Tenth Anniversary Edition, 2004 (With Devotional Supplement)
Author: John Bevere
ISBN 1-59185-413-x (pbk), ($13.99, 255 PP)
Published by Charisma House, Lake Mary Florida
John, Bevere, in his book, The Bait of Satan, provides a study on the attitude of offense and the unrighteous fruit it produces.This book clearly illustrates how we are easily ensnared in spiritual conflicts and how we ultimately lose the victory, by allowing offense the opportunity to take root and have control over our actions and responses.The book is divided into chapters, fourteen in all, including a comprehensive 30 day devotional supplement, that deals with such issues of how we offend and are offended, fail to forgive, seek our own revenge and the means by which we can escape the snare. Mr. Bevere gives us an indepth look at how offense manifests itself and provides many scriptural accounts of right and wrong reactions to it.As Christians called to forgive and reconcile, time and time again, we easily and willingly fall victim to Satan's baited trap because we don't forgive offences or admit when we have offended.
Pride, bitterness, disobedience and unforgiveness are direct results of our mismanagement of real or perceived offences.When we defend our ungodly and/or improper responses to an offense, we are acting in a prideful manner, Godly wisdom, according to Mr. Bevere, is to yield.We don't have the right to be offended, and pride, left unchecked, will harden the heart.Bitterness, he says is unfulfilled revenge and will, again, produce unrighteousness if not dealt with.Obedience is better than sacrifice according to the word of God.This book points out how, through what they suffered, both Jesus and the Apostle Paul learned obedience.Have we learned obedience he asks or are we hard, callused, cold, bitter and resentful?If so, the author says, we have not learned.
God desires that we remain free of offense.By not taking offense or offending, we remain in God's will.Because Satan hates man so passionately, he uses offense to take us captive and separate us from God, writes Mr. Bevere.We are reminded that God has provided "the way of escape" from every adverse circumstance, from every temptation (1 Cor 10:13).Walking the walk worthy of our calling… in lowliness, gentleness, longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4:1-3), should make our hardships and obstacles easier to overcome.We should be able to choose forgiveness sooner.Adversity, Mr. Bevere writes is what God uses to mature and perfect us.It makes us stronger, more compassionate and deepens our love for Jesus.If not, he says, we have chosen not to recover from our offenses.Though it is unfortunate that people choose not to heal by remaining in offense and refusing to forgive, many do make that choice.This book offers a challenge for us, to not let unforgiveness be the cause of our not being healed or refreshed by the cooling waters of the Lord Jesus Christ.It exhorts us to humble ourselves, cast off pride and deny ourselves so that we might receive the highest will of God for our lives.
Offense is a trap set by the enemy as Mr. Bevere points out and we should avoid the trap at all costs.However, he states, there is one instance where it is okay to be offensive, without apology.He notes that when we are flowing in the Spirit, speaking God's truth, people will become offended.When this occurs, we must continue as the Spirit leads, choosing to live for the will of God and not for the will of man.
I found this book to be a compelling read in today's times, because so much of our faith and values are being eroded, due in part, to the lack of patience, tolerance and compassion we have for one another.It paints such a vivid and broad picture of how easily we allow our relationships to be destroyed and how we risk God's pleasure because of selfish vainglory.And if our relationships are fractured or destroyed, there is little more that the enemy of our soul needs to do to defeat us and/or pronounce indictment against our testimony.I highly recommend this book for believers at any stage of Christian maturity.I will add however, that for some, parts of the book might be an assault to their sensibilities, in that there are some charismatic aspects, that deal with deliverance and "speaking in a heavenly language."
Finally, we conclude with a call to action, when the author instructs us to ask God to remind us of our offences.Those we've forgotten, hid or denied.He goes on to say, ask the Spirit to walk you through your past into your present and in the spirit's power, surrender offense and cancel the debt.
Reviewed by:
Gloria R. Hartwell
2/24/05