The Real Source of Attack…

“But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!” (Galatians 5:15).

Why is it that Christians attack each other?

IMHO, there are a few reasons:

One reason Christians attach each other is because they feel that they have been hurt and that hurt justifies their attack. This is really a form of self-centeredness, pride, and a lack of faith.

First, self feels a right to react, to strike back at those who we feel have wronged us. After all, they deserve it.

Second, we feel that we are (in a sense) acting as God’s agent in executing punishment; we are His instrument of righteousness. This is nothing more than pride, plain and simple. While it is true that God does indeed use men to accomplish His work, His word is clear: “‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” (Hebrews 10:30). Vengeance is the prerogative of God alone. Still, there is something within us that feels the need to right every wrong. Just who’s standard of right a wrong is in question here.

Third, when Christians attack one another it is a lack of faith. The Word clearly spells out what is to be the conduct and attitude of the believer:

Matthew 5:43-48, “You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” The problem is we like to hate our enemies and love those who love us. When was the last time you told your enemies that you loved him and that you were praying for him? The truth is that we would like to see him die a slow and painful death.

Hebrews 10:34, “for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.” We place an inordinate value on stuff; and we don’t like people messing with our stuff. So we lock it up behind closed doors. When someone takes our stuff, we get angry. Have you ever heard of anyone joyfully accepting the plundering of their goods?

1 Corinthians 6:7-8, “Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong ? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren!” Now this is a big one – should Christians sue one another? Well, from the perspective of the Apostle, there should be at least someone in the Christian community that can provide a wise answer that will satisfy the parties involved. It is a shame and an indictment that all too often there is not.

Now none of this means that wrongs should not be righted or that we should leave our homes unlocked or that there is never an acceptable time to go to a court of law. (We do have an habit of going to extremes, don’t we?). But what it does mean is that we should behave like Christians.

Before we lash out, perhaps we should consider the example of God:

The desired result of the longsuffering of God towards men is salvation, Romans 2:4, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering , not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”

Your salvation is a direct result of the longsuffering of God, II Peter 3:15, “and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.”

It was the wicked servant who, after having been forgiven an immeasurable debt, went out and had his fellow servant cast into prison for $25. (Matthew 18, The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant). Perhaps we should consider what we have been forgiven before we demand our due from others?

What is longsuffering?

The Greek word makrothumia (mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah) means, forbearance, patience, longsuffering (makros, long, thumos, temper).

God has demonstrated His longsuffering in history. He God kept back the flood 120 years while Noah built the ark; also Jonah cried to Ninevea, “40 days and then destruction..”, yet they repented and put off the judgment of God for 100 years.

The Christian is to seek to model the longsuffering of God:

Colossians 3:12, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering.” This means that we must make the decision to be longsuffering.

I Corinthians 13:7, Love, “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Love endures all things…

Ephesians 4:1-3, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Here longsuffering is associated with humility. Pride hinders our ability to be longsuffering; only when we are willing to humble ourselves can we begin to be longsuffering.

How can I be longsuffering?

Well, there is good news and there is bad news. The bad news is, you can’t. It is not within our abilities, try as we might, to be longsuffering. The flesh demands it’s due, and the flesh dies hard.

However, the good news is that God has made a way for longsuffering to grow in our lives, by His Spirit:

Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering , kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

Colossians 1:11, “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.”

If, and I mean if, we are to cease from biting and devouring one another, then we must surrender the hurts and wrongs of the past, forgiving one another, and allowing God to right the wrongs of the past. We must place into the hands of God those who have wronged us and leave their fate in His hands. Like it or not, He loves them and died for their sins as well. And just as with us, He is longsuffering towards them because He loves them.

There is within Christianity entirely too much fighting with one another. Historically, the most successful attacks against the Christian faith have come from within, not without, the church. The result is that we have divided ourselves, and have been a bad witness to the world.

So what is the real source of attack?

Jesus identified the true source of attack as Satan:

John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” Interesting that here Jesus is speaking to the religious who were attempting to justify their behavior through the twisting of the command (Law) of God.

Paul warns us not to be ignorant of Satan’s methods, II Corinthians 2:10-11, “Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” Interesting that here the apostle links forgiveness with an awareness of Satan’s devices. Clearly one method Satan used to trap Christians is unforgiveness. When we refuse to forgive one another, we have fallen into one of Satan’s devices. The real danger is a contaminating of our lives with bitterness, Hebrews 12:15, “looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.” Bitterness towards those who have wronged us will eventually poison everyone of our relationships, given enough time.

I have said it before: If the Devil keeps us fighting among ourselves, then he has won and Christ has lost.

How then can we overcome the real source of attack?

“…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (I John 3:8). Jesus has overcome the enemy; we overcome in Him, I John 5:4: “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.” Only our faith in Jesus, allowing the work of His Spirit in our lives, can we overcome the real source of attack and stop attacking each other.