There’s no sidestepping this one: the Body of Christ is wounded, and it’s a wound inflicted from the inside. We’re not dealing with a minor fracture or a slight difference of opinion. This is a division so raw, so wide, it’s unraveling the very fabric of the Church. And if we don’t face it head-on, this division will cripple the Church’s power, its purpose, and its calling. This is about a Church so caught up in rivalry, in faction, that it’s starting to lose sight of what it was meant to be—a single, united body under Christ.

What Happened to Our Unity?

How did we get here? When did we let the foundation of unity crumble beneath us? Somewhere along the line, the Church got tangled up in the world’s way of doing things, fighting to be the “best” church, the “most anointed” ministry, the “most accurate” in doctrine. Congregations are vying against each other, pastors are looking over their shoulders at one another, and ministries are so consumed with pride that they refuse to cooperate. The Church was meant to function as one body, each part doing its job to support the whole. Instead, we’ve become a mess of limbs all thrashing in different directions, each one trying to outshine the rest.

Division Isn’t Just Ugly—It’s Deadly

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a matter of appearances. Division in the Church is a disease, a spiritual sickness eating away at our strength. Imagine your own body attacking itself; we’d call that an autoimmune disorder. Well, that’s precisely what’s happening in the Body of Christ. We’re devouring ourselves, each faction battling the others, and it’s weakening us all. Our divisions—over style, doctrine, who’s “real” and who’s not—are a sickness that’s hollowing out our power to impact the world.

Take a look around, and you’ll see it everywhere. Denominations barely acknowledge each other. Believers are quarreling over who has the “right” theology, who is the “true” servant. Every corner of the Church is trying to prove itself better than the rest, and in doing so, we’re missing the unity Jesus prayed for. This infighting isn’t just an unfortunate side effect—it’s a betrayal of our calling.

The Roots of This Division: Pride and Rivalry

So, what’s driving this? The simple answer is pride. Pride and rivalry are at the heart of our disunity. Everyone wants to be on top. No one wants to be the servant. We’re caught up in a world that values fame and influence, and now churches and ministries are starting to buy into that game. Let’s face it: as long as pride is running the show, unity doesn’t stand a chance.

Jesus talked about humility, about washing each other’s feet, about lifting one another up. But somewhere along the way, we got so focused on building our own little kingdoms that we forgot we were supposed to be one body. Pride is poisoning us, and none of us are immune. It’s not just the celebrity pastors or the famous ministries; it’s every believer who thinks they’re the “right kind” of Christian, every church that looks down on others, every leader who refuses to join hands with someone else because of pride.

We’re Giving the Enemy Exactly What He Wants

This division isn’t just happening by coincidence. This is an orchestrated attack. The enemy knows that a fractured Church is a feeble Church. If we’re busy tearing each other down, we’re not exactly equipped to stand against the powers of darkness, are we? The Church is supposed to be a formidable force, a beacon of hope, a unified body. But instead, we’re squabbling amongst ourselves, breaking apart the very unity that gives us strength.

Let’s be real—the enemy doesn’t even have to try hard when we’re doing his work for him. Every time we let pride get in the way, every time we choose competition over collaboration, every time we refuse to come together, we’re playing right into his hands. And we’ve got to wake up to that reality. We’re called to be vigilant, to recognize the enemy’s schemes, and right now, division is his go-to weapon against us.

We Need a Heart Check—Right Now

It’s time for some honest reflection. Are we truly committed to unity, or are we more interested in being “right”? Are we ready to lay down our pride for the sake of the Body of Christ, or are we more concerned with building our own reputations? This is where we need to pause and take a hard look within. Unity isn’t just a nice idea; it’s essential. Without it, we’re not the Church Jesus envisioned.

Unity isn’t easy, and it’s not cheap. It demands that we lay down our ambitions, our desire for recognition. It means choosing to serve, even when it’s uncomfortable, even when it doesn’t benefit us directly. But if we’re not willing to pay that price, we’re just a bunch of disconnected parts, and that’s not going to cut it. We can’t keep living like this, not if we’re serious about fulfilling the mission Jesus gave us.

So How Do We Heal?

It starts with humility. Healing begins when we’re willing to admit we don’t have it all figured out. When we stop competing and start coming together. The Church wasn’t meant to be a marketplace of competing brands. It was designed to be a family, a body where every part has value, where no part is “better” or “more important” than the rest.

Next, we’ve got to deal with pride and rivalry. We need to call it out, address it, and root it out wherever it’s found. If we’re serious about unity, we can’t ignore the things that are killing it. Pride and rivalry have no place in the Body of Christ, and we’ve got to be bold enough to say that.

And let’s remember who the real enemy is. We’re not enemies of each other. Our struggle isn’t against flesh and blood; it’s against spiritual forces that love it when we fight each other. We are stronger together, and it’s time we started acting like it.

The Church Cannot Afford to Stay Divided

The Church has a mission that’s far too crucial to let division and pride disrupt it. We’re called to reach the lost, to bring healing to the broken, to be Jesus’s hands and feet in a hurting world. But we can’t do that if we’re busy wounding each other. We can’t do that if we’re so wrapped up in our own rivalries that we lose sight of the bigger mission.

So here’s the choice before us: Are we going to keep letting division and pride weaken us, or are we going to stand up and fight for unity? The Church cannot afford to stay divided. It’s time for us to get serious about healing, about becoming the Church Jesus intended—a Church that stands together, that fights together, that loves together.

Because a united Church? That’s a force nothing in this world can withstand. It’s time to stop the infighting and start living like the Body of Christ we were meant to be.

—Joshua L Mullins