Albert Barnes Commentary 2 Corinthians 2:11

"that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices." — 2 Corinthians 2:11 (ASV)

Lest Satan. The devil. The name Satan denotes an adversary, an accuser, an enemy. It is the usual proper name given to the devil, the great adversary of God and man.

Should get an advantage of us. The literal translation of the Greek would be, "That we may not be defrauded by Satan," ina mh pleonekthywmen upo tou satana. The verb used here denotes to have more than another; then to gain, to take advantage of someone, to defraud. The idea is that they should at once readmit the penitent offender to their communion, lest, if they did not do it, Satan would take advantage of it to harm both him and them. This is a reason Paul gives for why they should lose no time in restoring him to the church.

Paul does not specify what advantage Satan might gain. It might be this: that under the pretense of duty and seeking the purity of the church, Satan would tempt them to harsh measures; to needless severity of discipline; to an unkind and unforgiving spirit; and thus, at the same time, injure the cause of religion and ruin him who had been the subject of discipline.

For we are not ignorant of his devices. We know his plans, his thoughts, his cunning, his skill. We are not ignorant of the great number of stratagems which he is constantly using to injure us and to destroy the souls of men. He is full of wiles; and Paul had had abundant occasion to be acquainted with the means which he had used to defeat his plans and to destroy the church.

The church, at all times, has been subjected to the influence of those wiles, as have individual Christians. And the church, therefore, as well as individual Christians, should be constantly on its guard against those snares. Even the best and purest efforts of the church are often perverted, as in the case of administering discipline, to the worst results; and by imprudence and lack of wisdom—by rashness or overheated zeal—by pretenses to great purity and love of truth—and by a harsh, severe, censorious spirit, Satan often takes advantage of the Church and advances his own dark and mischievous designs.