By Lamont H. Fuchs, Ed. D.,
excerpt from Preacher Spurs Christian Faith Publishers, 2022
Divisions happen every day; they happen to families, businesses, partners, friends, brothers, sisters, and churches. There are people who seek to divide or cause disunity without even thinking of the mischief they create. These troublemakers forge headlong into controversy, considering themselves righteous to point out a wrong.
How is this done? It can be done through gossip, false accusations, or people thrusting themselves where they have no business and then they twist the information they get causing a division. Unfortunately, down South, we see folks like that and wish they would just stay ‘In their lane.’ Other tools Satan uses to divide are misaligned jealousness, self-righteousness, pride, power, and money.
Our Bible has enough stories and examples about division and conflict that could fill another book. But there are some distinct places we can look to and find God’s will towards division.
To begin with, we know He is big on unity. If He were divisive, there would be no Trinity. It sounds basic, but honestly, God’s example for unity is in Himself.
Genesis 1:26 – And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
I’m confident you’ve considered this before, but as it relates to His example of unity, what better description can we see in God’s Word than this? First, while united in Heaven, God made us in harmony with the Heavenly Host. Then He separated His human creations by giving us dominion over the other living things on earth: evident unity and specific division in one verse.
When we see division, we immediately should become peacemakers. Do not allow division between brethren to fester and become cancerous. Jesus and Paul give us examples, and God’s Word gives us instruction. Matthew 5:9 – 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.
Luke 22:24 shows the 12 disciples arguing among themselves about who is greater. The jealousy and pursuit of power here become a spirit of division. Jealousy and desire for more power are Satan’s tools to cause division among people and groups.
In Chapter 22 of Luke, these verses starting with verse 24, show the disciples in argument, and then Jesus instructs them immediately. Luke 22:24 says And there arose also a contention among them, which of them was accounted to be greatest. The discussion sounds like your typical argument between two children, so you can imagine what it sounded like between twelve adults. Jesus answered them and said in Luke 22:25-26 – And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles have lordship over them; and they that have authority over them are called Benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
What is said here is that the greatest person we can be is the one who has a servant’s heart. By the way, relating to peacemaking, I’m sure that He was not only the Son of God but also God.
Paul not only had to deal with divisions identified in the churches he started, but he also had to contend with fellow disciples who didn’t work well together. Paul’s approaches to these issues are straightforward and bold.
I Corinthians 3:3 – for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?
Paul, writing to the people of Corinth, was not walking in the Spirit but walking in the flesh according to the world’s standards instead of God’s standards. We see this going on today where people want to keep up with the Joneses and desire everything instantly. They don’t consider what God wants in their lives because they focus so much on worldly things. This train of thought can bring forth Satan’s ability to work his way into a situation, causing envy and strife and thus ultimately creating a division among people.
So, you see, Satan uses different tools to break or divide groups up, and he doesn’t care what kind of group it is. Therefore, we must be constantly vigilant to fight his schemes as he tries to destroy the creation of God at any cost. To fight is to pray and call upon the name of Jesus. For when we do, Satan must flee.
