Offenseless
What is one of the most common and successful tactics of the devil against Christians?
While Satan uses a variety of methods, means and strategies to hamstring and sidetrack believers, one of his favorite and most frequent tricks and traps is an offense. If Satan can cause us to become offended, angry, resentful, judgmental or irritated about something or toward someone, he has us right where he wants us. He’ll do everything he can to create suspicion, dissension, cynicism, criticism and division between people. He thrives on generating chaos, pain and confusion in relationships. He knows that, if he succeeds in driving people apart, he robs them of spiritual strength, vitality and joy, and ultimately he can render them useless in the Kingdom of God.
To avoid these ugly consequences we must be on guard. We must be highly committed to living an offenseless life. We must put every effort into avoiding the thoughts, attitudes and actions that undermine spiritual unity.
The Apostle Paul reminded us about this many times in his New Testament letters. Here are a couple of examples:
"I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose." — 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NLT)
"Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace." — Ephesians 4:3 (NLT)
Don’t let the devil sneak into your life through an offended, angry, resentful or bitter spirit. Be aware and beware of his tactics. Guard and protect your heart by regularly bathing yourself in God’s Word and by continually choosing to walk in God’s love!
Dale O'Shields
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