Page 6 - September 2025 - Truth & Tidings

ong before we know the word, we our conflict with other human beings,
learn what conflict is. The nature as in the former case “we do not wrestle
Lof a toddler soon clashes with the against flesh and blood” (Eph 6:12). Is it
1
stated rules of her parents. The expression possible that I, or my brother, or both, can
of her desires and preferences will soon be influenced by Satan? Certainly, this is
be pitted against that of her siblings and something against which we must be on
playmates. As the years pass, conflicts guard, but let us not fall into the trap of
continue to be an inevitable part of our projecting Satan’s character and motiva-
earthly experience, but growth in maturity tions onto the person with whom we find
can offer us more tools for understanding ourselves at odds.
and resolving the conflicts that come our One of our tendencies is to treat good
way. The believer in Jesus Christ should versus evil conflict as less conflictual than
recognize the significant advantage we it should be, while treating other types of
have, if we are willing to apply the prin- conflict as if they were a clearcut choice
ciples of Scripture to the all-important between right and wrong. Both errors
task of conflict analysis and its resolution. demonstrate the need for a proper con-
A critical part of navigating conflicts sideration of the nature of conflict. The
well is being able to accurately assess the biblical command concerning the flesh is
nature of each one in turn. There are some to “put it to death,” while the instruction
conflicts which are perpetual, that is, they concerning my brother is to be reconciled
will see no resolution in this life. The con- to him, and to win him back (Mat 5:24;
flicts between sin and God, the flesh and 18:15). Consider some contributing factors
the Spirit, Satan and the believer are all ex- which determine the nature of interper-
amples of this. They are conflicts in which sonal conflict.
there are clear enemies with whom there A lack of information or understanding.
will be no reconciliation and who must be How often has it been discovered that a
opposed. However, the focus of this series disagreement was due to the facts not be-
is on conflict between people. This type of ing fully known (Pro 18:13)? Here we note
conflict has some important differences to the importance of reining in our emotions
the above examples. Namely, we should and getting the facts straight before draw-
seek resolution of the conflict when pos- ing conclusions – or swords!
sible, and we should never view the other
person, whether believer or unbeliever, as A lack of perspective. Conflicts become
an enemy. exacerbated when we don’t stop to con-
sider the issues from another perspec-
If we view all conflict as a battle against tive. Maybe some honest self-awareness
an enemy, and “winning” as the desired (humility) will enable me to see that the
outcome, we fail to understand the nature log in my eye ought to be the main focus,
of the conflict and move further away
from a proper resolution. Our conflict 1 Bible quotations in this article are from the
with Satan is to be distinguished from NKJV unless otherwise noted.

262 TRUTH kTidings September 2025