Contentiousness

Matthew 5:9: Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

I have known quite number of unbelievers and even some believers for whom fighting is a way of life, a habit that they seem to enjoy and cannot or will not break. It seems more important to them than anything. They would rather fight than reason with others. They live to fight. They don*t seem to know nor care whether they are fighting for what is right or what is wrong. They can sometimes change sides on issues. The fighting seems more important to them than what they fight for. I wonder if Timothy, even though he was a believer, had that problem. Why else would Paul write about it in his second letter to Timothy. It is possible that fighting was a habit that Timothy had before he became a spiritual leader.

2 Timothy 2:22: Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. 24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

James 4:1: From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

It seems that fighters would rather fight than pray. James taught that fighting kept prayers from being answered and even kept prayers from being prayed. I think his readers were fighting rather than praying.

Proverbs 13:10: Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

Some fighters have no interest whatsoever in what God wants. They do not know His will and do not want to know it. They have not studied the Bible, or at least they have not studied it enough. There is only one thing that is worth fighting for and that is God*s will. Fighting for what God wants comes from humility. Fighting for what we want comes from pride.

Jude 1:3: Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Ephesians 6:11: Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Since our worst enemies are unseen and spiritual, we need the armor of God and the Bible and prayer. Wrestling against flesh and blood, individuals we can see, is not always fruitful.

God is a Spirit and the spiritual battles that we fight are more His than ours. They cannot be fought without prayer, the more prayer the better.

1 Samuel 17:47: And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD*S, and he will give you into our hands.

Care to discuss Contentiousness with Ron?

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