Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, but any fool will quarrel. Proverbs 20:3.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Where jealousy and strife are there is disorder and every evil work. James 3:16, Jealousy and strife are works of the flesh and they are not fruit of the Spirit. That should warn you right there to have no tolerance for those in your thoughts or on your tongue.
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:18-24.
An angry man stirs up strife, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression. Proverbs 29:22.
So the churning of anger produces strife. Proverbs 30:33.
Strife is an evil thing, it can tear apart families, spouses, church congregations, and nations. It divided My people Israel into two nations, Judah and Israel, at the time of Solomon’s death. Solomon brought it about by leading the people into idolatry. They were no longer one nation under Me, and the northern kingdom of Israel even went after idols to an extreme Solomon had not crossed.
You notice the same in the book of Judges, when the last of the elders who knew Joshua died out, not one took up the torch to teach the next generation My Word and jealousy and strife developed and the result was confusion and every evil work. Each just did what he or she thought right. And the result was chaos, crime, unsafe roadways and travel, robbery, violence, immorality, and every evil thing. No one knew My Word.
How was that overcome? I found a boy named Samuel whose mother had consecrated him to My service and he listened to My voice, found My Word, and led My people back to Me. And he was the one I had anoint David to be the shepherd of My people Israel.
Samuel had at first anointed Saul of the tribe of Benjamin to be king, but Saul gave in to jealousy and strife by his fear that the people were preferring David to him while David was in his service, and he dragged the army and all his children into that jealousy and strife so that all were destroyed in a defeat by the Philistines.
Saul, once he was overtaken by jealousy and strife, became a tortured and tormented man, not from the outside but from the inside, and could no longer hear from Me and turned to sorcerers and mediums, which could only give him the words of the devil. His jealousy and strife left him no peace and destroyed him and his entire family.
If only he had stopped it in his heart when it started the history of Israel would have been very different. But he had no respect for My Word. And he just kept nurturing the bitter roots he had allowed the devil to plant in his heart until finally an evil and unclean spirit possessed him and tormented him with jealousy, fear, self-ambition, and strife.
So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. It happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments. The women sang as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” Then Saul became very angry, for this saying was evil in his eyes; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on. 1 Samuel 18:9.
And all he would have had to do was be pleased that he had such a valiant warrior serving him that he could have just stayed home in his palace and never had to go out an fight again. Jealousy and strife, once let in your heart, are irrational.
And it began as not only jealousy but also as anger. Do not let the sun go down on anger, do not give the devil a place, not even a toehold.
Strife is a quarrel, struggle, or clash, contention, rivalry, bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism. It is one of the six things I hate, and one of the seven things that are an abomination to Me. In My Kingdom there is no strife, it is perfect unity even though each member is unique and has their own assignment that is no one else’s.
There are six things which the LORD hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19.
And that one that is the abomination is the one who sends out strife among brethren. Never start strife with your tongue, it is deadly and set on fire by hell. Never play with profane fire. It will burn you. It will sear your conscience so you become insensitive to My leadings and My Word, like Saul the first king of Israel did. It made him lose his authority and gave it to another who would do My Will.
Did you notice of the things I hate five of the seven have to do with your tongue, that is, with your words?
Never speak strife, never let it get its foot off the ground, keep it under your feet. Tread on it.
“Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high. Isaiah 58:4.
Even if you fast and keep the traditions of worship at your church it does not make up for you allowing contention and strife, and striking out against others whether in spoken or written words.
If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. “And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell. Isaiah 58:9-12.
Do not point your finger at others, speaking your own words, giving free reign to your mouth and causing strife, setting off arguments. Be serious about this. It opens you to attacks of the devil. Jesus gave the devil no part in Him. He only said My Words and did the works I showed Him.
A worthless person, a wicked man, is the one who walks with a perverse mouth, who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who points with his fingers; who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, who spreads strife. Therefore his calamity will come suddenly; instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing. Proverbs 6:12-15.
How do stop your tongue from strife? Read on after the six things I tell you I hate and the seven that are an abomination. The answer comes right after that.
My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; bind them continually on your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life. Proverbs 6:20-23.
Only My Words can stop strife for they are Spirit and life. They are life to you and health to you. Write them on the tablet of your heart by hearing them and speaking them. Keep them always before your eyes, remain in them and let them remain in you until they become your way of thinking and speaking, until My Word keeps watch over you. Jesus is My Word by which I speak to you and He is the high priest of your confession—“homologia” which means speaking in agreement with Him so that I can perform your words of agreement.
Strife, jealousy, and anger are all works of the flesh, but your mind should no longer be set on the flesh but on the spirit. It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is useless. It is time you stood up to your flesh and subdued it. I am present as your helper and My grace can stop strife. Try to be at peace with all men as far as it depends on you. A calm answer turns away wrath.
For you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? 1 Corinthians 3:3.
Remember the reason for the division of Israel, the loss of the kingdom to Saul, and evil at the time of Judges? The jealousy, anger, and strife that came from the rejection of My Word or just the lack of knowledge of My Word and going after idols. No constraints. No purpose. And that is what you are seeing now in these last days, a famine in the land, not for bread but for My Word, doctrines of demons becoming rampant in godless philosophies and sexual immorality, the confusion of gender, and the lack of respect for the sanctity of life.
Without love and unity in My Word, there can be no agreement but only contention and strife.
Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and strife in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and strife exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:13-15.
Receive My implanted Word, it can save your soul. Let My Word keep you in the secret place of My presence.
You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues. Psalm 31:17.
You will know when you are in strife with someone, anger will rise and the argument will escalate. But you must stop that before it goes too far to stop. If nothing else, just get silent and walk away from it to another room or area and refuse to speak about it until things are calmer.
The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so abandon the quarrel before it breaks out. Proverbs 17:14.
And be careful with whom you are joining in fellowship, a hot tempered person can lead you into strife and contention.
An angry man stirs up strife, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression. Proverbs 29:22.
And a scoffer can turn you away from My Word.
Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out, even strife and dishonor will cease. Proverbs 22:10.
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:1-2.
A house divided against itself cannot stand. Drive out strife to have a happy life.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forever. Psalm 133:1-3.
And there is the ultimate remedy for strife—the anointing. The anointing of your High Priest Jesus is running down the whole body and I anointed Him with the oil of joy. Strife cannot stay, in fact, strife cannot enter where there is joy, pure joy. When you are filled with joy and the Holy Spirit strife is not an issue. You just laugh at it.
Why are the nations in an uproar (in strife) and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!” He who sits in the heavens laughs. Psalm 2:1-4.
You can laugh at strife for you are well past its reach. I have seated you in Heaven in Christ next to Me. Let us laugh together.
When strife raises its ugly, unclean head, just refuse to participate in it. The anointing and My grace is sufficient for you to do this. Just cast the care of it on Me and I will take care of it. Settling those matters for you is not difficult for Me. Your vindication is from Me.
“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10.
I love you. Never speak rashly, wait until you have My Word to share. Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.