Relationships are God’s idea. They can be the source of our greatest blessing and joy in this world — and the greatest source of our pain and heartache. That’s because relationships matter, and Satan knows it. In this message from GBC Phoenix, Pastor Josh White walks us through Satan’s scheme to divide us, and how we can fight back with God’s power.
Why Division Matters to Satan
Last week we looked at Satan’s scheme of distraction — keeping us from the first and greatest commandment: loving God with all we are. This week we turn to the second greatest commandment: love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31). If we’re going to fulfill that, Satan is going to work overtime to stop us.
Jesus made clear just how much our relationships with each other matter to God. The night before His crucifixion, He prayed:
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
— John 17:20-21
Our unity with one another is one of the best ways God testifies to the world about the truth of Jesus Christ. No wonder Satan wants to destroy it.
Two Ways Satan Divides Us
1. Through Anger
Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:
“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”
— Ephesians 4:26-27
Everyone experiences anger. The question is: what do we do with it? Some of us try to resolve it — seeking forgiveness, working through the problem. But most of us do the opposite: we fuel the fire. We justify our anger. We hold on to it.
Here’s the danger: holding on to anger destroys relationships. It keeps us from loving our neighbor. And when we hold on to wrath and anger and bitterness, Paul says we grieve the Holy Spirit — the very presence in us who is conforming us into the image of Christ (Ephesians 4:30-31).
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Instead be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
— Ephesians 4:31-32
2. Through Apathy
The opposite of anger isn’t peace — it’s indifference. And Satan divides us just as effectively when we don’t care.
Peter warns us:
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in the faith.”
— 1 Peter 5:8-9
A lion hunts most effectively when its prey is isolated from the herd. Satan uses apathy to pull us away from the body of believers. He whispers: I don’t need them. They don’t need me. It’s just me and my relationship with God.
Paul addressed this in 1 Corinthians 12, where he describes us as the body of Christ — one body with many parts, each needing the other:
“If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”
— 1 Corinthians 12:26
The eye cannot tell the hand, “I have no need of you.” Yet that’s exactly what apathy says — and Satan loves it.
How We Fight Back
Understand Our Spiritual Bond
Paul writes in Ephesians 4 that we are one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all (Ephesians 4:4-6). Our unity is not Optional — it’s the very bond of peace that holds the family together. When you think about what we have in common with every believer — one Lord, one hope, one salvation — the things that divide us suddenly feel smaller.
Choose to Maintain It
Understanding our unity is not enough. Paul says we are to be eager to maintain it (Ephesians 4:3). That means we choose it — every day, especially when it’s hard. Love keeps no record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:5). When we keep score — when we test people, looking for them to fail — we’re not loving; we’re dividing.
Pastor Josh shared a painfully honest story from his own ministry: a person in the church who was counting every interaction, testing whether he’d make eye contact, building a case for division. Twelve weeks of suspicion. And the whole time, Satan was winning.
The solution? Choose reconciliation. Choose forgiveness. Choose to promote the eternal bond you have with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
So What?
Ask yourself two questions:
- Where are my thoughts coming from? When emotions rise against someone, ask: are these thoughts from the Holy Spirit, or is Satan using my flesh to gain a foothold? The heart is deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9).
- Will I choose reconciliation today? If there is someone you are not at peace with, do what God calls you to do: as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18).
Don’t let evil conquer you. Conquer it by doing good — by loving, by forgiving, by pursuing the unity that God has purchased for you at such great cost.
“Don’t just pretend to love others; really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
— Romans 12:9-13 (NLT)
Scripture References
- Ephesians 6:11 — Put on the whole armor of God to stand against Satan’s schemes
- John 17:20-21 — Jesus prays for unity among believers
- Luke 4:5-8 — Satan’s temptation to divide the Son from the Father
- Jeremiah 17:9 — The heart is deceitful; we cannot always trust our feelings
- James 4:1-3 — Our passions at war within us cause quarrels and division
- Ephesians 4:25-27, 31-32 — Anger gives the devil a foothold; put away bitterness
- 1 Peter 5:8-9 — Resist the devil; he seeks to devour isolated believers
- 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 — One body, many parts; we need each other
- Romans 12:9-21 — Practical love: live at peace, overcome evil with good
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 — Love keeps no record of wrongs