Defeating Satan
Good Morning,
Most of us have personal areas that we acknowledge are bad, and other areas we simply tolerate that may not be so good when observed closely. We all have that one area we excuse, yet we accuse another severely for his flaws.
Most people would consider adultery as “bad," and of course, God does too. Such was the story in 1 Corinthians 5; a man, who was living in adultery, attended church without shame and was "puffed up" about it. Paul urged the people not to fellowship with him or eat with him, and to do so with the purpose of making him ashamed. (Separation is not mean, it is biblical.)
The story is in 1 Corinthians:
I Corinthians 5:9 “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:”
vs. 10 “Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.”
vs. 11 “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”
We are forced to deal with the unsaved world and their mess, but we need not fellowship with the saved in their shame, "no not to eat" is the admonition in verse 11.
Paul concludes the instruction:
vs. 13 “...Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”
The church accepted the instruction of Paul, and the heart of the man broke. The next question was, "What do we do now?"
In the following book, 2 Corinthians 2 tells the end of the story and is summarized by one word, "forgive."
Paul reminds them of his writing:
2 Corinthians 2:4 “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears;”
Paul assured them that the separation was for a purpose — to bring the man to repentance, not to avoid him and hate him for life.
vs. 6 “Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.”
We will be called judgmental, critical, and mean-spirited. We will be accused of acting as if we felt we are "holier than thou" and much more; but the issue is not me or my feelings, the focus is placed on God's church. The church was purchased by His Son's blood, and He wants the folks in His church to be clean. Broken fellowship is God's plan for drawing people back into close and pure fellowship. Separation is the tool God uses because He loves those who have strayed from Him, and He wants them back. Keeping them in close fellowship when they are unrepentant is not loving, but shameful.
Back to Paul's writing in 2 Corinthians 2, we find that the man was broken and needed to receive forgiveness:
vs. 7 “So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.”
This is the point at which we fail:
Yes, we ought to separate from those who are boastful and unrepentant of their sin, but once they repent, they need to be brought back into fellowship.
vs. 8 “Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.”
vs. 9 “For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.”
Paul spoke of the people being obedient in "all things,” meaning the forgiveness as well as the separation. We may be good at removing fellowship from a wayward believer, but are we as good at bringing them back into fellowship? That is obedience too!
Paul said in verse 8, "...confirm your love toward him."
Make it very clear that he is loved and that he belongs.
Satan gets an advantage if we do not forgive the broken sinner:
vs. 11 “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
When one is proud, boastful, and unrepentant about his sin, this progression should take place:
1. Separate from them.
2. They lose friends and companions, and yes, this may seem unkind, but it is biblical.
3. They repent with a broken heart.
4. We forgive and offer comfort (vs. 7).
5. We confirm our love for them (vs. 8).
If we do not....Satan gets the advantage.
When we hold a believer away at arms length after he has gotten right, Satan wins. To forgive, comfort, and love is the way to beat the devil. The broken person should not be the object of gossip, or be accused of false repentance. Love and comfort should be freely offered to him.
May we be obedient in all things. (2 Corinthians 2:9)
Pastor