Let us be honest. Conflict in the church is not a modern invention. After all, we live in the context of a cosmic conflict that began in the family of God in heaven long before we entered the scene. Conflict existed among God’s people in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament churches. It exists today, and it will likely continue to exist until Christ returns.

In the parable of the wheat and the tares, Jesus taught that the wheat (the children of God’s kingdom) and the tares (children of the wicked one) will grow together in His field until the end (Matt. 13:30, 38, 39). It means that until the harvesttime, the church will continue to be mixed with true and false followers of Christ. Given this reality, conflict is inevitable in the church as we engage in mission work for Christ.

Additionally, we must not ignore what Scripture presents regarding the reality of our spiritual enemy in the unseen realm. Jesus spoke of Satan as one who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Church history has shown that when Satan cannot destroy the church through persecution from the outside, he weakens it through conflicts and compromise from within. Destroying the church’s unity for mission is one of his most effective tools. Through church conflicts, Satan often damages the witness of the church and discourages new and seasoned believers.

When tensions rise among us, we often see one another as the problem, forgetting that there is a greater enemy who delights in stirring up pride, suspicion, and division. I remember reading an illustration about red ants and black ants being placed together in a glass jar. If you put 100 red ants and 100 black ants inside and leave them alone, nothing happens. They move about, coexist, and carry on without conflict. But if someone comes along and shakes the jar, the ants suddenly begin to fight. Each ant assumes the other is the enemy, without realizing that the true cause of the chaos is the hand that shook their world. In much the same way, when tensions rise among us we often see one another as the problem, forgetting that there is a greater enemy who delights in stirring up pride, suspicion, and division. Remembering who really “shook the jar” can help us view our conflicts more accurately.

When we recognize that our struggle is not merely “against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12), we begin to see conflicts and disagreements in the church differently. Understanding this larger spiritual reality can help us pause before conflicts escalate and respond with wisdom instead of hostility.

In 1 Corinthians 1:10 Paul appeals to believers that “there be no divisions” among them, and that they be “perfectly joined together in the same mind.” It is not practical to expect everyone in the church to be of the same mind in the sense of agreeing on every single point. How then does Paul appeal to believers to have the same mind? The answer is found in Philippians 2:5, where Paul writes, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” True unity, then, does not come from pressure to all have the same personalities or the same viewpoints on everything, but rather from personal surrender to Christ.

Imagine a church family in which each member feels that the highest place is at the feet of Jesus. How differently would we resolve our differences and disagreements? Only when each member individually has the mind of Christ can the church collectively reflect Christ. When Christ becomes our Lord, our pride weakens. When Christ becomes our example, our desire to win arguments decreases. When Christ becomes our focus, our need to protect our personal ambitions or ego fades. The more closely we walk with Christ, the closer we move toward one another.

In a divided world filled with tribalism, political polarization, and cultural fragmentation, the church has the opportunity to demonstrate a different reality: a unity rooted in Christ and His mission. When we lift our eyes to the cross, our personal grievances lose their power. And when we step into mission, our internal conflicts shrink in significance. A church centered on Christ and engaged in mission possesses a shared reason to stay united that is stronger than division.

Adapted article by Puia Fanai, of Adventist Review