The Devil’s Trap

 Karen Pourbabaee

“…so that he may not fall into disgrace, the devil’s trap.” 1 Timothy 3:7 NAB

A fall into disgrace brings embarrassment, humiliation, scandal, shame, and loss of reputation. 

Exactly where the evil one wants you. 

Down and out. Depressed. Disabled for duty in His kingdom. 

Disgrace is the devil’s trap. 

Grace is God’s rescue. It’s always available. 

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything you may have an abundance for every good deed.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Turning to God’s provision of grace gives us hope, comfort, and strength. (2 Thessalonians 2:16) 

It’s part of His mercy in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) 

And by God’s grace we may stand (Romans 5:2) and not tumble into the devil’s trap.

 
Let’s unpack this worrisome word, disgrace. 

Did you know that Dis as a noun is the roman god of the underworld? Interesting. 

The prefix dis means to do the opposite of, exclude from, or absence of. Falling into disgrace is always a choice we make. 

We are doing the opposite of God’s choice for us, which is grace. 

We have descended into a spiritual state where we can be “excluded from” grace, from the divine favor and blessings of God, temporarily. 

By choice, we can refuse the grace offered by the Lord and find ourselves in an “absence” of grace, for the moment.

By choosing disgrace, rather than God’s grace, we place ourselves in the devil’s trap. 

Entrapped by him, we’re so easily led deeper into his godless world. 

But we are never without hope. 

One turn toward grace, one plea to God, immediately sets us free from this troublesome trap. 

Grace is God’s rescue plan.

 
Lord, keep me from the devious trap of disgrace. 

May I discern the moments of Your grace and choose rightly. Amen.

Contact Karen and read more HERE.