“And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will” (2Tim 2:26).
Imagine a human zoo. A place where people who have been captured are kept alive. If that’s not bad enough, they happily do everything they’re told by their captor. The reason they are compliant is because they are under the influence. Roofied. Dazed and confused. If there was just some way to sober them up and they could escape.
Sounds like something Rod Serling cooked up for an episode of “The Twilight Zone”? Possibly. But I’ll bet you didn’t expect this to be a scene found in the Bible. That’s exactly the picture Paul paints in his second letter to his protege Timothy.
The apostle desperately wants the young pastor to treat any apparent opposition very gently. They’re not so much enemies but prisoners of THE Enemy. Handle them with care “and they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will” (v26).
They’re so wasted they don’t have a clue what’s really going on. Satan has slipped something in their drink and taken them alive. Paul insists we must not attempt to sober them up by pounding them with a ten-pound Bible. You can’t argue them into sobriety and salvation. It just won’t work. They’ve been roofied. They’re dazed and confused.
The apostle knows all about being taken alive as a prisoner. It’s his current reality. You can almost hear heavy chains rattle as he writes from Death Row in Caesar’s Supermax (2Tim 1:16; 2:9; 4:6-7). In this final letter of his life, Paul pleads with Tim to get his tail to Rome for one last visit before it’s too late (2Tim 4:9, 21). But more importantly, he furiously writes down his final instructions as he passes the torch of ministry to his spiritual son (2Tim 2:1-4:5).
Paul knows full well that a big part of any pastor’s time is devoted to dealing with problems caused by opponents. Specifically, problems caused by opponents WITHIN the church. Criticism from outside God’s kingdom is understandable. I get that. What drives me nuts are the attacks from folks we thought were wearing Team Jesus jerseys. But it turns out that many of them are nothing than false teachers who have weaseled their way inside to sabotage the Gospel of grace.
The apostle has dealt with this sort of nonsense before. It seems everywhere folks hear about Jesus, a team of spiritual hucksters is not far behind. They twist and contort Christ’s message into unbearable self-salvation of relentless rule-following. Paul fires off letter after letter to set churches straight. To the multisite church of Galatia. To his friends in Ephesus. To Christ followers in Colossae. To Timothy, not once but twice.
Here in verse 26, “they” are the same “opponents” we’re told to gently correct in verse 25. This is with hope that they will “come to their senses” (v26). This four words are actually just one (Gr. ανανηψω/ananespho) in the original language. And it’s the one and only time you’ll find it in Scripture. It’s a compound term which literally means “in the middle of (ανα-/ana-) sobriety (-νηψω/-nespho).”
Paul describes these folks as currently in the middle of a mind-bending buzz. They don’t realize it in their current altered state but they desperately need to snap out of it. They need to sober up. You’ve probably seen them walking around like mindless zombies totally zoned out to the world around them. No, they’re not playing Pokemon Go. It’s even worse than that! They’re under the influence. A very evil influence.
Take one guess who’s behind this diabolical plan. And no, the answer isn’t found in the latest political attack ad. It’s not just any enemy. It’s THE Enemy. “The devil” (v26). We’re talking Satan himself. You may have heard of him. The satanic snake who duped our first parents (Gen 3:1-7). “The evil one” (Mt 13:38). “The great dragon” (Rev 12:9). “Prince of demons” (Mt 12:24; Lk 11:15). “Accuser of our brothers” (Rev 12:10). “Ruler of this world” (Jn 14:30; 16:11).
Yeah, THAT devil. He’s very real and a very real threat. But we tend to make two mistakes when it comes to Satan. On one hand, we see him as a stupid little man in red suit with horns and a pitchfork. More of a bad Halloween costume than evil personified. On the other hand, some of us give him WAY too much credit, as if he’s God’s evil twin. The dude may be dangerous, but he’s NOT equal to God. Not even close. That’s why the devil has to get permission from the Almighty before tormenting Job (Job 1:12).
The most important fact to remember about Satan is that may be threat but he’s already a loser. We’re talking one with a capital L. God the Father called His Son’s head crushing shot back in Eden (Gen 3:15). Jesus personally stared the devil down in the desert (Mt 4:1-7; Mk 1:12-13; Lk 4:1-13). Christ made healing folks tormented by Satan a top priority during His earthly ministry (Lk 13:16; Acts 10:38). The Son of God punched both the devil and death in the face on the cross (Heb 2:14-15).
But that’s nothing compared to Jesus’ ultimate and inevitable victory on our behalf that’s the last game on the schedule (Rev 20:1-3; 7-10). It will be like the greatest homecoming beatdown in history. No mercy rule in this one. The Lion of Judah will run up the score big time. Good night. Game over. Drive home safely. Jesus defeats Satan so we don’t have to.
That’s why the apostle tells Tim that the evil one’s captives have a chance to “escape from the snare of the devil” (v26) if they wake up and smell the coffee. Paul uses the word “snare” (Gr. παγις/pagis) to clue us in on how captures his victims. The Greek term describes anything that catches and holds tightly, such as a trap, noose, or net. It’s a hidden or unseen danger which happens suddenly. A snare deploys in an instant and you never saw it coming. Ancient writers used it to describe the sneak attack of the Trojan Horse.
It should come as a shock to no one that Satan is a liar and trying to trick us into his trap. While Jesus’ mission was to give us an overflowing life of goodness and grace, the devil’s goal is death and destruction (Jn 10:10). Our enemy looks for ways to tempt us with shiny things we want instead of beautiful things we need. Satan doesn’t so much jump us from behind and kidnap us. We like what he dangles in front of us. We jump willingly.
Satan will even bait the hook with good stuff. He’ll lure us with family, children, career, comfort, and control. He’ll even use ministry, worthy causes, and even serving in the church. The devil knows that the good is the enemy of the best. He’ll use anything and everything to fool us from a relationship with Jesus. Remember the words of the legendary Admiral Ackbar. “It’s a trap!”
Once Satan gets his demonic mitts on you, he’ll do want he wants with you. Paul describes a grim scene: “after being captured by him to do his will” (v26). The apostle uses language here that paints the picture of prisoners being taken alive. “Captured” (Gr. ζωγρεω/zogreo) is like when a game fish or animal that’s caught and kept alive instead of killed. It’s a compound word that literally means “live (ζω-/zo-) hunting (-γρεω/-greo).”
That’s because our enemy knows that death has nothing to do with the graveyard. Real death is separation from God. Without Jesus, we’re the walking dead. That’s exactly how Paul describes us. Dead men walking, “following the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:1-2). Picture that scene in “The Matrix” when Neo comes to his senses. After yanking the cable out of the back of his noggin, he realizes people are being used as nothing more than batteries.
That was pretty much our predicament before Jesus came to our rescue. But there are more out there still under the influence and held in the devil’s human zoo. They need to set free. And that’s the mission God has given each and every one of Christ’s followers. We’re to do everything possible to help folks “come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil” (v26).
The great news about spreading God’s Good News is that He’s ultimately behind it all. His Holy Spirit is at work as well. While we can’t make anybody a believer, God can. Our role is simply to keep pointing people to Jesus (Mt 28:19-20). Spreading His Gospel. Sharing His love. We must never forget that our Savior died for every single person we see. But so many are dazed and confused. They need a wakeup call. An intervention of grace. I know I sure did.
Imagine a human zoo. A place where people who have been captured are kept alive. If that’s not bad enough, they happily do everything they’re told by their captor. The reason they are compliant is because they are under the influence. Roofied. Dazed and confused. If there was just some way to sober them up and they could escape.
Sounds like something Rod Serling cooked up for an episode of “The Twilight Zone”? Possibly. But I’ll bet you didn’t expect this to be a scene found in the Bible. That’s exactly the picture Paul paints in his second letter to his protege Timothy.
The apostle desperately wants the young pastor to treat any apparent opposition very gently. They’re not so much enemies but prisoners of THE Enemy. Handle them with care “and they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will” (v26).
They’re so wasted they don’t have a clue what’s really going on. Satan has slipped something in their drink and taken them alive. Paul insists we must not attempt to sober them up by pounding them with a ten-pound Bible. You can’t argue them into sobriety and salvation. It just won’t work. They’ve been roofied. They’re dazed and confused.
The apostle knows all about being taken alive as a prisoner. It’s his current reality. You can almost hear heavy chains rattle as he writes from Death Row in Caesar’s Supermax (2Tim 1:16; 2:9; 4:6-7). In this final letter of his life, Paul pleads with Tim to get his tail to Rome for one last visit before it’s too late (2Tim 4:9, 21). But more importantly, he furiously writes down his final instructions as he passes the torch of ministry to his spiritual son (2Tim 2:1-4:5).
Paul knows full well that a big part of any pastor’s time is devoted to dealing with problems caused by opponents. Specifically, problems caused by opponents WITHIN the church. Criticism from outside God’s kingdom is understandable. I get that. What drives me nuts are the attacks from folks we thought were wearing Team Jesus jerseys. But it turns out that many of them are nothing than false teachers who have weaseled their way inside to sabotage the Gospel of grace.
The apostle has dealt with this sort of nonsense before. It seems everywhere folks hear about Jesus, a team of spiritual hucksters is not far behind. They twist and contort Christ’s message into unbearable self-salvation of relentless rule-following. Paul fires off letter after letter to set churches straight. To the multisite church of Galatia. To his friends in Ephesus. To Christ followers in Colossae. To Timothy, not once but twice.
Here in verse 26, “they” are the same “opponents” we’re told to gently correct in verse 25. This is with hope that they will “come to their senses” (v26). This four words are actually just one (Gr. ανανηψω/ananespho) in the original language. And it’s the one and only time you’ll find it in Scripture. It’s a compound term which literally means “in the middle of (ανα-/ana-) sobriety (-νηψω/-nespho).”
Paul describes these folks as currently in the middle of a mind-bending buzz. They don’t realize it in their current altered state but they desperately need to snap out of it. They need to sober up. You’ve probably seen them walking around like mindless zombies totally zoned out to the world around them. No, they’re not playing Pokemon Go. It’s even worse than that! They’re under the influence. A very evil influence.
Take one guess who’s behind this diabolical plan. And no, the answer isn’t found in the latest political attack ad. It’s not just any enemy. It’s THE Enemy. “The devil” (v26). We’re talking Satan himself. You may have heard of him. The satanic snake who duped our first parents (Gen 3:1-7). “The evil one” (Mt 13:38). “The great dragon” (Rev 12:9). “Prince of demons” (Mt 12:24; Lk 11:15). “Accuser of our brothers” (Rev 12:10). “Ruler of this world” (Jn 14:30; 16:11).
Yeah, THAT devil. He’s very real and a very real threat. But we tend to make two mistakes when it comes to Satan. On one hand, we see him as a stupid little man in red suit with horns and a pitchfork. More of a bad Halloween costume than evil personified. On the other hand, some of us give him WAY too much credit, as if he’s God’s evil twin. The dude may be dangerous, but he’s NOT equal to God. Not even close. That’s why the devil has to get permission from the Almighty before tormenting Job (Job 1:12).
The most important fact to remember about Satan is that may be threat but he’s already a loser. We’re talking one with a capital L. God the Father called His Son’s head crushing shot back in Eden (Gen 3:15). Jesus personally stared the devil down in the desert (Mt 4:1-7; Mk 1:12-13; Lk 4:1-13). Christ made healing folks tormented by Satan a top priority during His earthly ministry (Lk 13:16; Acts 10:38). The Son of God punched both the devil and death in the face on the cross (Heb 2:14-15).
But that’s nothing compared to Jesus’ ultimate and inevitable victory on our behalf that’s the last game on the schedule (Rev 20:1-3; 7-10). It will be like the greatest homecoming beatdown in history. No mercy rule in this one. The Lion of Judah will run up the score big time. Good night. Game over. Drive home safely. Jesus defeats Satan so we don’t have to.
That’s why the apostle tells Tim that the evil one’s captives have a chance to “escape from the snare of the devil” (v26) if they wake up and smell the coffee. Paul uses the word “snare” (Gr. παγις/pagis) to clue us in on how captures his victims. The Greek term describes anything that catches and holds tightly, such as a trap, noose, or net. It’s a hidden or unseen danger which happens suddenly. A snare deploys in an instant and you never saw it coming. Ancient writers used it to describe the sneak attack of the Trojan Horse.
It should come as a shock to no one that Satan is a liar and trying to trick us into his trap. While Jesus’ mission was to give us an overflowing life of goodness and grace, the devil’s goal is death and destruction (Jn 10:10). Our enemy looks for ways to tempt us with shiny things we want instead of beautiful things we need. Satan doesn’t so much jump us from behind and kidnap us. We like what he dangles in front of us. We jump willingly.
Satan will even bait the hook with good stuff. He’ll lure us with family, children, career, comfort, and control. He’ll even use ministry, worthy causes, and even serving in the church. The devil knows that the good is the enemy of the best. He’ll use anything and everything to fool us from a relationship with Jesus. Remember the words of the legendary Admiral Ackbar. “It’s a trap!”
Once Satan gets his demonic mitts on you, he’ll do want he wants with you. Paul describes a grim scene: “after being captured by him to do his will” (v26). The apostle uses language here that paints the picture of prisoners being taken alive. “Captured” (Gr. ζωγρεω/zogreo) is like when a game fish or animal that’s caught and kept alive instead of killed. It’s a compound word that literally means “live (ζω-/zo-) hunting (-γρεω/-greo).”
That’s because our enemy knows that death has nothing to do with the graveyard. Real death is separation from God. Without Jesus, we’re the walking dead. That’s exactly how Paul describes us. Dead men walking, “following the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:1-2). Picture that scene in “The Matrix” when Neo comes to his senses. After yanking the cable out of the back of his noggin, he realizes people are being used as nothing more than batteries.
That was pretty much our predicament before Jesus came to our rescue. But there are more out there still under the influence and held in the devil’s human zoo. They need to set free. And that’s the mission God has given each and every one of Christ’s followers. We’re to do everything possible to help folks “come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil” (v26).
The great news about spreading God’s Good News is that He’s ultimately behind it all. His Holy Spirit is at work as well. While we can’t make anybody a believer, God can. Our role is simply to keep pointing people to Jesus (Mt 28:19-20). Spreading His Gospel. Sharing His love. We must never forget that our Savior died for every single person we see. But so many are dazed and confused. They need a wakeup call. An intervention of grace. I know I sure did.
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