Today, I pray our eyes will be opened to see one of Satan’s most dastardly attempts to cause the church (that’s you and me) to be defeated, downcast, powerless, weak and separated from each other, bitter, unforgiving and destroyed. That is Satan’s ‘attempt’.

You may know Satan by other names like the devil or the enemy. Regardless of which title we give him, he is the one who never gives up on trying to destroy the Church.

BUT GOD, two powerful words. Yes, Satan is on the attack but I have read the last chapter in the book and we win in the end. More than just in the end, we can be overcomers today, more than conquerors the Bible says…

The Book of Romans 8 starts with no condemnation:

V1 ‘Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’…

it ends with no separation

V.37-39

^37 ‘No, in all these things we are more than victorious through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’

And no defeat in between.

More than conquerors (victorious): How is the Christian more than a conqueror? He/she overcomes with a greater power, the power of Jesus. They overcome with a greater motive, the glory of Jesus. They overcome with a greater victory, losing nothing even in the battle. They overcome with a greater love, conquering enemies with love and converting persecutors with patience.

If Satan is on the attack (and we are more than conquerors we need to be wised up and alert to the Devil’s tricks) what is one of, if not his most powerful weapons – It is offense.  We cannot neglect this subject. We need to deal directly with it.

Now what is offense? How does it work and what its results? Offense is at the very core of Satan’s Plot.

No one is exempt from being influenced by Offense.

We read in Luke 17:  Then he (Jesus) said to the disciples. “It is impossible that no offenses should come”.

 A few years ago I read a book called The Bait of Satan by John Bevere and for me, it was life-changing. One of the most challenging yet life-giving books full of truth and grace I have ever read.

The author explains early in the book what offense really is.

It is – the Bait of Satan.  Let me explain…

Offense [the Greek word is skandalon originally], ‘the name of the part of a trap to which the bait is attached, hence the trap or snare. Known as the bait-stick in a trap. It then came to mean any stumbling block placed in a person’s way to trip him up.

Today we are starting a journey of discovery. This title, the bait of Satan sounds a little scary but as we unpack the Word, I am confident you will understand this statement more and more.

Have you ever felt stuck, trapped; can’t seem to move forward in the sweet presence of the Lord?  Maybe you have taken the bait and you are trapped in Offense (skandalon). Offense is responsible for polluting the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Fruit comes by growth and dependence upon the Giver of Life. When you take offense, you might say our lives can give off a stench, an odour of rotting fruit. Let me explain.

EVERY ONE of them, the nine fruit of Spirit that can be infected by offense are:

Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance and faith. When Offense is in full swing, and we have taken Offense, literally taken the bait, all nine fruit of the Spirit can be bruised, battered and the flesh becomes unpalatable.

And (Offense) is often one of the most difficult obstacles for an individual to face and then overcome. The hard part is getting us to face it.

If we never face issues in our own lives, we will never be able to overcome them.

In Psalm 55:12-14

David laments:

Psalm 55:12 For [it was] not an enemy [that] reproached me; then I could have borne [it]; neither [was it] he that hated me[that] did magnify [himself] against me; then I would have hid myself from him.

Psalm 55:13 But [it was] you, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

Psalm 55:14 We took sweet counsel together, [and] walked unto the House of God in company.

The people who offend us most are likely sitting next to us; they are in our neighbourhood, on our jobs, in our churches, in our families, the ones we confide in and grew up with or sleep next to.

The closer the relationship, the more sever the offense.

The Bible says: In the last days, children will rise up against parents (Children in court divorcing their parents!) and parents against children. Pretty close relationships, and Satan is on the attack to break down the very backbone of our community, the family. We see it everywhere in the media, in the church, in the courts and in the schools.

Father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, brother against brother and so on. Our homes are meant to be places of peace, love and hope, security and joy, but often are often the very root cause of our pain.

The possibilities for offense are endless in relationships. No matter how simple or complex. But the possibilities for victory are even greater in relationships in Christ.

The truth remains: Those you care about, or expect more from, like close family members, close friends, partners, even the pastor or an elder, can really hurt you, cut deep into your heart and soul. You expect more from them but I must remind you, THE higher the Expectation, the greater the Fall! The more you trust, the more you are let down. Maybe.

The more you love, the more vulnerable you become.

Jesus said: ‘You shall know them by their fruit”.

Offended people produce fruit but not the life-giving fruit of the Spirit.

Anger, bitterness, hatred, unforgiveness gushes out of the offended ones.

They cut themselves off and isolate (themselves). Woe to him is alone (Ecclesiastes 4:9,10). Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour.

For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.

But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.

John 17:1 Jesus resumes his conversation with his disciples. And he asks, ‘How do offenses come?’

Offenses come from: Insults, attacks, division, separation, broken relationships, betrayal, backsliding, ‘misunderstandings’, selfishness, pride and the list goes on…

And produces: (Damaged fruit, fruit encased in Offense) Hurt, anger, outrage, jealousy, resentment, envy, strife, hatred and bitterness.

The real fact is that most people who are offended don’t even realize they are trapped.

They are so oblivious to their condition because they are so focused on the wrong that was done to them. They are in denial.

One of the great deceptions of Satan is not just to have people offend you, but for you to be offended. It’s a FOCUS on ourselves. Yes, the offender is often very much at fault and also needs to repent and to apologize but for peace to reign, the offended person needs to forgive for their sake and the sake of the offender and accept the apology.

I’m not minimising the sin, or the wrongs or the misunderstandings created by the Offender but the subject of the offender is for another day.

Today we are focussing on taking the offense.

Offense is a tool of the Devil to bring people into Total captivity. Do not be deceived…Offense and taking offense is very destructive.

2 Timothy 2:25-26 says: ‘that they come to their sense and escape from the snare (trap-skandalon- offense) of the Devil, having been held captive by him to do his will’.  Another translation says or have been ‘trapped.

Church,

When a person is deceived, he/she believes they are right even though they may not be. It’s a Trap!

No matter what scenario, we can divide all offended people into two major categories:

1. Those who have been treated unjustly
2. Those who BELIEVE they have been treated unjustly.

Now, saying that, Let’s define what offense does in us:

Offense is:
1. When you become angry, hurt or displeased at something said or done.

Let me repeat that in the words of Proverbs:

Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city and [their] contentions [are] like the bars of a castle.

Notice Proverbs said ‘a brother’. That close relationship again.

Why is it that most of us, when we were unsaved, allowed so many people to wrong us, hurt us and abuse and we didn’t seem to take offense?

But you come into the Church and can’t nobody say anything to you? We get offended.

Sad but nevertheless it is true.

So often, we have the cart before the horse in our actions and our beliefs…we think and act like “The Church and ministry is about us”.  It is not what you want or I want; it’s what God wants and what he determines. We can fall into this trap whether we are a lay person or a minister.

One way the enemy keeps a person in an offense is to keep it hidden with PRIDE.

Pride will keep you from admitting your true condition.

And that’s why some people leave. They try to preserve their situation and it’s very difficult to minister to them.

I heard of a minister who was severely hurt by a couple and people would say, “I can’t believe they did this to you and aren’t you hurt? He would quickly respond, “No. I’m fine. I’m not hurt and the give-away line, “I don’t really care”.

But the fact was, he did care and he was crushed. Severely wounded.

But pride kept him from dealing with the truth. You will never change anything when you convince yourself everything is fine. That you are fine.  That you are not the one at fault… That may well be true but when we are full of pride and offense.

Pride hardens us and dims our understanding.

1. Pride causes us to view ourselves as a victim.

Your attitude becomes: I was mistreated and misjudged: therefore, I am justified in my behaviour; in what I feel and what I do.

Church,

If you think and feel and act like this, you are not justified, you are caught in the trap, you are trapped.

Do not compare yourself with anyone else.

2. Acknowledge the strength of others
3. Encourage those who are weaker than you
4. Admit your mistakes
5. Be willing to apologize if you have done wrong
6. Practise fair mindedness and justice, and be gracious
7. Do not envy others
8. Be content and thankful for what you have
9. Put others before yourself
10. Command attention and respect by how you live
11. Treat others like how you want to be treated
12. Serve others
13. Do not think more highly of yourself
14. Do not boast of your achievements
15. Let others notice your strength or positive traits
16. Submit to and respect the authorities set above you
17. Associate with those who are weaker or ‘lower’ than you.
18. Always thank those who help or serve you, even in small things.

All these traits keep the lines of forgiveness open.

But Jesus said in Matthew 18:21 Then came Peter to him and said: ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?

22 Jesus said unto him, I say not unto you, Until seven times, but, Until seventy times seven.

Being mistreated does not give us permission to hold onto offense.

It is often said – Two wrongs don’t make a right.

OUR RESPONSE TO OFFENSE –  DETERMINES OUR FUTURE.

In closing today, I summarise – Offense is the bait of Satan to destroy you and me, in fact, the whole church. But in Christ, through humility, grace, mercy, pardon and forgiveness, we can send him packing and be those ‘more than’ conquerors we read about in Corinthians.

Matthew 11:6 And blessed is [he], whosoever shall not be offended (stumble) in me. Offense is a trap that keeps the power of God from manifesting in your life. Like a walled city, you are locked in and you lock God out.

Offense is the voice, the bait of Satan to prevent you from entering into God’s Will and God’s Increase.

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your Adversary, the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”. 1 Peter 5:8. We need to give – Grace which comes from God, is giving what we don’t deserve – His pardon, forgiveness, unmerited favour, kindness, and blessings.

So in summary, we see that grace is not only the unmerited divine favour that wipes away our past sins, but the divine empowerment or enablement to walk in such a state of righteousness and virtue before God and man (Humankind). Mercy, on the other hand, is God withholding what we do deserve -His judgment and punishment for our sins, Mercy demonstrates God’s compassion and patience, sparing us from the consequences of our wrongdoing. As Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning”.

Forgiveness is the key to unlock the trap and set the prisoner free. 70 x 7  In other words there is no limit.  God doesn’t say to us I forgive you for that and  that and that but NOT THAT.  There is no limit, no sin too great, no trap that will  not burst open and set the prisoner free with God and so it should  be with us.

Leviticus 19:18 — “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”