In our last lecture, we talked about the trap of offense and we introduced the challenging aspect of conflict, where conflict begins at the trap of offense. That offenses will come, that we all will from time to time, our lives cause offense, sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally and we will take offense.  


We talked about the dynamic of the trap of offense, being something that the Lord does not want us to remain in that trap.  He wants us to get out of that trap.  So the challenge is if the person who caused me to take offense is worthy of a millstone and being thrown in the ocean, why do I have to cut off my arm to get out of it?  


We're going to look at the firetrap of offense as a place where the battle of the kingdoms is raging.  We've talked about this battle of the kingdom, and how it reflects to the desires of our heart.  But once the trap of offense comes into play, the battle of the kingdoms is raging and the war for the desires of your heart is intense. 


The kingdom of darkness has goals at the trap of offense.  He has objectives there, and so does the Lord Jesus Christ.  In this session, we're going to talk about Satan's goals at the firetrap of offense.

His primary goals are to destroy relationships and to hinder the believer’s walk with Jesus Christ.  Satan is a liar.  He's a thief.  He's a murderer, and he's a destroyer.  And he employs all of his tactics in conflict, to accomplish his goals. 

In John Chapter 8:44, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees said, “You belong to your father, the devil and you want to carry out your father's desires.  He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 

In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”

When we are in the firetrap of offense, and we're snared by those desires, where we give in to the flesh, we are in the Wilefire and the Wilefire is governing and dictating to us, our choices.  We see the relationship pain, we see the potential damage to our reputation, the potential damage to our pride, the potential damage to our property.  And we make our choices based on those things.  And we are offended by what others have done or are doing to us in the in the Wilefire.  And because it feels so good, because we are justified, because it seems so right to us to make those choices, they’re logical Choices, choices where we wind up being offended, are not illogical.  They're not unnatural.  In fact, they're very natural.  But in the kingdom of heaven there's a different way of responding.  And Jesus Christ says to us, get out of the trap and come follow me.  What the enemy is also at work doing is trying to capture the believer, hinder their walk with Jesus Christ, and to take them captive to do his will. 

In 2 Timothy 2:26 we read, “…and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do His will.”

Satan has another goal at the trap of offense and that goal is to get you to despise the ones who are in conflict with you and to justify and to keep you in that type of relationship where there's tension, where you begin to dislike, distrust, or even hate the person that you're in conflict with. 

In Matthew 18:10 Jesus said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”  The trap of offense is the enemy's playground and the longer we remain offended, the longer he has his way with us in keeping us and hindering us from our walk with Jesus Christ.  It's not other people in our conflicts that cause us to lose our peace. Our battle is not with those that we’re in conflict with.  

Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

The battle at the trap of offense is a spiritual battle and as much as we might justify our offense and the right to take offense, the Lord is calling us to get out of that trap, to seek Him at the Peacefire, and let Him lead us and guide us through that conflict as His ambassador of peace and reconciliation. 

The enemy, in keeping us in that place where we want to despise others keeps us in a place where we cannot follow the Lord Jesus Christ.  We are caught in that trap.  Sometimes we will be in a conflict where it appears to us that we're so right, that we justify despising another brother and sister. 

1 John 4:20-21 reads, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.  For whoever does not love their brother and sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.  And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”  

It is so tempting for us in conflict to justify hating a brother or sister in Christ because we're right and they're wrong.  The dynamics of conflict are such as we move forward in this in this series, that it's not about who's right.  The truth is very important and has its place and should never be abandoned, but truth with mercy, truth with grace, truth with love.  The Lord requires of us that if we are to love Him, we're to share that love with our brother and sister, even those we disagree with even those who don't see things the same way we do, even with those whose conduct tempts us to take offence. 

The enemy, his goal is to hinder your love walk with Jesus Christ by turning your focus to the Wildfire, to the world, to the flesh, and to his devices.  The one way to defeat the enemy's goals at the trap of offense is to focus on love.  In Luke Chapter 6, Jesus said, “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” 

Now that sounds pretty easy but you and I both know that it’s not.  The only way that we can love an enemy, the only way that we can remove ourselves from the trap of offense is by the grace of God in His presence in our lives.  And the only way that we receive that grace is to ask.  It's free, it can't be earned and so when you find yourself in the trap of offense or you find yourself in a position where you're offending someone, run to the Peacefire.  Ask the Lord for the grace to forgive, ask for the grace to confess, and ask Him what he wants you to do to make things right. 

The enemy is not powerful.  He's a defeated foe.  And Jesus Christ has won the battle.  He's won the victory.  

So in the next section, we're going to look at the Lord's purposes at the trap of offense, and how he overcomes the enemy's attempts to hinder your walk with him. 

God bless you. And we'll see you next time.



Last modified: Monday, July 17, 2023, 2:45 PM