‘In And Out’ Of “The Snare Of The Devil”

One would think that no one would be their own ‘worst enemy,’ but many oftentimes, we could be those who could by our own decisions, cause life changing circumstances that could shape our lives. And those who are in Christ have been given the provision by our Father to protect us from the snare of the devil. And that protection is found within His sanctifying Word that is designed to ‘instruct’ us in the doctrine which is according to godliness. And as we can see in the verses above, it is possible for the Saints to be ensnared by the devil, and it is also possible that the Saints can recover themselves out of the snare of the devil as well. And being ensnared by the devil is done by those in Christ who are walking at “enmity” against the will and Word of God. And we see that this is the case based upon what verses 25 and 26 says that it is by the acknowledging of the truth that the Saints could recover themselves out of the snare of the devil. But the underlining factor is that they are in his snare based upon the fact that they are taken captive by him at his will. And notice, it is by his will that the Saints are taking captive, what this means is that even though the Saints have free will, they are walking according to the will of Satan and not the will of God.

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 

Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 

Moreover, The Saints that oppose themselves are Satan’s ‘willing captive,’ Being in Satan’s snare is a walk that caters to their flesh, and their hearts desires, and it is a walk whereby the Saints will make provision for their flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. These are Saints that mind the flesh, they are carnally minded, and as the verses above clearly say, they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Our Father looks upon this type of life as being caught in the snare of the devil, but not just that, that they are opposing themselves. Our Father looks upon this “walk after the flesh” as a danger to the sanctified life of the Saint, and whether the Saints who walk after the flesh feel that this is the case or not, our Father views this type of walk as “death” in His sight, and it is “enmity” against Him, and it in no way can please Him at all. And being taken captive by Satan means that their Christian life will be under the power of Satan and not the power of God if they continue to walk with the table of devils, and not acknowledging of the truth, and out from among them and be separate.

1Co 10:21  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. 

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 

2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 

Furthermore, it is vital to the Spiritual “life” of the Saints to “walk” according to “the doctrine which is according to godliness.” Many Saints would argue that is exactly what they do, and how they live their lives in Christ. But if the Saint is not “led by” the Living Word of the Living God ALONE, then he could be walking his life after the traditions of men, and not by the Word of God. And Our father sees the Spiritual life of the Saints as the ‘All in all’ after the Saint has become saved, the Saint is considered taken captive by the devil and considered to be caught in a snare of the adversary. And it is vital that we understand how God desires the Saints edification by him and by his word because he knows that if we are not being educated by him and by his word, we are going to be educated by this world and the power of the air. And as the verses above show, God desires to receive us as sons and daughters, but he also desires that we come out from among this evil world, and that we separate ourselves, and this sanctifying is done by his word alone. And so, when Paul says, “if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth,” this means that if the Saint desires to seek the truth according to godliness, our Father has provided this truth for us in His Word, and now the Saint needs to have “repentance to the acknowledging of” our Father’s truth, instead of “opposing himself” and walking as a willing captive unto Satan.

Rod Jones