Stand Firm - Against the Schemes of the EnemySample

DIVERT, DEVIATE, DIVIDE & DESTROY - UNITY

We have all heard of the saying "Divide and Conquer."

Divide and conquer is a war strategy that involves breaking a problem down into smaller parts to destroy it successfully. This is one of the big scheming tactics of the enemy. He will do anything to divert and divide people's attention to deviate their loyalty, hoping it will destroy unity. His goal is to destroy unity in marriages, families, friendships, churches, communities, races and even countries. He hopes to get you to question your support and belief in others to the point that those you once loved are now seen as enemies.

I have counselled people who have even seen even the smallest things, like the differences of opinion, as something to fear. If someone thinks differently from them, this is seen as a threat with the possibility of being rejected. When the story we tell ourselves is "a person or people are not safe," we tend to shift into attack and defence mode to the point of unity being destroyed.

The reality is that we live in a broken world with fallen people. Safeguarding unity needs to be an intentional action, a posture of the mind in everything we do. Seek truth rather than making assumptions because curiosity always leads to accurate conclusions. Believe in the best rather than assuming the worst. Offer forgiveness rather than fueling bitterness. Turn the cheek rather than throw a punch. Remember, you can disagree with another person's beliefs and still love them. You can also set boundaries in a relationship and still speak respectfully of them.

Please consider how many conflicts you have engaged in, only to find that either yourself or the other had jumped to the wrong assumptions, causing mistrust and a breakdown of the friendship. Consider how many conversations you have participated in that have fueled people's fire of division. Consider how many friendships have never developed because you have believed the bitterness of someone's vomit speech. Consider how different this world would be if safeguarding unity triumphed over accepting division. Consider how different this world would be if we continued to love even those who treat us like enemies. Romans 15:5-6 encourages us to stand firm in one spirit, have the same attitude of mind that Christ had, and live in harmony with each other. This is not based on emotions, but obedience, because people will know we are Christians by our love despite our differences.

NOTE: Boundaries and division are two different things. I can love an enemy with healthy boundaries, but division demolishes the bridge of reconciliation.