Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion …
Summary: Satan doesn’t have a lot of power compared to God’s power, but he does have the ability to cause confusion wherever he goes.
I know I am splitting sentences again, but I wanted to stop and focus on these eight words for a moment.
Imagine a large vat. The vat is so large that you could fit a football field in it. The vat is full of water, and the water is splashing around wildly. The vat is being jerked and bumped in all directions, and the water splashes chaotically. There are waves and foam everywhere.
Now imagine that somebody comes up to you, picks you up bodily, and throws you into the vat. The vat is called “confusion,” and you have just been thrown into it.
It is hard to know why someone would do this to another human being, but they do. It happens all the time.
God wants us to love him and love (agapé) our neighbor as ourselves. If we believe in God, if we are obeying his commands, then we could never imagine throwing someone into that vat. But what about everyone else? What about those who don’t believe in God, or more to the point, who put their faith in Satan?
The people who serve Satan (and there are many of them) gain power when people like you and me are thrown into confusion. Chaos messes with our ability to think and reason. Confusion distracts us from doing God’s will.
Our God is a God of order and reason. This is evident in the creation itself. Looking at ourselves objectively, we discover we are made the same way. Humans are capable of order and reason. But there are forces at work driving us apart. Why? Who benefits from chaos?
“Divide and conquer” is a saying almost as old as time itself. It is much easier to conquer an enemy fighting itself. The saying is as true today as it was when it was first minted. Confusion divides people. Chaos separates us. When that happens, Satan wins.
Do you ever wonder if “Satan” is simply an obsolete concept? Look around! Look at the world around you. Do you see unity, or do you see chaos? Now step back and look at the big picture. In the battle between good and evil, who benefits when God’s people are confused and divided?
Uh Huh.
Same ol’ Satan that was around in the Garden of Eden. The same one who tried to get Job to deny his God. The same devil that tempted Jesus in the wilderness two thousand years ago attacked the fledgling church in Galatia a few years later. And even now, wherever you see chaos and confusion, you can be sure that behind it all is one who benefits when God’s children are divided. Wouldn’t it be nice if today we stopped letting Satan divide us and instead decided to unite and stand for Jesus?
Application: Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Food for Thought: What would God’s church be like today if there were no divisions between believers?
If the universal church were able to whole-heartedly focus on Christ, there would be less division. I look at the Apostles and believers in the book of Acts, and how focused they were on Christ, and how effective they were for Him. Through Christ, they were able to break thousands of years of tradition/history and unite Jew and Gentile under one authority, proclaiming the message of salvation through Christ for all that would accept Him. That was not small potatoes, and definitely not possible if they had been confused or divided on who Christ is, or who they were in Christ. Christ worked through them because of their undivided faith in Him. An undivided, Christ-centered, Christ-focused church would be very effective because Christ would be effective through it.
Chris,
I love your conclusion: “Christ-centered, Christ-focused … Christ … effective.” What an amazing thought! Thank you!
It would probably look a little like heaven. Even the Apostles struggled with division – Paul and Barnabas being a case in point (Acts 15: 36 – 41). While I think we will not be able to avoid conflict on this earth – if we handle it in a godly way there can be healing and a positive outcome (2 Timothy 4: 11).
Rich,
Yes, heaven is an apt description. The difference being that here on earth there would still be unbelievers, yet imagine the power of our testimony if we actually united in Christ! 🙂
12-14-2023, What would God’s church be like today if there were no divisions between believers?
At the rebellion of Satan and His minions, insanity entered this world and today we live in this broken, imperfect world which is obviously insane and growing more evil every day. Division, compromise, and acceptance of worldly practices are creeping into our churches as we approach complete unity with the greatly desired return of Jesus Christ.
Without divisions, the body of Christ would be a Beacon of Light in the darkness. A place of worship where all would be welcome. Believers would join as one body, glorifying God as we defined and offered a life of peace and spiritual prosperity to all through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Thank you, Ron.
Your “beacon of light in the darkness” is a provocative image. What do we have instead today? Not a big cohesive beacon, but thousands of tiny candles, some bright, others barely visible.
Unity would be nice!