Everyone in this world has a common enemy. I am, of course, referring to Satan, and if you are a Christian you should be extremely thankful that you have been delivered from his evil grasp. One way we can show our appreciation is by trying our best to help as many as we can to be set free from the devil.

How can we help those who are in sin? The action that must be taken is to teach them the gospel (Romans 1:16). If we are trying to help one become a Christian, we must teach them God’s plan of salvation (Acts 2:36-38). If we are trying to help a child of God who has fallen, we must encourage them to repent and ask God for forgiveness (Acts 8:22).

When trying to help God deliver the sinner, there is more involved than taking the proper action. We must make sure that we have the proper attitude. Here are four things we should always do when trying to save souls.

1. Remember that the devil is crafty.

We sometimes assume that those in sin were easy targets for Satan. That affects our attitude toward them when trying to help. That the devil has deceived the majority of those born into this world should tell us that he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. The Bible speaks of “the snare of the devil.” The word snare means, “a trap, trick, or stratagem.” When we are trying to help those in sin, especially when it is a brother in Christ, let us give them the benefit of the doubt. We do not know how hard they fought against sin before they finally gave in to it.

2. Hate the sin, not the sinner.

Paul once exhorted us to abhor what is evil (Romans 12:9). It is imperative, however, to make sure that it is sin that we abhor, not the sinner. The Bible commands us to love the sinner no matter what the sins are. There is some sin that is especially abhorrent to God. Homosexuality, for example, is referred to in the Bible as being “exceedingly grave” (Genesis 18:20), “gross immorality,” (Jude 1:7), and “shameless acts” (Romans 1:27); nevertheless, God loves every homosexual and so must we.

3. Be gentle.

Our goal is to save people. We can do that much better if people see that we have genuine compassion for them. Paul said, “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:22-26).

4. Consider Ourselves.

Any of us can be overtaken by sin. All it takes is putting our guard down for a moment. This is why Paul instructs us to keep watch on ourselves when we are trying to restore someone who has been overtaken by sin. It helps us to have the right attitude when trying to help those who are in sin when we remember that, but for the grace of God, we could be the one overtaken.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.