“Outwitting Satan Through Forgiveness”  	
II Corinthians 2:10‑11
Dr. D. L. Lowrie

Every Christian has an enemy. His personal name is Satan. The name gives an indication of his character for it means "adversary." He began as the adversary of God, and thus is the adversary of any who identify themselves with God or seek to worship God. One cannot accept the authority of the Scriptures without affirming the reality of this evil personality and enemy.

This enemy is deceptive and scheming. He is always seeking the advantage in the life of a Christian or in the life of a church. If we are not careful, he will outwit us and gain the advantage. Paul recognized a potential victory for the enemy in the situation in the Corinthian church. He knew it was already‑made situation for the adversary. The church had a fallen, but repentant brother on their hands. In the church, there was a divided opinion as to what the proper course of action might be. This is the background of this warning of Paul.

Paul assumes something about the Corinthians that may not be a safe assumption with us. He assured them that they were not ignorant of his schemes and purposes. Unfortunately, many modern Christians are not very knowledgeable about his schemes. The failure to be careful students of the Scriptures and to be careful observers of what happens about them has resulted in a spiritual ignorance of some important matters. I want us to explore this situation before us in the text so that we might be successful in outwitting the Adversary.

The point of the Apostle in our text is that when we practice Christian forgiveness; we outwit the devil, we keep the advantage over him. We disarm him in the life of the person we forgive, in our own lives and in the life of the congregation. Let us consider these three aspects separately.

I.  FORGIVENESS OUTWITS THE DEVIL IN THE LIFE OF THE BROTHER
Paul knew what every discerning and maturing Christian discovers. The Adversary always attempts to take advantage of a failure in the life of a Christian. He knows that any moral or spiritual failure really places the life of the Christian in a new kind of vulnerability. If we will practice Christian forgiveness, we can offset some of his opportunity.

Let me remind you that the Adversary is known as the accuser of the brethren. He is always looking for any opportunely to bombard the life of a Christian with accusations. Whenever he finds a Christian who has fallen and then turned to the Lord for forgiveness in repentance, he will try to take advantage of the situation. He will come to the contrite sinner in two ways. First, he will tell him that his transgression is so great that the Lord God can never forgive it. Can you not imagine what he might have said to this poor man there in Corinth? The man had lived in open immorality for a while. Satan would probably quote to him some passages from the Bible. He would remind the man that God's attitude toward immorality has always demanded death. Why should he think that God would ever forgive him for such a shameful sin? If you have ever known the experience of falling into sin, then you have probably heard this accusing voice. He will try to rob you of any. sense of divine forgiveness and load you down with  unbearable weight of guilt.

Secondly, he will also accuse God to you. Satan will take advantage of such a situation to make dark accusations against the character of God. Billy Bray, the Cornish miner turned preacher, told of such a confrontation with the Adversary. His crop of potatoes had turned out poorly. As he was digging them in the Fall, Satan was at his elbow and said, "There, Billy, isn't that poor pay for serving your Father the way you have all the year? Just see those small potatoes:' He stopped his hoeing and replied, "Ah, Satan is at it again, talking against my Father; bless His name. Why, when I served you, I didn't get any potatoes at all. What are you talking against my Father for?" You can depend on the Adversary being the accuser of the brethern.

But when we forgive, we frustrate his attempts to accuse the brother. When we affirm and receive him in love, it aids him in knowing that God has forgiven him. When we affirm and receive him in love, it makes it easier for him to trust in the love and goodness of God. There is no substitute for an atmosphere of love when you are having to face the adversary. But unforgiveness leaves the repentant brother vulnerable and unprotected. For his sake, we need to extend full, loving forgiveness to him.

II.  FORGIVENESS OUTWITS THE DEVIL IN THE LIFE OF THE CONGREGATION
Evidently the situation in the background of this passage had been another cause of dissention in the Corinthian church. This church had really had a hard time maintaining unity. One of the schemes of the devil is to attempt to divide the people of Cod. He is the sower of discord among the brethren.

Unforgiveness on the part of the Corinthian church toward this brother would play right into the hand of the adversary. He would be able to exploit this situation to the fullest. He would use it to further divide the church. He knows that a divided church is a powerless and ineffective church.

This prompts me to say a word about our responsibility to help maintain the unity of the church. I am reminded that the wise man listed the fellow who sows discord among the brethren as one of those that God hates. Whenever you by your words or deeds help create division in the body of Christ, you are aiding Satan himself in his evil work. Whenever you do that which brings harmony to the fellowship of the people of God, you are working along with the Lord God. He is the God of peace.

Me application of this text is rather obvious. If the church will be prompt in extending forgiveness, be prompt in following the Lord's way of dealing with this kind of situation, they will outwit the devil. We will take away from him the advantage that such a transgression may have momentarily given to him. Christian forgiveness is always the best source of action for the church.

III. THE FORGIVENESS OUTWITS THE DEVIL IN THE LIFE OF TEE INDIVIDUAL
A refusal to extend forgiveness to one who is seeking it is a most serious matter. it really opens the life up to Satanic influence in a special way.

There is an allusion to this in the Ephesian letter. After warning us not to allow the sun to go down on our wrath and to be careful that we do not sin in our anger, Paul adds, "Neither give place to the devil." The New International helpfully translates it, “and do not give the devil a foothold." Paul knew the schemes of the devil. Paul knew that he will discourage being forgiving and will encourage pride, arrogance and hardheartedness toward the fallen brother. He also knew that if we maintain anger, bitterness or unforgiveness in our hearts, we are offering to the adversary a foothold.

Do you have a hard time forgiving? It could be that you have been listening more to the voice of the Adversary than the voice of the Lord God. Just remember that any voice that is emphasizing the seriousness of the brother's failure is more likely to be the voice of the devil than the voice of the Lord. Especially if the voice suggests that the person is beyond hope and has forever forfeited their claim on your love and acceptance If the voice calling attention to their sin prompts you to prayer and redemptive action, then it is probably the voice of the Lord God. To whom have you been listening?

There is a spiritual truth here that we must never forget. If you maintain unforgiveness in your heart toward any brother, regardless of what he has done, you are vulnerable to Satanic influence. You have extended to him an invitation to wreck havoc with your spiritual life. He has gotten you into a position in which you cannot pray. The Lord has clearly taught us that we cannot pray if we have not forgiven those who sin against us. Satan will continue to culture that spirit of unforgiveness until it will become a virtual cancer in your emotional life. What cancer is to the physical body, unforgiveness is to the spiritual realm.

As a pastoral counselor, I have dealt with so many emotional causalities at this point. They have suffered some wrong in life. They have cultivated in them bitterness and resentment. They have maintained unforgiveness as an attitude of life. This thing has just kept growing in their lives until it finally consumes them. They end up emotional wrecks. But when you trace it back to its root, it goes back to an experience of unforgiveness.

The point of the Apostle is that if we are quick to extend mercy, we rob Satan of this advantage. We‑will outwit him.

CONCLUSION
This is a sobering text. It surely warns us of the danger of unforgivenss. It encourages us to be like God, abundant in mercy and ready to forgive. We must remember that our God is the Father of the prodigal, the one who extends mercy and forgiveness even before the prodigal can ask for it. If we want to know the peace of God as individuals or as a congregation, we must be like our God at this point. We will walk in victory over the enemy if we walk in forgiveness.