The Bait of Satan

I have seen churches sorely impeded, even destroyed, by the trap of offense. I have seen it absolutely demolish Christians' joy and deny them so much good. I have seen families splintered, friendships shattered, and ministries stranded.

John Bevere's excellent book, The Bait of Satan, should be read, re-read, studied, and heeded by every sincere follower of Jesus.

The book is not without its weaknesses, and therefore would be best read in tandem with The Peacemaker by Ken Sande (reviewed here on this blog). Bevere's gift seems to be exhortation, so it should not be surprising that The Bait of Satan is strong on exhortation and weak on application; he approaches forgiveness as a "just do it" sort of thing, while The Peacemaker helps the reader through the steps of forgiveness and reconciliation in a way Bevere doesn't. Also, Bevere's theology and exegesis were occasionally problematic for me, but those things don't negate the central and considerable value of the book.

Let me say it again: The Bait of Satan should be read, re-read, studied, and heeded by every sincere follower of Jesus. Unfortunately, those who need it most are the least likely to read it...to their great detriment, and to the detriment of the church.