More than 30 years ago, John Bevere released The Bait of Satan, which became a warning to the body of Christ about the rising spirit of offense.
At the time, Bevere had no idea just how accurate that warning would become. Today, he says, we’re watching Jesus’ words unfold in real time.
In an interview with Charisma Media, Bevere explained, “When the disciples asked Jesus about the signs of His coming, the very first thing He said was, ‘Be careful that you’re not deceived,’” he says. “And the problem with deception is that it’s deceiving.”
In a world fueled by outrage, cultural fracture and relational breakdown, Bevere notes how offense has become the new normal—even celebrated. Even Oxford’s Word of the Year for 2025 is rage bait, content deliberately engineered to provoke anger and division. Jesus foretold it clearly: “In the last days, many will be offended.”
According to Bevere, many doesn’t mean a handful. “That word in the Greek can actually mean most,” he says. “Only one time in 35 years of preaching this message have I seen a group where less than 50% admitted they were offended.”
For Bevere, this message isn’t theoretical—it’s deeply personal.
Early in ministry, he found himself wounded by a spiritual father he trusted. “I was too proud to admit I was offended,” he recalls. “People kept asking, ‘Are you OK?’ and I’d say, ‘I’m fine.’ Meanwhile, I was tormented. I kept thinking, How can this man be so blessed after what he did to me?”
That mindset, he says, is the trap. “Offense skews your perception. You start attracting people who are offended like you, and anyone who remotely reminds you of the person who hurt you becomes your enemy. You don’t realize how wrong your view is until you come out of it.”
This, Bevere believes, is precisely what Jesus prophesied for the last days. Offense escalates to betrayal, betrayal to hatred, and hatred to lawlessness. And as lawlessness increases, Jesus said, “the love of many will grow cold.”
That love—agape—is something only believers possess. When Christians build emotional “walls” instead of healthy boundaries, love stops flowing. “We become like the Dead Sea,” Bevere says. “Receiving but not giving. Selective about who we love. Closed off. That’s when spiritual life begins to die.”
The results are visible everywhere: church division, broken relationships, believers abandoning their callings, and what Bevere calls a generation of “spiritual vagabonds.”
“When you leave the place God planted you because you’re offended, your root system dwarfs,” he explains. “It becomes easier and easier to run the next time hardship or conflict comes. You lose strength. You lose stability. And you start believing everyone is against you.”
Yet Bevere insists God exposes offense only to heal. “Anytime God puts His finger on something, it’s not to shame you—it’s to set you free,” he says.
In this age of rage, Bevere believes one truth stands as a lifeline for believers longing to endure the last days with confidence rather than shame: “Guard your heart. Keep your spirit open. Refuse the trap of offense. Because Jesus is returning—and how we respond now will determine how we stand then.”
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
