A Church Divided: Lessons from John the Baptist

A house divided cannot stand. Those words from Jesus (Mark 3:25) feel more true than ever when we look at the Church today. But this isn’t new. Even in the earliest days of Christ’s ministry, division was already creeping in…

False Religions and a Lack of Solidarity

I visited with friends this past weekend and, among many discussions, the topic of the rise of false religions came up. Two strong factors in their rapid growth are, firstly, their birthrate, and secondly, their solidarity. Solidarity – something seemingly absent within the body of Christ today.

There are many reasons for this: doctrinal disagreements, leadership competition, church scandals, lack of love and humility, and the biggest one today – political polarization. Christians have allowed politics to take center stage, sometimes even above the Gospel. We’ve forgotten that “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

When Politics Overshadows Identity in Christ

Christians are allowing political identity (left vs. right, conservative vs. progressive) to overshadow their identity in Christ. And I get it, I am there too – a Christian conservative living in indignation, appalled by the martyrdom of a fellow brother in Christ. But I try to keep it Christ-centered, knowing that what truly matters is the Gospel. And so I’m mindful that what I share must always point to our Savior – even if politics are the topic. But let’s face it, it’s hard. But why?

Pride and ego.

The Root of Division

The enemy exploits division in the Church by distracting us from the Great Commission. When believers are consumed by politics, social media debates, or “winning arguments,” the Gospel itself gets pushed to the background – even if the Gospel is the motivator. The enemy delights in Christians who are busy debating political identities because, when we are emotionally led, we tend to operate from pride, ego, and fear. And instead of defending the faith, we get lost in defending ideologies.

This corrupts our witness. In John 13:35, Christ tells us that if we have love for one another, all people will know that we are His disciples. A divided church sends a broken message to the outside world. It can make us hostile or appear hostile instead of showing love and unity in Christ. The enemy uses this to make nonbelievers want nothing to do with our Christian faith. At what cost? Their very souls!

The First Dispute

Today, as I asked the Lord to speak to me, I landed upon the book of John. And as I read chapter 3, I realized that Satan has been causing division in the Church since the beginning of Christ’s ministry! I was in absolute shock – not only at discovering that the enemy’s tactics started as early as when Jesus walked the earth, but also at how quickly God showed me what He wanted me to learn. In John 3:22-30, we can see that a dispute arose between John the Baptist’s disciples and other Jews regarding Jesus’ new ministry. Jesus and His disciples were attracting more people to get baptized – something John started.

“Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him” (John 3:26).

Jealousy. Comparison. Competition. Ego-centric ministry. These are some of the distractions evidenced in this first encounter of division. Satan’s tricks are old, yet we fall to them 2,000 years later. All of these tactics are still at play today but politics are the dominating idol. When loyalty to parties or nations outweighs loyalty to Christ, an idol is raised, and division is inevitable.

So what can we learn from John?

Humility.

The Antidote to Division

“A person can receive only what is given them from heaven… The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:27, 29–30).

What humility! What clarity! John’s joy was not in preserving his own platform but in seeing Christ exalted. John understood what his disciples did not: the ministry was never about him. It was always about Jesus. That humility crushed division before it could spread. Crushed it.

John the Baptist could’ve had every reason to be jealous if he’d had the wrong heart posture. Crowds that once followed him were now flocking to Jesus. His disciples were worried about losing influence. But John’s response silenced rivalry at the root. John’s heart posture trampled the serpent right where it had rooted. This is the antidote to division – not clinging to influence, not doubling down on politics, not competing with one another. But rejoicing when Christ is glorified, even if it means we fade into the background.

A Call to Unity

In Ephesians 4:3, we are advised to “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” So we must ask ourselves:

The Church does not need louder political voices; it needs faithful, humble witnesses of Jesus. The world doesn’t need another divided institution; it needs the unified Bride of Christ. Division is one of the enemy’s oldest tools, but the cure is timeless: humility and an unwavering focus on Christ.

The Church will only shine when we, like John the Baptist, are willing to say: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John’s heart posture trampled the serpent right where it had rooted.