Forgiveness Defeats the Devil

When Jesus commanded us to forgive “seventy times seven” times, He was teaching the lessons of victory. Many think we ‘lose’ when we forgive someone for what they have done to us. When we refuse to forgive, we are not the winners.

Brethren, my joy is the joy of you all. For I wrote you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. But if any one has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure – not to put it too severely – to you all. For such a one this punishment by the majority is enough; so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, for he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. Any one whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, to keep Satan from gaining the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his designs. When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, a door was opened for me in the Lord; but my mind could not rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

2^nd Corinthians 2.3-15

In today’s reading from Saint Paul to the Corinthians, we are reminded of our communal responsibility for forgiveness. We are also reminded that we are at war with the devil. Holding grudges and refusing to forgive divides us from each other. We all lose when we are divided.

The devil gets his ‘name’ from his actions. Διάβολος is the ‘one who divides’ and he never gives up working against the Church and the followers of Christ. If we really want to score points in the war, then we will forgive each other and remain united.

Nothing defeats the devil more than when we remain united. This is the root of Saint Paul constant urgency in calling us to unity in mind and faith. We are already united in body and soul in our baptism, but a united body needs a united mind. We need each other to be saved.

The next time you consider ‘holding a grudge’ think of the victory you are handing to the devil. Think twice before you refuse to forgive each other. Think a third time before you walk away from each other. If you want to defeat the devil, the only way is through forgiveness.

God defeated the devil by forgiving us through His Cross, death and resurrection. The devil’s days are numbered. There is no reason to give him a victory he doesn’t deserve. Remember the words spoken at your baptism.

“Do you renounce Satan, and all his works, and all his worship, and all his angels, and all his pomp?” Then start forgiving and defeat him once and for all.