Billy Joe Daugherty - Overcoming Strife - The AIDS Virus of the Spirit

Contents

4 The Principles Jesus Taught Eliminated Strife

Strife: The AIDS Virus of the Spirit

AIDS is a disease in the natural realm for which there is no proven cure. It is the result of things that have gone wrong in people's hearts, in their attitudes and in their actions that has manifested in a disease that affects the immune system. (The immune system is that part of the body that fights off disease.)

Similarly, there is a disease in the realm of the Spirit that stops spiritual immunities, and that disease is strife.

When people get into spiritual AIDS, they do something unnatural: it is unnatural for someone born of love to get out of love. We are love creatures, born of a love Father, with a love Savior. Love should be our way of life. When we get out of love, it breaks down all the immunities.

Because of its destructive potency, we need to understand what strife is and how to deal with it.

Strife has such power that it can nullify all of the spiritual weapons God has given us.

Strife is defined as "contention, rivalry, selfish ambition, or an argumentative spirit." Noah Webster in his 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language defines strife as "exertion or contention for superiority; contention in anger or enmity; contest; struggle for victory, quarrel; contentious." Bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness are all part of the strife family.

James had something to say about strife and contention:

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation (lifestyle) his works with meekness of wisdom.

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

James 3:13 ,14

There is nothing to boast about when there is strife in the heart. People say, "I am so angry, upset and frustrated." They boast about their anger, frustration, resentment and antagonism toward an individual. James says, "Don't boast about your envy and strife, because it is against the truth." Verses 15 and 16 tell us why:

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish .

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

James 3:15 ,16

Envy, strife, bitterness, unforgiveness, arguments, resentment and fighting open the door to confusion, every evil work, unrest, disharmony, rebellion, accidents, calamities and tragedies.

Then James identifies the qualities of godly wisdom:

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

James 3:17 ,18

Where Did Strife Originate?

Pride is the root cause of strife, which can be defined as selfishness. Pride originated with the devil when he said in his heart:

...I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Isaiah 14:13 ,14

Even though Lucifer was an archangel of God, pride entered into his heart. He didn't begin as Satan. He began as Lucifer, one of the covering angels over the very throne of God. He led the worship in heaven, but he began to seek his own selfish ambition.

Ezekiel said of Lucifer, who became Satan when he fell:

Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius , topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth ; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

Ezekiel 28:13-15

Strife came and there was war in heaven. When there is strife, there will always be war, whether it's in the marriage, the home, the church, or between nations.

Jesus said, "...I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven (Luke 10:18). Because of pride and self-exaltation, Lucifer lost his position in heaven. He was removed from that place of authority.

If you have authority over the enemy in your home or in a ministry, that position is degraded when you allow strife to rule in your heart.

Spiritual Immune Systems

In the natural body, there are immune chemicals that are released to fight diseases we don't even know about. They fight germs that float in the air, in the water we drink, or in the food that we eat. God has an immune system inside of us. It is an amazing system that rises up and fights the alien forces of the enemy.

God's immune system includes His Word, prayer and praise and the name of Jesus. It includes the shield of faith which will stop every fiery dart of the wicked (Ephesians 6:16); the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony (Revelation 12:11); submitting yourself to God and resisting the enemy, causing him to flee from you (James 4:7); putting on the whole armor of God to stand against the wiles, schemes, plots and plans of the devil (Ephesians 6:11).

If strife gets into your blood stream, it will nullify the effectiveness of these immune systems. It will knock out the prayer of faith, the Word of God, the name of Jesus and the power of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

When you are free from strife and are filled with God's Word, the blood of Jesus Christ will knock out the things the devil sends against you. As you begin to praise and worship the Lord, depression and fear are knocked out of your life.

We have many immune systems in the realm of the Spirit that are fighting against the devil's attacks. I think people would be amazed if they knew how many illnesses are the result of strife. Many people think communication is the main problem area in marriage. Some say it is sexual or financial problems. I say the real root problems are pride and selfishness, which cause negative manifestations in every realm of life.

The immune systems God has given us are short-circuited in an atmosphere of envy and strife.

The Principles Jesus Taught Eliminated Strife

In the principles Jesus taught, He always presented a way to avoid strife. In Matthew 5:3941, He said:

...Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

In that day, the Roman soldiers commanded the occupied servants of the land to carry their bags a mile. Jesus said, "Carry it two miles. If he asks for your coat, give him your cloak also."

Many people fight over what someone wants.

They fight over inheritances. They get into a war with their brothers and sisters over a cup or a vase that Grandma left, over Mamma's comforter, or Grandpa's rifle. Yet, what they gain through strife, they will lose to the devil. What you gain through strife, you will lose to the devil, too. That's why we never win by arguing or by getting into strife.

You can differ with someone, but you don't have to do it in strife, contention, envy, or jealousy. I'm not saying that you are to be a doormat and everyone just rolls over you. I am saying there is a way that your spirit can be controlled so that when you differ with someone, you can state your position without getting into strife.

Promotion does not come from the east or the west, the south or the north. It comes from the Lord (Psalm 75:6 ,7 ). God will promote you and give you what is coming to you in due season. You may have to walk two miles for it, but Jesus says that is far better than losing your peace.