I had posted a terrific meme about prayer on the social media. Who could get upset about that? Indeed, never in a million years would I have imagined that anyone could possibly take offence at it or want to pick a fight over it. Yet sure enough, that is just what happened.

Some folks just love to argue. It happens all the time, and it can result in a lot of bad outcomes. Yet sadly there are also people who claim to be Christians who are in this camp – they can be so very carnal and fleshly. We all have had to deal with them, and it is so grievous to see it happening.

For example, you can be sharing wonderful and powerful biblical truths and one of these folks will come along all bent out of shape, completely missing out on what the Spirit of God is seeking to achieve. One especially finds this on the social media.

One major form this carnality takes is that of bickering, arguing and quarrelling over biblical and theological matters. Some folks just seem to thrive on picking fights and starting arguments. Never mind all the biblical warnings against this, such as 1 Timothy 6:4.

There Paul says that we must avoid those who have “an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension…” Such folks need to be reminded “not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers” (2 Timothy 2:14).

And again: “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful” (2 Timothy 2:23-24). Yet some believers seem to absolutely love to argue.

Just hours after I posted an article yesterday titled “You Might Not Be a Christian If…” I got someone on the social media saying something so silly and unedifying and so carnal that I could easily have added it to my article as another indication of where a person is at spiritually. I could have said this: ‘You might not be a Christian if want to start a war over a basic biblical truth.’

Another way of putting it would be this: ‘You might not be a Christian if while all others are spiritually blessed and encouraged, but you are not.’ Or this: ‘You might not be a Christian if you want to pick a theological fight over something that every other Christian is being fully blessed by.’

I have written on these sorts of things before, calling it an example of ‘leaning on the arm of flesh.’ Let’s say you are at church and a powerful and anointed sermon is being preached. Everyone there is being blessed and encouraged and spiritually ministered to. But one guy is sitting there all grumpy and ornery, missing out on what God is seeking to do and say.

He would rather find fault with something than let God’s Spirit speak to him and convict him. In that situation he is simply living in the flesh. He is being carnal, and not spiritual. At that point he is so far from where God wants him to be. Sadly I encounter folks like this far too often.

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