“and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:26 MEV).
A “snare” can be defined as “something that lures or entangles the unwary.” (1) Just as different methods may be used to snare a bird or small animal, the same may be true of “the snare of the devil” as well.
For instance, Paul the Apostle identified one type of snare earlier in 1 Timothy 6:9: “…those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” (ESV). Humanity’s spiritual enemy assuredly possesses many other types of snares as well.
This may explain why people sometimes engage in self-destructive acts. According to 2 Timothy 2:26, such individuals may have fallen into a snare of the devil and taken captive to do his will. One source captures this idea with the following observation: “…we see every day in the reprobate clear evidence of this tyrannical domination of Satan. For they would not rush with such fury and brutal violence into every kind of base and disgraceful crime if they were not driven to it by Satan’s secret power.” (2)
However, Jesus offered another perspective that we should consider in regard to this passage…
“…the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person” (Matthew 15:18-20).
Those characteristics provide a fertile environment for the devil to lay a trap or snare for the unwary. In the words of another commentator, “The only hope is that in the providence of God they ‘may recover’ themselves (the idea is, to ‘return to soberness’…), repent, and acknowledge the truth.” (3)
If we find we are exhibiting some of these negative qualities from Matthew 15:18-20, the right approach is to repent and prayerfully seek God’s help in overcoming them. The Biblical book of Philippians offers a word of encouragement for those who choose that path: “…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Finally, we should also remember another important passage from the book of Philippians:
“And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns” (Philippians 1:6 TLB).
(1) snare. (n.d.) American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. (2011). Retrieved July 19 2021 from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/snare
(2) John Calvin, The Crossway Classic Commentaries: 1, 2 Timothy and Titus, 145, quoted in Steven J. Lawson, Foundations of Grace © 2006 [pg. 448]
(3) B. W. Johnson, The People’s New Testament (Public Domain) [pg. 534]