Equipped for Battle: Resisting Division in the Church

 

Summary

In Ephesians 6:10-13, Paul urges believers to be strong in the Lord and to put on the full armor of God to stand against the devil's schemes. This passage is crucial for understanding the spiritual battle Christians face, not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces. The devil's tactics are multifaceted, affecting both the church as a whole and individual believers. It's vital for Christians to recognize these schemes to avoid falling into misery and bondage.

The devil's schemes manifest in two primary ways: through general movements that affect the church and through personal attacks on individual believers. Both aspects are significant, and it's a mistake to think that the church's issues are only for leaders to address. Every believer has a responsibility to understand and engage with the church's doctrine and state. Ignorance among church members can lead to serious errors or divisions.

One of the devil's most destructive tactics is causing division, or schism, within the church. Schism is a tearing apart of the church, contrary to Christ's prayer for unity in John 17:21. This division can arise from various sources, such as personality cults, carnality, the desire for preeminence, social status, spiritual gifts, and bigotry. Each of these can lead to unnecessary division among believers who are otherwise united in doctrine.

The challenge for Christians is to navigate the fine line between avoiding heresy and apostasy and falling into schism. The devil often pushes believers to extremes, leading them to divide over non-essential issues. True unity is not about compromising on core doctrines but about maintaining fellowship among those who agree on the essentials of the faith. Christians must be vigilant, clothed in the armor of God, to recognize and resist the devil's schemes, ensuring that they do not contribute to division within the body of Christ.

Key Takeaways:

- Understanding the Devil's Schemes: Christians must be aware of the devil's tactics, which aim to disrupt both the church as a whole and individual believers. Recognizing these schemes is crucial to avoid falling into spiritual bondage and misery. [01:09]

- The Responsibility of Every Believer: It's a mistake to think that church issues are only for leaders. Every believer has a role in understanding and engaging with the church's doctrine and state, as ignorance can lead to serious errors or divisions. [02:37]

- The Danger of Schism: Schism, or division within the church, is a significant threat. It goes against Christ's prayer for unity and can arise from various sources, such as personality cults, carnality, and the desire for preeminence. [11:22]

- Navigating Between Heresy and Schism: Christians must find the balance between avoiding heresy and apostasy and falling into schism. The devil often pushes believers to extremes, leading to unnecessary division over non-essential issues. [16:07]

- Maintaining True Unity: True unity is not about compromising on core doctrines but about maintaining fellowship among those who agree on the essentials of the faith. Christians must be vigilant, clothed in the armor of God, to resist the devil's schemes. [24:20]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:14] - Introduction to Ephesians 6:10-13
- [01:09] - The Devil's Schemes
- [02:37] - Responsibility of Believers
- [04:45] - Heresies and Apostasy
- [05:41] - Understanding Schism
- [07:46] - Biblical References to Schism
- [10:24] - The Impact of Division
- [13:23] - The Subtlety of the Devil
- [16:07] - Balancing Heresy and Schism
- [19:14] - Defining Schism
- [21:05] - Misinterpretation of Unity
- [24:20] - True Unity in Doctrine
- [27:19] - Causes of Division
- [35:03] - The Desire for Preeminence
- [46:34] - Conclusion and Call to Vigilance

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Ephesians 6:10-13
2. John 17:21
3. 1 Corinthians 12:25

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Paul mean by "the whole armor of God" in Ephesians 6:10-13, and why is it necessary for believers? [00:14]

2. How does the sermon describe the devil's schemes as affecting both the church as a whole and individual believers? [01:09]

3. According to the sermon, what are some of the sources of division within the church mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:25? [06:57]

4. How does the sermon explain the difference between heresy, apostasy, and schism? [05:00]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that ignorance among church members can lead to division or error? How does this relate to the responsibility of every believer? [02:37]

2. How does the sermon interpret John 17:21 in the context of church unity, and what does it suggest about the nature of true unity? [11:22]

3. What does the sermon suggest about the balance between avoiding heresy and apostasy and falling into schism? How can believers navigate this balance? [16:07]

4. How does the sermon describe the role of personal pride and the desire for preeminence in causing division within the church? [35:03]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your own understanding of the church's doctrine and state. How can you become more informed and engaged in these areas to prevent division? [02:37]

2. Consider a time when you witnessed or experienced division within a church. What were the underlying causes, and how could they have been addressed to maintain unity? [11:22]

3. How can you personally contribute to maintaining true unity in your church without compromising on core doctrines? What practical steps can you take this week? [24:20]

4. Think about a situation where you might have been tempted to divide over non-essential issues. How can you approach such situations differently in the future? [16:07]

5. Identify a specific area in your life where pride or the desire for preeminence might be affecting your relationships within the church. What steps can you take to address this? [35:03]

6. How can you support your church leaders in addressing issues of division and schism? What role can you play in fostering a spirit of unity and cooperation? [03:08]

7. Reflect on the concept of the "armor of God" in Ephesians 6:10-13. How can you ensure that you are spiritually equipped to recognize and resist the devil's schemes in your daily life? [00:14]

Devotional

Day 1: Recognizing the Devil's Tactics
Understanding the devil's schemes is crucial for Christians to avoid falling into spiritual bondage and misery. The devil's tactics are multifaceted, affecting both the church as a whole and individual believers. These schemes manifest through general movements that affect the church and personal attacks on individual believers. Recognizing these schemes is essential to stand firm against them. Christians must be vigilant and aware of these tactics to protect themselves and the church from spiritual harm. [01:09]

Ephesians 4:14-15 (ESV): "So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ."

Reflection: Identify a recent situation where you felt spiritually attacked or misled. How can you better prepare yourself to recognize and resist such schemes in the future?


Day 2: Every Believer's Role in Church Unity
It's a mistake to think that church issues are only for leaders to address. Every believer has a responsibility to understand and engage with the church's doctrine and state. Ignorance among church members can lead to serious errors or divisions. By being informed and involved, believers can contribute to the health and unity of the church. This active participation helps prevent divisions and ensures that the church remains strong and united in its mission. [02:37]

1 Corinthians 12:25-27 (ESV): "That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it."

Reflection: What steps can you take this week to become more informed and involved in your church's doctrine and activities?


Day 3: The Threat of Schism
Schism, or division within the church, is a significant threat that goes against Christ's prayer for unity. This division can arise from various sources, such as personality cults, carnality, and the desire for preeminence. These factors can lead to unnecessary division among believers who are otherwise united in doctrine. Christians must be aware of these potential sources of division and work actively to maintain unity within the church. [11:22]

Titus 3:10-11 (ESV): "As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned."

Reflection: Reflect on any personal biases or preferences that might contribute to division within your church. How can you address these to promote unity?


Day 4: Balancing Heresy and Schism
Christians must find the balance between avoiding heresy and apostasy and falling into schism. The devil often pushes believers to extremes, leading to unnecessary division over non-essential issues. True unity is not about compromising on core doctrines but about maintaining fellowship among those who agree on the essentials of the faith. By focusing on the essentials, Christians can avoid falling into the trap of division over minor differences. [16:07]

Romans 14:1-3 (ESV): "As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him."

Reflection: Consider a non-essential issue that has caused division in your church or personal relationships. How can you approach this issue with grace and focus on unity?


Day 5: True Unity in Doctrine
True unity is not about compromising on core doctrines but about maintaining fellowship among those who agree on the essentials of the faith. Christians must be vigilant, clothed in the armor of God, to resist the devil's schemes and ensure they do not contribute to division within the body of Christ. By focusing on the essentials and resisting the devil's tactics, believers can maintain true unity and strengthen the church. [24:20]

Colossians 3:14-15 (ESV): "And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful."

Reflection: How can you actively promote love and unity in your church this week, focusing on the essentials of the faith?

Quotes


There is nothing more important from Christian for Christian people then that they should know something about this otherwise we shall be defeated and brought into a state of misery and of bondage and great harm may result to the whole life of the Christian church. [00:01:20]

It may well be that the ignorance of the individual church member concerning these matters may be responsible ultimately for some serious error or heresy or even division in the ranks of the Christian Church. No, we are meant to understand the doctrine of the church as a whole and we are to feel responsible for the state of the church as a whole as well as for our individual position and situation. [00:03:29]

The world is looking on at the Christian church and there can be no question at all but that sisms and divisions do constitute an obstacle and a hindrance to those who are outside from believing and submitting themselves to the Christian faith and the Christian teaching. [00:12:44]

Nowhere perhaps is his subtle art and Artistry and artfulness shown so clearly as in the way in which he drives us as Christian people to over correction and to extremes. Now let me show you what I mean. Take for instance the relationship of this matter of sism to what we've been considering on the two previous Sundays. [00:13:29]

The devil comes in at that point he says perfectly right heres is something terrible and you must separate yourself from it, apostasy is worse you must get as far away from apostasy as you possibly can. You're quite right says the devil this can never be overemphasized you can never be too careful and punctious about all this. [00:15:22]

In the Christian life you are always as someone as well put it all walking as it were on a knife edge there's a great Chasm there there's another one here and the Christian is a man who's always got to avoid certain extremes and this is the qu task for the Christian and especially at the present time. [00:16:09]

The only way to answer this question is to consider the New Testament teaching concerning this whole matter of sism. I do want to keep you to keep in your minds this whole question of the Ws of the devil and especially perhaps those who rejoiced most of all last Sunday morning and the previous Sunday morning. [00:19:34]

Sism is division without an adequate cause or if you like sism is division for most inadequate reasons. Very well now let's look at it like this I suggest that the classical statement about this is rarely that John 17:21 that I will already read you. [00:20:26]

The Apostle in the first three chapters has been laying down the Cardinal doctrines and they're all agreed about these what is he saying then well he says I pray that you all may be kept there in that Unity with all loneliness and meekness you see the danger is not so much that they'll go wrong with their Doctrine there but that they'll go wrong in the matter of Pride or self-esteem. [00:25:37]

The moment you divide in the Christian church over things like that you are already guilty of s take another one I would put secondly what we may well call carnality what I mean by that is of course that we allow the flesh to come into these matters not in exactly the same way as I've been considering but in another way. [00:31:20]

The desire for preeminence the desire to be important to have a big place to cut a big figure is absolutely fatal they said let us be put one on the right one on the left no no doctrinal disagreement but dividing in terms again of the desire for greatness and for importance you read the story of the church keep your eyes open this thing is happening and has happened constantly. [00:35:39]

Bigotry is ultimately due to a man failing to discipline himself to be a bigot means that you are obstinate in what you believe now the bigot of course believes something yes but why do you call him a bigot what is it that constitutes the very essence of bigotry it's this that a man holds on to this particular thing in a blind unreasonable in and obstinate manner that he won't listen to argument. [00:44:21]

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