The Devil Is In The Details

“For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” – John 8:44.

The devil is always looking to do harm to those who are followers of Jesus. The question is this: how much harm does he really have to do when it comes to relationships. That is because marriage and other relationships can be pretty messy. In spite of our best intentions, we make mistakes. We hurt one another. We make bad assumptions, we miscommunicate, we manipulate and we are often offended. When we make a mess out of relationships, Satan has a front row seat watching all of it unfold. He is happy to be an observer when things are bad, but quickly becomes more than an observer when things are going well. The devil does not want us to experience what God intended for us in relationships.

We should never underestimate the enemy and his tactics. When married, it is easy to start focusing on the ways your spouse is letting you down or you are falling short. God has put husband and wife together and the devil wants to pull you apart. First Peter 5:8 states it vividly: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”   

One of the devil’s top strategies to rob you of your joy and peace is to trap you into becoming offended. And it is not a matter of if the devil will be looking for ways to get you to set off his offense trap, it’s a matter of when. No one can offend us quicker than our spouse or someone we have a close relationship with. The devil knows that all too well and will try to use it to offend you or your spouse.   

What every Christian needs to realize is that they always have a choice in becoming offended or not. We make the choice whether we take Satan’s “offense bait.” The point being made is that no one forces us to become offended. We make that choice all by ourselves. As Christians, we can master the ability to not get offended and not take everything as offensive. The less we are offended, the more difficult it will be for Satan to use that strategy against us.

Start by praying that you will not be offended and pray for the one who offends you. Prayer is one of the best ways to move from anger to peace and to give the offense to the Lord.   

Discussion Question:

1. What and how does the devil steal, kill, and destroy in your life?
2. How can we accurately identify common lies of the devil in our lives?
3. Does the devil use offense as his major tool? Why or why not?
4. What can we do this week to be less offended? “