaning to fit his agenda. We see these wiles of the devil in action today, as prosperity teachers and false prophets quote Scripture in selfish and misleading ways. They use enough of God’s Word to sound authoritative, but they twist it to fit their personal agendas. Cherry-picking the Bible for verses that affirm whatever we want to believe or do is a widespread problem, and most participants have no idea they have fallen victim to one of the wiles of the devil. 4. Offering a tempting alternative to obedience. Another scheme or wile of the devil used in the temptation of Jesus was to suggest another path, avoiding strict obedience to God’s will. Cunningly, Satan knew better than to suggest that Jesus forget the whole salvation plan and go back to heaven. Instead, he offered an alternative. In Luke 4:5–7, “the devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.’” This temptation was aimed at the humanity of the Son of Man. Jesus now knew what it felt like to be in the flesh. He knew what spikes would feel like in His hands and feet. He knew what rejection and mockery would feel like when He was stripped naked and paraded before the crowds. Satan was offering Him a compromise. What if Jesus could “save the world” without having to suffer crucifixion? What if He could take a shortcut and possess all the world’s kingdoms now? One of the most sinister wiles of the devil involves his ability to offer a religiously tainted compromise. He knows he can’t come at mature believers with a frontal attack on their values and convictions. So he slides in the back door, posing as a friend with a reasonable alternative: “Well, yes, technically it might be wrong for someone to move in with a boyfriend, but you can witness to him better as he watches you live out your faith.” Or this: “You don’t need to go to church to be spiritual. You connect better with God alone in the woods. Those people are all hypocrites anyway, and you are too righteous to associate with them.” We must beware of the devil’s wiles when he offers something other than total obedience to God’s will. The New Testament writers often pointed out the wiles of the devil to those in the church who were falling for them, and we should take note. The presence of false prophets (1 Timothy 6:3–5), busybodies (1 Peter 4:15), adulterers (1 Timothy 1:9–10), and seducers (Revelation 2:20) are all part of Satan’s masterplan to undermine the church from within. To combat the wiles of the devil, followers of Christ must stay clothed in the armor of God. We must stay immersed in His Word so that we recognize deception. And when we realize we have been caught in the wiles of the devil, we must quickly repent and seek godly accountability. Psalm 37:23–24 encourages those who desire to live godly lives: “The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.” When the Lord holds our hand, the devil’s wiles cannot harm us. Ray Pritchard - Satan does not observe the traditional rules of warfare. He uses anything and everything that he can to bring us down. This is part of what Paul meant when he spoke about the “schemes of the devil” in Ephesians 6:11. The word “schemes” might also be translated as “traps” or “tricks” or “tactics.” I am reminded of a certain Texas politician who was asked by a certain candidate had lost an election. “It happened because he forgot the first rule of knife fighting. There are no rules.” Satan doesn’t fight fair. He’s not going to give you an even break. He is a liar, a deceiver, a diabolical “angel of light” who comes to you in a thousand guises, tempting you to disobey the Lord. And he’s a lot smarter than you are. He knows your weak points better than you do. And because he is invisible, he can attack you any time of the day or night. (Read the full sermon Asymmetric Spiritual Warfare) Ray Pritchard - Satan Doesn’t Fight Fair. In thinking about spiritual warfare from this perspective, keep two things in mind: 1) Satan’s goal is to discourage you so that you feel like giving up. 2) Satan doesn’t fight fair. He does not observe the traditional rules of warfare. He uses anything and everything that he can to bring us down. This is part of what Paul meant when he spoke about the “schemes of the devil” in Ephesians 6:11. The word “schemes” might also be translated as “traps” or “tricks” or “tactics.” I am reminded of a Texas politician who was asked why a certain candidate had lost an election. “It happened because he forgot the first rule of knife fighting. There are no rules.” Satan doesn’t fight fair. He’s not going to give you an even break. He is a liar, a deceiver, a diabolical “angel of light” who comes to you in a thousand guises, tempting you to disobey the Lord. And he’s a lot smarter than you are. He knows your weak points better than you do. And he can attack you any time of the day or night. Satan doesn’t fight fair. What is the mark of his diabolical work? We face opposition from the devil when there are . . . Unusual or repeated temptations, Attacks from an unexpected quarter, Delays that hinder us from obeying God, Inducements to doubt God’s Word, Circumstances that produce unusual pressure upon us, Temptations to sin in areas that never troubled us before, Prolonged bouts of discouragement, Worries that seem to consume us, Seductive appeals to sinful compromise, Bitterness toward others, Desires to give up on the Christian life, Enticements to turn away from the means of grace, Excuses made for lack of spiritual growth, Critical comments about other believers, Attempts to hide your behavior from others From his message How to Meet the Enemy Brian Harbour - In Ephesians 6:11, Paul made reference to the “schemes of the devil.” Think of some of his schemes by which he tempts us to succumb to evil. Scheme # 1: The devil searches out our basic character flaws and comes with a design to ruin us at the point of our weakness. • To the sensual, he comes in skirts. • To the bold, he bids us live by nerve and sensation. • To the timid, he speaks about quietly withdrawing and playing it safe. • To the intelligent, he tantalizes with the prospect of knowing good and evil. • To the ambitious, he offers power. • To the lazy, he whispers, “Why don’t you do that tomorrow!” Satan attacks us at the point of our weakness. Scheme #2: The devil points us to acceptable goals and then he tempts us to reach those goals in unacceptable ways. A prime example of this was Satan’s approach to Jesus in the wilderness temptations recorded in Matthew 4. Satan held out before Jesus the very things Jesus had come to the earth to accomplish, but Satan tempted Jesus to accomplish these things in the wrong way. The conception that “the ends justifies the means” has been one of Satan’s most effective ploys since the beginning of our history. Scheme # 3: The devil tempts us to be satisfied with less than our best. One man described this as “the lure of a lesser loyalty.” “Don’t be a fanatic,” the devil whispers in our ear. It’s okay to be religious; just don’t get too carried away with it. It’s okay to be a Christian; just don’t make it your life. Do just enough to get by but not enough to interfere with your own plans. Sometimes that is the devil’s approach. Scheme #4: The devil urges us to make an exception. “I know what you believe,” he says. “I know you have strong convictions, and that’s all right. I respect you for that. But just this one time-what can one little exception possibly hurt?” C. S. Lewis in the Screwtape Letters captured the essence of what I am saying when he wrote: “The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid ‘dens of crime’ that Dickens loved to paint. It is not done even in concentration camps and labour camps. In those we see its final result. But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice.” Many through the centuries have been deceived by the work of Satan and have been persuaded to identify themselves with evil. Evil is present in our world, and it is deceptive. (Harbour Verse by Verse) Related Resources: Schemes of the Devil SATAN'S DEVICES TO DRAW THE SOUL TO SIN Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices Thomas Brooks, (1608-1680) Holman Bible Dictionary - Satan American Tract Society Satan Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Satan Baker Evangelical Dictionary Satan Easton's Bible Dictionary Satan Fausset Bible Dictionary Satan Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Satan Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Satan (2) Satan Watson's Theological Dictionary Satan Was Satan an angel? How, why, and when did Satan fall from heaven? Does Satan exist? Who is Satan? Who is the devil? How much power does Satan possess? What does it mean that Satan is the accuser? Why did Satan think he could defeat God? Is Lucifer Satan? Does the fall of Lucifer describe Satan? Is Satan the master of hell? Do Satan and his demons punish people in hell? God vs. Satan - if God is all-powerful, why does He not just kill Satan? Does Satan have to get God's permission before he can attack us? What does Satan look like? What do demons look like? Did God create Satan? What did Jesus mean when He said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”? Why are both Jesus and Satan referred to as the morning star? Does Satan still have access to Heaven? Why does God allow Satan to enter Heaven, as recorded in the Bible? Is Satan in hell? Where is Satan? Are Jesus and Satan brothers? Does a believer have authority over Satan? Why does God allow Satan to attack us? Is the devil / Satan a person or a force / personification of evil? What does it mean that Satan is prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2)? How is Satan god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4)? Does Satan have the power to control the weather? Can Satan read our minds or know our thoughts? If God knew that Satan would rebel, why did He create him? What does it mean that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44)? Why did God allow Satan and the demons to sin? Was Satan in charge of music in Heaven? Why is God going to release Satan after the 1000 years? Why were Michael and Satan disputing over the body of Moses (Jude 9)? Is the king of Tyre prophecy in Ezekiel 28 referring to Satan? Questions about Angels & Demons Was Satan the serpent in Genesis chapter 3? Why did Jesus say to Peter, “Get behind me Satan”? What does it mean that Satan masquerades as an angel of light? Did Jesus fight Satan for the keys to the kingdom? Is it possible to make a deal with the devil? What is the unholy trinity in the end times? What is Satanism? What are the various theories on the atonement? Did one third of the angels fall with Lucifer? What is Luciferianism? Is the war in heaven in Revelation 12 describing Satan's original fall or an end times angelic battle? Are demons fallen angels? 2 Corinthians 2:12 Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, KJV 2 Corinthians 2:12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, NET 2 Corinthians 2:12 Now when I arrived in Troas to proclaim the gospel of Christ, even though the Lord had opened a door of opportunity for me, BGT 2 Corinthians 2:12 Ἐλθὼν δὲ εἰς τὴν Τρῳάδα εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ θύρας μοι ἀνεῳγμένης ἐν κυρίῳ, NLT 2 Corinthians 2:12 When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. ESV 2 Corinthians 2:12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, NIV 2 Corinthians 2:12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, GNT 2 Corinthians 2:12 Ἐλθὼν δὲ εἰς τὴν Τρῳάδα εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ θύρας μοι ἀνεῳγμένης ἐν κυρίῳ, YLT 2 Corinthians 2:12 And having come to Troas for the good news of the Christ, and a door to me having been opened in the Lord, ASV 2 Corinthians 2:12 Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ, and when a door was opened unto me in the Lord, CSB 2 Corinthians 2:12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, the Lord opened a door for me. MIT 2 Corinthians 2:12 When I came to Troas with the gospel of Christ, a door was opened for me in the Lord. NKJ 2 Corinthians 2:12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, NRS 2 Corinthians 2:12 When I came to Troas to proclaim the good news of Christ, a door was opened for me in the Lord; NAB 2 Corinthians 2:12 When I went to Troas for the gospel of Christ, although a door was opened for me in the Lord, NJB 2 Corinthians 2:12 When I came to Troas for the sake of the gospel of Christ and a door was opened for me there in the Lord, GWN 2 Corinthians 2:12 When I went to the city of Troas, the Lord gave me an opportunity to spread the Good News about Christ. BBE 2 Corinthians 2:12 Now when I came to Troas for the good news of Christ, and there was an open door for me in the Lord, when: Ac 16:8 20:1-6,8 when a door was opened: Ac 14:27 1Co 16:9 Col 4:3 Rev 3:7,8 2 Corinthians 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Acts 14:27+ When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they (PAUL AND BARNABAS) began to report all things that God had done with them (DURING THEIR FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY) and how He had opened (anoigo) a door of faith to the Gentiles. 1Cor 16:8-9+ But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost; 9 for a wide door for effective (energes) service has opened (anoigo in the perfect tense = opened and still remains open) to me (HE IS REFERRING TO AN OPEN DOOR IN EPHESUS), and there are many adversaries. Col 4:2-3+ - (PAUL COMMANDED THE SAINTS AT COLOSSAE TOR PRAY FOR EVANGELISTIC SUCCESS FOR HIS MINISTRY) Devote (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) yourselves to prayer, keeping alert (present tense) in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying (present tense) at the same time for us as well, that God will open up (anoigo) to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; Click to enlarge - from the Holman Bible Atlas (digital book; Hardcover) copyright © 1998 B&H Publishing Group, Used by permission, all rights reserved. This is one of the best resources for Bible maps. Please do not reproduce this map on any other webpage. DIVINELY OPENED DOOR OF DOOR OF OPPORTUNITY The next section 2Co 2:12-13 deals with Paul's trip to Macedonia, his restlessness in Troas because of his concern for the church at Corinth the failure to receive a report from Titus. Context - Most likely the riot at Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41+) prompted Paul to leave and head north for Troas. While Paul says he went to Troas for the gospel, he clearly was hoping to meet Titus and hear an update on the spiritual condition of the church at Corinth. Paul had sent Titus to Corinth to assess their response to his “severe letter."