We Cannot Afford to Weaken Each Other

Shortly before England’s entry into World War II, Winston Churchill said, “We are so few, enemies so many, the cause so great, that we cannot afford to weaken each other in any way” (The Gathering Storm, p 331).

When I read Churchill’s words, I immediately was struck with it’s applicability to our spiritual warfare. It is an easy thing to weaken each other as Christians with verbal sparring. I think many of us can struggle with how to handle the comments or beliefs of others different from our own. This is especially difficult in a public venue about things that are important but are not necessarily non-negotiable biblical truths (and instead lie in the “opinions realm” of Romans 14). Sometimes, we begin to view disagreeing Christians as “them” vs. “us.” This thinking can be so dangerous, because we can soon view “them” as our enemies.

In reality, it is “all of us” vs. “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12), the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2).

So how do we view Christians with whom we disagree? Especially when the disagreement is adamantly held over important things?

I will first assume that if they hold to the Gospel, they truly are a believer. Then I must view each one as my “brother for whom Christ died” (1 Corinthians 8:11). I can get angry at people for some of their sins and assume the worst of them, or I can love them because Christ, who knows the worst of ALL our sins, died for us anyway because he loved us. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Romans 5:10).

That reality should change how I think about and treat other believers. Let us “be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1).

Besides this, in the context of Paul commanding believers not to quarrel over opinions, Paul instead commands believers to welcome each other as God has welcomed us (Romans 14:1-3).

We are going to be in heaven forever together worshiping the God who loved us enough to send his Son to die for us. That doesn’t erase the real problems and conflicts that are the reality of living in a sinful world. But that heavenly reminder should certainly affect how we deal with earthly problems.

When we struggle with differing opinions with other believers, we need to remember that Christ died for them just as he died for me.  We share in the righteousness that He gave to us. We share the hope of his resurrection and our future resurrection. The real enemy will be defeated one day. “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (Romans 16:20). This should unify us (1 Peter 3:8).

We are few. The enemies are many. But our cause is great. Do not weaken each other in any way.

_________________________________

Holly Huffstutler serves with her husband David, the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Troy in Troy, MI. She has a master’s degree in Biblical Ministries and blogs with him here where this post first appeared (slightly modified for this post). Holly is a homemaker, raising and putting her four children through school.

Photo by Duncan Kidd on Unsplash