“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falleth.” – Luke 11:17 Research has shown that 40% of pastors have had conflicts with their members at least once a week. This spirit of strife, rebellion, backbiting, tale-bearing, and rumour-spreading has been used by the enemy to quench the fire of God and weaken the body of Christ. The devil rejoices when the church fights itself because it makes his job easier. A divided church cannot stand (Mark 3:24–25).
A man once visited a church for the first time. During the service, he noticed that the pastor and his associate were very cold towards each other. They refused to touch hands while passing the microphone, and they contradicted one another during the announcement and Sunday school summary. Right there, he decided never to return to that church.
Many sincere Christians today are quietly leaving churches because they cannot cope with the politics, internal conflicts, tribalism, unfair treatment, and the cold war that exists in many assemblies. Unfortunately, many churches today are no different from the Corinthian church, which was full of divisions and strife (1 Corinthians 3:1–5).
I once read a report listing the 20 fastest-growing churches in Nigeria, and 16 of them had legal cases in court. Despite their numerical growth, the unresolved internal strife eventually caused the growth to wither. When a church is full of internal battles, its progress is temporary and fragile.
A. SATAN’S STRATEGY: “DESTROY THEM FROM WITHIN”
James 3:14–16; Psalm 55:12–14
The greatest enemy of the church is often not external persecution but internal betrayal and division. Satan’s classic strategy is to plant seeds of discord within the church. He sets up a “fifth column”—hidden agents of conflict—to sow quarrels, jealousy, rebellion, injustice, gossip, and disunity (Proverbs 6:16–19).
When the spirit of strife is allowed in the house of God:
- It brings chaos and confusion.
- It hinders God’s presence from moving freely.
- The Holy Spirit’s power is stifled.
- Tribalism and factions block God’s supernatural flow.
- Misunderstandings and misjudgments slow down progress.
- Division among brethren causes the work of God to become stagnant.
- Disunity results in fragmentation and loss of spiritual direction.
- Biting and devouring one another (Gal. 5:15) leads to backwardness.
- Pulling each other down is a tool of demons, not of God.
We need to understand the power of our tongues. Many church problems are not caused by demons with horns, but by undisciplined mouths. James 3:1–10, Proverbs 10:19, 12:19, 13:3, 16:28, and 20:19 warn us about the dangers of evil speaking, slander, and gossip.
How beautiful would the church be if we could guard our mouths the same way we guard our eyes?
B. CAUSES OF INTERNAL STRIFE
1 Corinthians 6:1–7; Acts 6:1–2
Apostle Paul strongly warned against Christians fighting each other and dragging themselves before unbelievers. Though disagreements may arise in the church, mature believers should be willing to resolve matters peacefully and, if necessary, suffer wrong for the sake of the gospel (1 Cor. 6:7).
Here are common causes of church strife today:
- Money and financial issues
- Poor and unbiblical administration
- Carnal and unsaved individuals in leadership
- Craving for positions and titles
- “Bad belle” (envy, bitterness) and reading negative meanings into actions
- Building personal empires instead of kingdom work
- Worldly value systems
- Materialism and carnal focus
- Inward-looking leadership with no outward mission focus
As long as these elements are allowed to operate unchecked in the church, strife will flourish. Leaders must reject these seeds of disunity and promote godly standards instead.
C. EFFECTS AND POWER OF INTERNAL STRIFE
Many pastors today have become “spiritual fire-fighters”, always trying to quench one conflict or the other. This consumes energy that should be used for soul-winning, teaching, discipleship, and prayer.
When strife fills the church, the following results occur:
- Loss of spiritual focus, focusing on irrelevant issues
- A toxic atmosphere of torment, control, and fear
- Suspicion, false accusations, and distrust
- A divided house that lacks progress
- Decay and decline in spiritual life and growth
- Breakaways, people leaving through the back door
- Backsliding and spiritual coldness
- A bad testimony to outsiders watching us
- Unanswered prayers and grieving of the Holy Spirit
This is why the devil uses strife so effectively. His tactic is simple: “Let them fight each other so they won’t fight me.” A church at war with itself cannot confront darkness or impact the world.
Recommended Reading
Right And Wrong Ways To Handle Church Money
Ten Satanic Traps And How To Avoid Them
Preparing To Go Into Marriage…For Singles
D. HOW TO UPROOT STRIFE FROM THE CHURCH
1 Corinthians 13:1–10; Ephesians 5:2; Colossians 3:13–15
Because we are human, we will sometimes offend or be offended. But the Body of Christ must be governed by love, forgiveness, and unity. The Bible gives us the way forward.
Steps to eliminate strife from the church:
- Practice agape love—unconditional, sacrificial love.
- Forgive and forbear one another, even when it’s difficult.
- Let the leadership lead by example in love and transparency.
- Do not tolerate or entertain division or partisan behavior.
- Promote spiritual growth and Spirit-filled living.
- Regularly teach and preach on love, forgiveness, and humility.
- Maintain transparent leadership and accountability.
- Address sources of murmuring and grievances immediately.
- Understand different personalities in the church:
- Domineering types
- The attention seekers (crying babies)
- The pessimists (wet blankets)
- The immature (thumb suckers)
- The show-offs (shining stars)
- The unreliable (space cadets)
- The unpredictable (chameleons)
- The peacemakers (good guys)
- The calm and the bulldozers
- Be open and honest—no secret deals or manipulation.
- Reject tale-bearing, rumour-spreading, and slander outright.
- Bind and cast out every spirit of strife, using prayer and authority in Christ.
CONCLUSION
It is only in an atmosphere of peace, love, and unity that the anointing of God flows freely. Growth, revival, and genuine spirituality cannot exist where there is division and bitterness.
When we walk in love, we prove to the world that we are truly Christ’s disciples (John 13:35). The world is not just watching what we preach—they are watching how we treat one another.
Let us tear down every wall of strife, and build bridges of love in the house of God.