2 Timothy 2:24-26 - They may be sober again from the snare of the devil?

 Could 2 Timothy 2:24-26 indicate a need for deliverance for those who have been believers in the past?

2 Timothy 2:24: "And (a) slave (of the) Lord must not battle, but (must) be kind to everyone, skillful-at-teaching, forbearing,"

2 Timothy 2:25: "disciplining the (ones) opposing with gentleness, if perhaps God may-grant them repentance (leading) to (the) knowledge (of the) truth"

2 Timothy 2:26: "and THEY-MAY-BE-SOBER-AGAIN from the snare (of) the devil, having-been-caught by him, for the will (of) that (one)."

"They may be sober again"?

Paul wrote that "THEY-MAY-BE-SOBER-AGAIN from the snare (of) the devil, having-been-caught by him, for the will (of) that (one)" (2 Timothy 2:26).

The Greek word for "THEY-MAY-BE-SOBER-AGAIN" [ananéphó 366 in Greek, verb] in 2 Timothy 2:26 comes from "AGAIN" [ana 303 in Greek], and "TO-SOBER" [néphó 3525 in Greek]. This would indicate that someone would have first been SOBER in the past, then they became NOT SOBER, so that now they may be SOBER AGAIN.

2 chapters later Paul warned Timothy, writing: "THEY-WILL-TURN-AWAY the hearing from the truth and BE-TURNED-ASIDE to myths. BUT YOU, BE-SOBER [nēphe 3525 in Greek] in all (things)" (2 Timothy 4:4-5). Someone who may have been sober could turn away the hearing from the truth and be turned aside. Such a person could thus need to be SOBER AGAIN. 

In that context, Paul commanded Timothy, a believer who had a "sincere faith" (2 Timothy 1:5), to BE-SOBER [nēphe 3525 in Greek] in all (things)" (2 Timothy 4:5). Could it be that Paul did not want the same to happen to Timothy?

"From the snare of the devil"?

Paul wrote that "THEY-MAY-BE-SOBER-AGAIN FROM THE SNARE (OF) THE DEVIL, having-been-caught by him, for the will (of) that (one)" (2 Timothy 2:26).

Paul already wrote about the "SNARE (OF) THE DEVIL" (2 Timothy 2:26) in a previous epistle to Timothy, saying that "the overseer" (1 Timothy 3:2) "must also have (a) good testimony from the (ones) outside, in-order-that he-may not FALL INTO into reproach and (a) SNARE (OF) THE DEVIL" (1 Timothy 3:7). 

So here an "overseer" (1 Timothy 3:2), who would have been a believer, could "FALL INTO into reproach and (a) SNARE (OF) THE DEVIL" (1 Timothy 3:7). Thus someone who fell into "SNARE (OF) THE DEVIL" (2 Timothy 2:26) could also describe someone who would have believed in the past.

"Having-been-caught by him, to do the will of that one"?

Paul wrote that "THEY-MAY-BE-SOBER-AGAIN from the snare (of) THE DEVIL, HAVING-BEEN-CAUGHT BY HIM, FOR THE WILL (OF) THAT (ONE)" (2 Timothy 2:26).

It was written about Judas that "THE DEVIL already having-put into the heart (of) Judas, (son of) Simon Iscariot, that (he) should-hand Him over" (John 13:2). Here the will of the devil to hand Jesus over (so that Jesus can be murdered) would have been conceived in the heart of Judas. Later in the same chapter, it is written about "Judas" (John 13:26) that "at that time SATAN ENTERED into that (one)" (John 13:27). 

The term "SATAN" can be used interchangeably with the term "THE DEVIL". For example, in one account it is written: "He was in the wilderness forty days being-tempted by SATAN" (Mark 1:13) and in the parallel account from another author it is written: "Jesus was-led-up into the wilderness by the Spirit to-be-tempted by THE DEVIL" (Matthew 4:1). 

Judas here would have been caught by the devil to do his will, which was to hand over Jesus so that Jesus could be murdered. This did not happen unconditionally as Judas may have remained evil willingly and knowingly for quite some time before this happened. 

For more information:

What may cause a demon to be able to enter someone?
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In the case of Judas, falling into "the snare (of) THE DEVIL, HAVING-BEEN-CAUGHT BY HIM, FOR THE WILL (OF) THAT (ONE)" (2 Timothy 2:26) could describe when Satan entered him. Thus this description by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:26 could also describe someone who may need deliverance. 

"Repentance"?

Paul wrote that "God may-grant them REPENTANCE (leading) to (the) knowledge (of the) truth and THEY-MAY-BE-SOBER-AGAIN from the snare (of) the devil, having-been-caught by him, for the will (of) that (one)" (2 Timothy 2:26).

The fact that they may need to first be granted "REPENTANCE" could be compatible with what may be expected from someone having the need for a demon to be cast out. Indeed, REPENTANCE may be expected from someone having a need for a demon to be cast out.

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Repentance may be expected from someone asking for a demon to be cast out:
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"Leading to the knowledge of the truth"?

Paul wrote that "God may-grant them repentance (LEADING) TO (THE) KNOWLEDGE (OF THE) TRUTH and THEY-MAY-BE-SOBER-AGAIN from the snare (of) the devil, having-been-caught by him, for the will (of) that (one)" (2 Timothy 2:26).

It is written that "Jesus was-saying to the Jews HAVING-BELIEVED Him, “If you remain in My word, you-are truly My disciples, and YOU-WILL-KNOW THE TRUTH" (John 8:31-32). Here some Jews already believed Jesus in the past, and yet they would need to meet some condition to have "(THE) KNOWLEDGE (OF THE) TRUTH" (2 Timothy 2:26).

Later in that same chapter in John 8, Jesus saw that these people were doing the will of the devil, as He said: "now you-are-seeking TO-KILL ME" (John 8:40), "You are of (your) father THE DEVIL. And you-are-wanting to-do THE DESIRES (of) your father. That (one) was (a) MURDERER from (the) beginning" (John 8:44). Here it could be described that those who believed Jesus in the past may still have been described as having fallen into "the snare (of) THE DEVIL, having-been-caught by him, for the WILL (of) that (one)" (2 Timothy 2:26), as they were seeking to kill Jesus. 

The same would have happened with "Judas" (John 13:26) who ended up in a situation in which "at that time SATAN ENTERED into that (one)" (John 13:27). 

Paul warned Timothy, writing: "THEY-WILL-TURN-AWAY the hearing FROM THE TRUTH and BE-TURNED-ASIDE to myths. BUT YOU, BE-SOBER [nēphe 3525 in Greek] in all (things)" (2 Timothy 4:4-5). In that context, Paul commanded Timothy, a believer who had a "sincere faith" (2 Timothy 1:5), to BE-SOBER [nēphe 3525 in Greek] in all (things)" (2 Timothy 4:5). Could it be that Paul did not want the same to happen to Timothy?

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