Sermon Central
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Deliverance From Snares, Traps And Evil Networks Of Life
Contributed by Bode Ayodele on Sep 5, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: Satan on daily basis is seeking to trap and snare God’s children. Many relationships, business ventures and decisions taken end up being cleverly covered snares. Unfortunately, most people realise this too late and even when they do, they do not know how
By Bode Ayodele
The bible admonishes us not to be ignorant of the devices of the Devil:
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. (2Co 2:11)
Unfortunately, this is not the case as many Christians have ended up falling into trouble as a result of one device or the other of the enemy.
In this article we want to look at the various ways the enemy seeks to ensnare God’s children. We will also list out steps one needs to take towards ensuring not ending up a victim.
Let us first examine certain devices outlined in the bible that relate subject: ‘Trap’- this is a device set to catch a victim without the latter’s prior knowledge or consent. A ‘snare’, on the other hand refers to the act of luring one into a trap. There are times however in the bible when the two words are used interchangeably.
‘Fowler’, an obsolete word, refers to the person who sets the trap and seeks to ensnare victims. Modern bible translations rightly replace this word with ‘hunter.’ A ‘net’ on the other hand, like a trap, is a device used to catch victims.
So far we have gathered that from the bible perspective devices used by Satan include ‘snares’, ‘traps’, ‘fowlers’ and evil ‘nets’.
The main objective of the fowler (in this case Satan or anyone he seeks to use directly or remotely) is to lure or ensnare one into a trap. Let us look at the various means through which a man can be snared:
HOW A MAN CAN BE ENSNARED
1) By the words of ones mouth
A lot of people have ended up in trouble as a result of what they have said. Many people have revealed secrets of their lives and destinies to their enemies through unnecessary conversations. Others have unconsciously re-programmed their lives into trouble through negative confessions. Remember, the case of the Israelite elders? They got exactly what they confessed:
Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
At the end of the day they did die in the wilderness but not until God demonstrated His power to take them to the Promised Land. They died at the border.
Getting people to stumble through saying what they should not say has been a major pastime of Satan. The book of Isaiah states:
That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
Another translation of the same verse states:
Those who make people sin with words, those who lay traps for judges, those who, without any reason, deny justice to people who are in the right.
This reveals that there is a deliberate attempt by the kingdom of darkness to ensnare us by the words of our mouth. No wonder the bible states in James that a man should be swift to hear and slow to speak:
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to hear, slow to wrath. (James 1:19)
The book of proverbs has a lot to say about the subject. Proverbs 18:7 states:
A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. (Proverbs 18:7)
An example of a man who put himself in trouble as a result of the word of his mouth was King Ahab.
In his encounter with King Benhadad of Syria although God gave Ahab the victory in battle, he still lost as result of what he said. Let us look at how the bible records the incident:
(31) And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.
(32) So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, is he yet alive? he is my brother.
(33) Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Benhadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Benhadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.
(34) And Benhadad said unto him, the cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.
