Jesus assumes true believers will “nail their colors to the mast,” and then division will inevitably come. Satan will then attempt to get us to think things like, “You can’t divide with your child! How heartless!” or, “Come on, this is your mother! Don’t you love her? Surely this division isn’t worth it. And those grandkids need their grandparents!” The devil knows what he’s doing. He doesn’t care about your relationship with your family. He only wants you to deny Christ.

Relationship conflict is stressful. I don’t like it at all. But according to Jesus, his followers are not always going to be at peace with others. This is how he put it.

Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. (Luke 12:51-53)

Jesus’ words might be surprising, especially when thinking about the angels singing at his birth, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14). And isn’t he the one who will “guide our feet into the way of peace” (1:79)? Yes, through Jesus we are reconciled to God. So, in that way, he came to bring peace.

Nevertheless, until Jesus returns, believers and unbelievers will be in conflict. Jesus says that even at the most intimate levels of relationships — among family members — he brings division. When we clash with unbelievers, we want to make sure it’s not because we have done something foolish or said something unkind. However, if you skip your nephew’s birthday party on a Sunday evening and instead attend your church meeting, watch out! Division is coming, just like Jesus said it would.

What if you’ve not seen allegiance to Christ cause division? It’s possible you aren’t bold enough. When a person becomes a new believer, he gets a new agenda in life with new desires and new tastes in things like jokes and entertainment. Believers even talk about subjects like modesty and choose to avoid certain activities that used to give them happiness. These differences can put major stress on relationships with unbelievers.

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