The Bait of Satan: Living Free from the Deadly Trap of Offense

by John Bevere

The issue of offense—the very core of The Bait of Satan—is often the most difficult obstacle an individual must face and overcome.

The miracles had not inspired a cry for greater faith, or for the raising of the dead, or for a calmed sea; but the simple command to forgive those who have wronged you!

It is not a question of opportunity to be offended, but what your response will be.

“I was offended ten years ago by the leaders in this church. I became bitter and suspicious, constantly defending myself and my position.

ANYONE WHO HAS TRAPPED ANIMALS KNOWS A TRAP NEEDS ONE of two things to be successful. It must be hidden, in the hope that an animal will stumble upon it, and it must be baited to lure the animal into the trap’s deadly jaws. Satan, the enemy of our souls, incorporates both of these strategies as he lays out his most deceptive and deadly traps. They are both hidden and baited.

One of his most deceptive and insidious kinds of bait is something every Christian has encountered—offense.

Offended people produce much fruit, such as hurt, anger, outrage, jealousy, resentment, strife, bitterness, hatred, and envy. Some of the consequences of picking up an offense are insults, attacks, wounding, division, separation, broken relationships, betrayal, and backsliding.

Often those who are offended do not even realize they are trapped. They are oblivious to their condition because they are so focused on the wrong that was done to them. They are in denial. The most effective way for the enemy to blind us is to cause us to focus on ourselves.

Pride holds some people back from responding.

I refuse to be trapped when the enemy’s bait of offense tries to ensnare me in its grip by filling my heart with bitterness, jealousy, or envy (Luke 17:1).

Satan, you are the enemy of my soul, and I refuse to allow you to ensnare me in your hidden and baited trap of offense against my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I recognize Satan’s crafty attempt to disguise himself as a messenger of light in my life. I will allow the Word of God to divide rightly between good and evil, ensuring tha...

I will avoid division among my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ by filling my heart with Christlike...

I refuse to produce the fruit of hurt, anger, outrage, jealousy, resentment, strife, bitterness, hatred, and envy in my life. The power of God’s Spirit at work in my heart...

Holy Spirit, destroy every shred of pride in my life, and do not allow it to keep me from being healed, set f...

I am committed to helping unbelievers who have been blinded by the enemy to behold Jesus through our C...

Father, I want to continue to always grow into a more intimate relationship with You. Expose the areas of my life that hinder me from being Christlike, and cause my life to reflect the character of my precious Savior and Lord.

OUR RESPONSE TO AN OFFENSE DETERMINES OUR FUTURE.

It imprisons countless Christians, severs relationships, and widens the existing breaches between us. It is the trap of offense.

Many are unable to function properly in their calling because of the wounds and hurts that offenses have caused in their lives. They are handicapped and hindered from fulfilling their full potential.

You find the greatest hatred among people who were once close.

Only those you care about can hurt you. You expect more from them—after all, you’ve given more of yourself to them. The higher the expectations, the greater the fall.

Therefore we must be prepared and armed for offenses, because our response determines our future.

Offense is a tool of the devil to bring people into captivity.

And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare [entrapment] of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. —2 TIMOTHY 2:24–26, EMPHASIS ADDED

One way the enemy keeps a person in an offended state is to keep the offense hidden, cloaked with pride. Pride will keep you from admitting your true condition.

Pride keeps you from dealing with truth. It distorts your vision. You never change when you think everything is fine. Pride hardens your heart and dims the eyes of your understanding. It keeps you from the change of heart—repentance—that will set you free. (See 2 Timothy 2:24–26.)

Just because you were mistreated, you do not have permission to hold on to an offense. Two wrongs do not make a right!

Refined gold is soft and pliable, free from corrosion or other substances. It is when gold is mixed with other metals (copper, iron, nickel, and so on) that it becomes hard, less pliable, and more corrosive.

A pure heart is like pure gold—soft, tender, and pliable.

If we do not deal with an offense, it will produce more fruit of sin, such as bitterness, anger, and resentment. This added substance hardens our hearts just as alloys harden gold. This reduces or removes tenderness, creating a loss of sensitivity. We are hindered in our ability to hear God’s voice. Our accuracy to see is darkened. This is a perfect setting for deception.

The first step in refining gold is grinding it into a powder and mixing it with a substance called flux. Then the mixture is placed in a furnace and melted by intense heat. The alloys and impurities are drawn to the flux and rise to the surface. The gold (which is heavier) remains at the bottom. The impurities or dross (such a...

God refines with afflictions, trials, and tribulations, the heat of which separates impurities such as unforgiveness, strife, bitterness, anger, envy, and so forth from the character of God in our lives.

Sin easily hides where there is no heat of trials and afflictions. In times of prosperity and success, even a wicked man will seem kind and generous. Under the heat of trials, however, the impurities surface.

You will only repent when you stop blaming other people.

Don’t let pride keep you from seeing and repenting.

I will not allow a root of bitterness to spring up in my life, defiling me and causing me to fall short of the grace of God (Heb. 12:15).

keep me from hurt, deceit, and distortion because of darkened understanding and wrong conclusions about the intent of others to wrong me.

Reveal my heart’s true condition,

I want the character of God, which is much more precious than gold that perishes, to be visible in my life

I will not allow pride to hold back my willingness to forgive those who may hurt me. I do not have the right to hold on to my hurt.

Give me purity of heart and cause me to be soft, tender, and pliable to your instructions.

I recognize that You are refining me like gold through Your furnace of trials so that all the impurities of my heart will be melted and forced out of my life.