Refuse to get involved in inane discussions; they always end up in fights. God’s servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool, working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth, enabling them to escape the Devil’s trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands.
~ 2 Timothy 2:25 & 26 The Message Bible
There are several definitions for the word captive. In general it means a person or animal that is forcibly confined or restrained, especially somebody held prisoner. What’s interesting is that it also means somebody gripped by a strong emotion such as love or anger. Goodness. How many times have I allowed myself to get involved in the type of discussions and conversations that the Scripture above warns us about? Those type of conversations are not only draining, they are designed by the enemy to steal, kill and destroy. It will steal our joy, kill our patience and destroy relationships. Captive. You are now caught. Caught in the trap of an enemy who only desires to devour you.
Satan is a ruthless captor. Most of us visualize captives as being taken by force but that’s not always the case. Most times we open the door wide with our emotions and let the captor, with key and chains in hand right into the daily rhythm of our lives with no questions asked. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Take those strong emotions of anger and unforgiveness to the LORD. He promised “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36 KJV).
That means that we don’t have to stay a prisoner of the enemy’s war, under his power and kept in bondage.
We can let go and let the God of All Creation, the Ancient of Days and the Prince of Peace show us what freedom really means.
And we will never regret it.