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

by John Bevere

Jesus said, “It is impossible that no offenses should come” (Luke 17:1). It is not a question of opportunity to be offended, but what your response will be. It is an unfortunate fact that, not some, but many are offended and held captive.

Don’t forget he can disguise himself as a messenger of light. If we are not trained by the Word of God to divide rightly between good and evil, we won’t recognize his traps for what they are.

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.

Before the return of Christ, however, true believers will be united unlike anything in the past. I believe that today countless men and women will be released from this trap of offense. This will be one of the main links in seeing revival sweep this nation. Unbelievers will behold Jesus through our love of one another where they had been blinded to Him before.

OUR RESPONSE TO AN OFFENSE DETERMINES OUR FUTURE.

Many are unable to function properly in their calling because of the wounds and hurts that offenses have caused in their lives.

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.

The Bible is very clear that in the last days men will be “lovers of themselves” (2 Tim. 3:2). We expect this in unbelievers, but Paul was not referring to those outside the church. He was talking about those within it.

The Greek word for “offend” in Luke 17:1 comes from the word skand-alon. This word originally referred to the part of the trap to which the bait was attached. Hence the word signifies laying a trap in someone’s way.

Those who are in quarrels or opposition fall into a trap and are held prisoner to do the devil’s will. Even more alarming, they are unaware of their captivity!

No matter what the scenario is, we can divide all offended people into two major categories: (1) those who have been treated unjustly and (2) those who believe they have been treated unjustly. People in the second category believe with all their hearts that they have been wronged. Often their conclusions are drawn from inaccurate information. Or their information is accurate, but their conclusion is distorted. Either way, they hurt, and their understanding is darkened. They judge by assumption, appearance, and hearsay.

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.)

Pride causes you to view yourself as a victim. Your attitude becomes, “I was mistreated and misjudged; therefore, I am justified in my behavior.” Because you believe you are innocent and falsely accused, you hold back forgiveness. Though your true heart condition is hidden from you, it is not hidden from God. Just because you were mistreated, you do not have permission to hold on to an offense. Two wrongs do not make a right!

Immediately we see the parallel: A pure heart is like pure gold—soft, tender, and pliable. Hebrews 3:13 states that hearts are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin! 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.

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.

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

When the trials of life encompass me and the genuineness of my faith is tested with fire, I want the character of God, which is much more precious than gold that perishes, to be visible in my life (1 Pet. 1:6–7).

Holy Spirit, anoint my eyes with eye salve that I may see my true heart condition and be kept from deception through unforgiveness, anger, envy, and resentment (Rev. 3:18).

AN OFFENDED CHRISTIAN IS ONE WHO TAKES IN LIFE BUT, BECAUSE OF FEAR, CANNOT RELEASE IT.

You need to realize that when you sow the love of God, you will reap the love of God. You need to develop faith in this spiritual law—even though you may not harvest it from the field in which you sowed, or as quickly as you would like.

I realized that the love I was giving was being sown to the Spirit, and eventually I would reap those seeds of love. I didn’t know from where, but I knew the harvest would come. No longer did I see it as a failure when love wasn’t returned from the person I was giving it to. It freed me to love that person even more!

But if I have no expectations about someone, anything given is a blessing and not something owed. We set ourselves up for offense when we require certain behaviors from those with whom we have relationships. The more we expect, the greater the potential offense.

The focus of offended Christians is inward and introspective. We guard our rights and personal relationships carefully. Our energy is consumed with making sure no future injuries will occur. If we don’t risk being hurt, we cannot give unconditional love. Unconditional love gives others the right to hurt us.

So an offended Christian is one who takes in life but, because of fear, cannot release life. As a result, even the life that does come in becomes stagnant within the wall or prison of offense.

When we filter everything through past hurts, rejections, and experiences, we find it impossible to believe God. We cannot believe He means what He says. We doubt His goodness and faithfulness since we judge Him by the standards set by man in our lives. But God is not a man!

A minister or a Christian is what he lives, not what he preaches.

How will they deny its power? They deny that Christianity can change them from being unforgiving to forgiving. They will boast of being followers of Jesus and proclaim their “new birth” experience, but what they boast of has not been allowed to pierce their hearts and bring forth the character of Christ.

It doesn’t matter how up-to-date you are in new revelations from the many seminars and Bible schools you’ve attended or how many books you’ve read or even how many hours you pray and study. If you are offended and in unforgiveness and refuse to repent of this sin, you have not come to the knowledge of the truth. You are deceived, and you confuse others with your hypocritical lifestyle. No matter what the revelation, your fruit tells a different story. You’ll become a spring spewing out bitter waters that will bring deception, not truth.

Our love is cold, which results in our still seeking to protect ourselves. We can no longer confidently commit our care to God when we are trying to care for ourselves.

God’s love in my life will not be conditioned upon the performance or response of others. With the Holy Spirit’s help, I will love those who mistreat or reject me.

I will sow the love of God so that I may reap the love of God.

Through God’s power I tear down any walls I have constructed to safeguard and protect my heart from wounds. I pull down every stronghold that seeks to exalt itself against God’s Spirit at work, and I bring every thought into captivity that I may fully obey Christ and reflect His character (2 Cor. 10:4–5).

I will not filter my life through past hurts, rejections, or experiences. I will never doubt the goodness and faithfulness of my God, nor will I judge Him by the standards set by man.

Absolutely no man, woman, child, or devil can ever get you out of the will of God! No one but God holds your destiny.

Who sent Joseph? His brothers or God? Out of the mouth of two witnesses we see that it was God who sent him. Joseph said plainly to his brothers, “It was not you who sent me.” Hear what the Spirit is saying!

As already stated, no mortal man or devil can supersede the plan of God for your life. If you lay hold of this truth, it will set you free. But there is only one person who can get you out of the will of God, and that is you!

Many people have been serving the Lord fervently and have come into difficult life situations because of being mistreated by either wicked men or carnal Christians. The truth is that they have been treated unjustly. But to become offended would only fulfill the enemy’s purpose of getting them out of the will of God. If you stay free from offense you will stay in God’s will. If you become offended you will be taken captive by the enemy to fulfill his own purpose and will. Take your pick. It is much more beneficial to stay free from offense.

I will use this period of spiritual training in my life to focus on the greatness of my God instead of the impossibility of my circumstances.

Holy Spirit, fill me with Your power and keep me from placing the blame for my troubles on my loved ones or the other people in my life.

There is no man, woman, child, or devil that can ever get me out of the will of God! No one but God holds my destiny.

No mortal man or devil can supersede the plan of God for my life.

When I am treated unjustly by others, I refuse to become offended and thereby fulfil Satan’s purpose to move me out of God’s will.

Nothing can come against me without Your knowledg...

Notice that God, not the devil, placed David under the care of Saul. Why would God not only allow this but also plan it? Why was favor dangled before David’s eyes only to have it abruptly taken away? This was a prime opportunity for David to be offended—not only with Saul but also with God. All the unanswered questions increased the temptation to question God’s wisdom and plan.

Our nation lost its fathers (dads, leaders, or ministers) in the 1940s and 1950s, and today our condition is getting worse. Not unlike Saul, many leaders in our homes, corporations, and churches are more concerned with their goals than with their offspring.

Because of this attitude, these leaders view God’s people as resources to serve their vision instead of seeing the vision as the vehicle to serve the people.

How many leaders have cut off men under them because of suspicion? Why are those leaders suspicious? Because they are not serving God. They are serving a vision. Like Saul, they are insecure in their calling, and that breeds jealousy and pride. They recognize qualities in people that they know are godly, and they are willing to use those people as long as it benefits them. Saul enjoyed the success of David until he saw it as a threat to him. He then demoted David and watched for a reason to destroy him.

I have talked with countless young men and women who cried out for accountability. They wanted to be submitted to a leader who would disciple them. They felt isolated and alone. They were seeking someone to father them. But God allowed them to go through rejection because God wanted to do in them what He had done in David. Listen carefully to what the Spirit is saying.