A House Divided Against Itself Introduction

Any entity, organization or home where God’s Word is upheld while worldly attitudes are also practiced, will suffer great conflict. For example when a parent is a Christian and their spouse is a non-believer, there will be problems that will override Christ’s peace.     Even a person who is saved but wavers between God’s Word and opposing worldy activities will have much conflict. This is also true for churches, so we need to make sure that we attend churches that are full Word churches. The truth of God’s Word will not stand to bring empowerment and blessing.  Society will rule. Remember, believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Within families, members against the Word will be fighting to have their own way, while believers will try to get along for the sake of Christ–usually with the result of taking on the characteristics of the unbelievers in order to live in peace or out of frustration. Whichever way the battle goes, there is going to be strife and confusion.  So continue reading if your life has been a house divided. 

Is Your House Divided?

A house divided with one side being followers of Christ and the other side followers of the world is a difficult place for God’s Word to grow within the heart. Peace and joy cannot fully exist in the heart of the believer. There is going to be an eventual outward battle between both sides or a continual inward conviction of settling for worldly values on the part of the Christian who has sacrificed a portion of his or her beliefs and integrity to survive the experience with the least amount of resistance.

Whatever conviction of following God’s Word does exist will subside and eventually erode in order for the Christian to not feel guilty or badly about not living according to scripture. Many times the believer promises to follow Godly principles ‘s again in better circumstances, but we’re to live God’s Word under every circumstance because it’s a way of life. Our hearts become distanced from God’s Word when we separate our daily lives from Him.

My experience for this article comes from a distant past of living God’s Word in our family mixed with worldly values. I was saved at age 9, but I didn’t begin studying the Word until I was in my late twenties.  This meant that our family didn’t live the fullness of a “house undivided.”  We received blessings, but we had much strife, even as Christians. I used to feel badly about that, but God reminded me that we never gave up perfecting ourselves in Christ.  We’re to live in Christ’s peace.  

A House Divided Causes Fear

Christians in a house divided may become fearful of losing their Christian testimony and feel hypcrytical when sharing the Word. They’re constantly worrying about how to live in peace and how to save the unbelievers in their midst. We’re told in the Bible not to have fear and not to worry. Instead we’re to walk in faith for ourselves and others. 

Believers can also develop an attitude of pushing others in their scope into salvation by continually judging and chastising them rather than spreading God’s love.  Constantly picking on others to follow scripture when they don’t know God causes much pain and distance between people. We should never be a hard sell to people concerning Jesus. Instead, our lives should be the light that shines outward expressing God’s love for them.  When we do share Christ, we won’t do it to judge, but to spread God’s Word. 

A House Divided Concerning Children or Minors

Children or teens who are saved should comply with the rules and beliefs of their parents or guardians until they are of age to live on their own. However, the exception to this would be if they are being abused by their parents or the parents are compliant to any abuse their children are suffering.

Parent’s are to protect their children and keep them from harm and the possibility of causing harm to others while young and once they become adults. Any child or teen suffering from abuse needs to obtain help from a trusted relative, a teacher, minister or church leader. 

Abuse Recovery Services Program Contact Information
If you, or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence call the toll-free National Domestic Violence Hotline at:
800-799-SAFE.  

The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides 24-hour, toll-free crisis intervention services, referrals to domestic violence and other emergency shelters and programs, and information about assistance networks and other resources to learn more about domestic violence.

Christian parents have a duty to their children to bring them up in a house undivided, operating the the fullness of God. They should both be in agreement. If they’re not, the one who is a Christian must live God’s Word and allow His love to fill their home in faith that their spouse and children will be saved.  This attitude overcomes division for a harmonious life-style.

A House Divided Concerning Men and Women Who Are Married

Marriage between a man and a woman who create a house divided with one living in Christ and the other following worldly values will have some form of conflict. How much depends upon how committed each is to their beliefs concerning church, the Bible, prayer, how they spend their time, what type of friends they have, their habits and vices, what they believe concerning sex and how they regard adultery and marriage.

Unless one spouse is completely compliant with everything the other partner does, Christian values can cause strife and aggravation, just as worldly values will cause frustration, anger, remorse for marrying a non-Christian and resentment that they won’t go to church or read the Bible with you.

However, in a marriage situation one should not divorce their spouse because the other is not saved. The Bible says that we should stay with the marriage partner who is unsaved and be in prayer, and an example for the one unsaved to look to as a representative for God’s love and their salvation.

Helpful Information To Study

For related short studies and articles on marriage success, walking in God’s love and more, go to: Marriage In Christ | Successful Christian Marriage.

It says in 2 Corinthians. 13:1 that in the mouths of 2 or 3 witnesses shall a thing be established. Here are verses concerning a house divided:

Matthew 12:30 (KJV)

³⁰ He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

Matthew 12:25 (NKJV)

²⁵ But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.