1 Corinthians 5:5 reads, “Hand that man over to Satan.”
Satan’s attack can be a wake-up call. Do you know that when you refuse to acknowledge your sin and repent of it, the wall of protection around you is breached and Satan is free to come in and attack you? Paul writes to the Corinthian church: “I have heard terrible things about some of you. In fact, you are behaving worse than the Gentiles. A man is even sleeping with his own stepmother. You are proud, when you ought to feel bad enough to chase away anyone who acts like that” (1 Corinthians 5:1-2).
Then Paul instructs the leaders of the church, “You must then hand that man over to Satan. His body will be destroyed, but his spirit will be saved when the Lord Jesus returns.” Later the man repented of his sin and Paul said he should be restored to fellowship in the church. So what Paul was saying, in essence, was: “Let him be driven to despair that he might be driven back into the arms of God.”
Again Paul writes: “Some people have made a mess of their faith because they didn’t listen to their consciences. Two of them are Hymenaeus and Alexander. I have given these men over to the power of Satan, so that they will learn not to oppose God” (1 Timothy 1:19-20).
Does God enjoy seeing us suffer? No more than a parent enjoys disciplining a child. But holy love makes tough choices. (Remember, discipline should result in mercy, not misery.) Some of us are awakened by a tap on the shoulder, while others need a two-by-four on the head. And whenever God needs a two-by-four, Satan gets the call.
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