I’ve never trapped animals, but I do know there are two important aspects of a good trap: first of all it must be hidden, and second, it must be baited to lure an animal into the trap’s deadly jaws.

Satan – the enemy of our souls – uses both strategies as he lays out his deceptive and deadly traps.  They are both hidden and baited. One of his most deceptive and insidious kinds of bait is something we face every day of our lives – the bait of offense. 

Offense is not deadly on its own.  Every day we have opportunities to be offended – it may be an annoying comment from our spouse, the driver who cut us off in traffic, being falsely accused of something we didn’t do – and the list goes on.  If we recognize the bait of offense and leave it in the trap, there is no problem.  But if we pick it up out of the trap, chew on it, dwell on it in our heart, turn it over and over in our minds, we become offended. 

Someone may have abused you when you were young, maybe a friend betrayed you decades ago, spoke lies about you.  Holding an offense for years takes a toll on the body and soul – I know this by experience.

You may feel totally righteous in holding on to grudges and offenses – someone hurt you and want them to pay. How can they pay? I’m not sure, but the energy it takes to hold on to an offense always has a negative impact on you. It rents valuable space in your mind, and dwelling on offenses leaves less energy to do more productive things.

Offense is truly a trap of the devil. If he can get us to become offended by someone – anyone – we are trapped and the offense becomes like a poison in our system. We will become bitter, spewing out words of anger, division and strife.

There is an old saying – you’ve probably seen it on social media:

Unforgiveness is only toxic to you,

it’s like taking poison and expecting the other person to die. – T.D. Jakes

Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 2:24-26

…God’s servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool, working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth, enabling them to escape the Devil’s trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands.

If you want to stay out of the devil’s trap, keep free from offense. I know it’s much easier said than done, but forgiving others is what will keep you healthy and free to love others instead of casting a critical eye toward everyone around you.

Ephesians 4:26 reminds us,

But don’t let the passion of your emotions lead you to sin! Don’t let anger control you or be fuel for revenge, not for even a day. Don’t give the slanderous accuser, the devil, an opportunity to manipulate you!

If we hold anger and bitterness in our hearts – even anger against politicians we don’t know personally – we will be manipulated by the devil. Offense becomes a toxin in our bodies and a tool by which the devil can and will cause us to do his will. It will put us in prison – a prison of depression, freeze-dried anger and joylessness.

I have a candy jar and I am often tempted to lift the lid and take a piece. Sometimes taking offense tastes as good as a piece of candy. When we cast a slur on someone or take offense by someone’s remark, it seems delicious to spread gossip about them, because they were wrong, and we are right.

But what were those words Jesus used to teach us how to deal with our enemies?

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

There will always be an opportunity to be offended – maybe up to 50 times in a day. But a person who will not forgive is a person who has forgotten how much Christ has forgiven them.