source
Scripture verse
And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
2 Timothy 2:26 (KJV)
In the first few verses of the third chapter of Zechariah, the prophet gives an account of a vision he had. In this vision he saw Joshua, the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD. However, satan was on the right hand of Joshua, ready to bring a cause against him (Zechariah 3:1). But why will the devil have such guts?
The third verse reveals the answer. Joshua had filthy garments on, and so the LORD commanded that his garments be changed. From then on, satan was not mentioned in that narrative.
Sin has consequences, one of which is that it gives the devil a point of entrance into our lives to destroy us. His strategy is to first of all entice us and enslave us to sin. Thereafter, everything that happens- disease, poverty, misfortune, etc. - will only be natural consequences of sin.
But there is a solution that can nib this vicious cycle in the bud. Holiness is the way to prevent this. The Bible sometimes uses garments to represent our holiness. Devil thought he could bring an accusation against Joshua because he had filthy garments. When the garments were changed, he was not mentioned again. Holiness clears us of every fault and sets us apart.
In 2 Timothy 2:26, Apostle Paul teaches Timothy, and therefore us, that through holiness we can recover ourselves from the snare of the devil who takes us at his will (because of sin). The consequences of sin are dire and dreadful. We should therefore pursue holiness diligently in order to be free from them.
Hope we have learnt something new today
God bless us
