Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Satan’s Bait
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Satan’s Bait
Satan’s Bait: The Trap of Offense
Offense is one of the enemy’s most effective traps. In The Bait of Satan, John Bevere explains how offense works like bait on a hook—designed to lure believers into anger, resentment, and unforgiveness.
Bait is something used to entice a fish into a trap. In the same way, the enemy uses real or perceived offenses to draw people into bitterness. When someone hurts us or we believe we have been wronged, it is easy to feel justified in holding onto those feelings. We may think, They shouldn’t have said that to me or I deserve to feel this way. But that mindset is exactly what keeps the trap closed.
When offense takes hold, it pulls us away from God’s purpose. Instead of walking in love, we begin focusing on our hurt and our rights. Bitterness can grow in the heart, disrupting peace and damaging relationships. The enemy’s goal is simple: if he can keep us offended, he can keep us distracted from God’s will.
Scripture warns about this danger. Psalm 91 speaks of deliverance from “the snare of the fowler”—a trap set by the enemy. Offense is one of those snares. When we hold onto it, our hearts can become hardened, just as Pharaoh’s heart hardened in the book of Exodus.
Offense also turns our focus inward. We become overly sensitive to what others say and do, placing our feelings above humility and spiritual growth. Instead of responding in love, we react emotionally and allow resentment to take root.
Jesus taught a different response. In Matthew 5:44, He calls believers to love their enemies, bless those who curse them, and pray for those who mistreat them. This response goes against human nature, but it protects our hearts from the trap of offense.
Ultimately, offense leads down a dangerous path. When resentment grows into hatred, it separates us from others and damages our relationship with God. First John 3:15 warns that hatred toward a brother is equivalent to murder in the heart.
The solution is simple but powerful: forgive quickly and walk in love. When we release offense, we refuse the enemy’s bait and remain free to live in the peace and purpose God has for us.
View all episodes
By Stan and Cynthia ShelbySatan’s Bait: The Trap of Offense
Offense is one of the enemy’s most effective traps. In The Bait of Satan, John Bevere explains how offense works like bait on a hook—designed to lure believers into anger, resentment, and unforgiveness.
Bait is something used to entice a fish into a trap. In the same way, the enemy uses real or perceived offenses to draw people into bitterness. When someone hurts us or we believe we have been wronged, it is easy to feel justified in holding onto those feelings. We may think, They shouldn’t have said that to me or I deserve to feel this way. But that mindset is exactly what keeps the trap closed.
When offense takes hold, it pulls us away from God’s purpose. Instead of walking in love, we begin focusing on our hurt and our rights. Bitterness can grow in the heart, disrupting peace and damaging relationships. The enemy’s goal is simple: if he can keep us offended, he can keep us distracted from God’s will.
Scripture warns about this danger. Psalm 91 speaks of deliverance from “the snare of the fowler”—a trap set by the enemy. Offense is one of those snares. When we hold onto it, our hearts can become hardened, just as Pharaoh’s heart hardened in the book of Exodus.
Offense also turns our focus inward. We become overly sensitive to what others say and do, placing our feelings above humility and spiritual growth. Instead of responding in love, we react emotionally and allow resentment to take root.
Jesus taught a different response. In Matthew 5:44, He calls believers to love their enemies, bless those who curse them, and pray for those who mistreat them. This response goes against human nature, but it protects our hearts from the trap of offense.
Ultimately, offense leads down a dangerous path. When resentment grows into hatred, it separates us from others and damages our relationship with God. First John 3:15 warns that hatred toward a brother is equivalent to murder in the heart.
The solution is simple but powerful: forgive quickly and walk in love. When we release offense, we refuse the enemy’s bait and remain free to live in the peace and purpose God has for us.