“Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:25-26)
Paul is writing to Pastor Timothy about a big issue in churches that we don’t usually talk about. The Bible teaches that pastors are meant to be spiritual authorities in the lives of people in their churches. Pastors are not just advisors who explain God’s Word. They are meant to be respected and obeyed as leaders.
Here’s the interesting part for the rest of us: Paul says that when we rebel against the authority and teaching of our spiritual leaders—which can potentially harm our churches—that we’ve fallen into one of the devil’s traps and we’re stuck. Captive. Doing the will of Satan.
How do we escape? Hopefully, our pastors and spiritual leaders will gently show us the truth and pray for us. Then we must repent (give up our stubborn position), believe the truth instead of the lie that we must have it our way, and wake up.
Think: Can you think of any way in which you are living in rebellion against one of the spiritual authorities God has placed in your life—or against that person’s teaching of God’s Word? What harm can that do to others in your church?
Pray: Ask God to help you to be aware if you are in any way opposing the authority or biblical teaching of one of the spiritual leaders he’s put in your life. Ask him to help you to believe the truth in those relationships and to never serve the devil’s purposes without realizing it.
Do: Think about asking your pastor or another spiritual leader in your life what they think about these verses.