Christian author and founder of RealFaith Ministries, Pastor Mark Driscoll, cautioned Christians about harboring bitterness. He stated that it is “a demonic stronghold.”
Dangers of Bitterness
When offense visits a person’s heart, some individuals struggle to cope with the hurt they experience. In some cases, it may lead to bitterness. Unbeknownst to them, the devil is already capitalizing on their emotions until it tears them apart and damages their relationships. It’s a distressing scenario, isn’t it? It’s no surprise that some friendships and even families fall apart because bitterness is a perilous poison to the human heart.
Pastor Mark Driscoll [@markdriscoll]. Preacher. Instagram, 3 Nov. 2023,
In a short Instagram reel, Mark Driscoll pointed out that “bitterness is a demonic stronghold and foothold that gets into a relationship or a family or a church family.”
He emphasized that it is one of Satan’s tactics to infiltrate a person’s life and bring about their destruction.
“Satan works through bitterness,” he said. “The Holy Spirit works through forgiveness.”
Forgiveness
Mark explained that forgiveness is the only way to overcome bitterness. It involves submitting to the will of God and choosing to love regardless of the offense committed by the other person.
“If you choose to forgive, then you are inviting the Holy Spirit,” he remarked. “If you choose to not forgive, you’re inviting demonic spirits. And they torment and torture you so that you become unwell.”
He also emphasized that often people react based on their worldly desires, saying, “No, I’m going to punish them,” taking justice into their own hands. However, Mark pointed out that this is a lie from Satan. Refusing to forgive allows the devil to accomplish his goal of punishing both the offender and the victim.
“He’s saying, ‘I’m gonna punish you both,’” explained the author.
So, he urged believers saying, “And we love you, so we want you to release them and we want God to deal with them if they have wronged you.”
In Mark’s caption, he also advised: “You need to forgive them. Don’t live in bitterness, release them to the Lord and let him deal with them. Vengeance is not yours, it is the Lord’s.”
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Reference | Instagram – Pastor Mark Driscoll
Header Image: Pastor Mark Driscoll [@markdriscoll]. Preacher. Instagram, 3 Nov. 2023, https://www.instagram.com/p/CzJ1sZyPZFR/