DIVIDE AND CONQUER – THE STRATEGY OF OUR ENEMY
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 1Co 1:10
February 17, 2024
In Recognition of BLACK HISTORY MONTH!
From the time we heard God say in Genesis “Let us make man…” we saw unity and agreement in heaven. When the Godhead made man, we saw God brought man into a union with Himself. Each set of the animal species were brought in a union with a mate and developed a family. Recognizing that man did not have anyone after his kind, God made woman so that Adam and Eve with their children became the first family. It was good in God’s sight because they would reproduce after their kind and repopulate a barren world.
Before Adam and Eve could reproduce after their kind, the enemy came in to bring division between mankind and their God; and even though the family of God stayed together, division was introduced by the enemy of God and man. As we follow the biblical story, we see through Abraham that God put great importance on family. Abraham was drawn away from his earthy father not to destroy the family, but to reestablish the link with the Heavenly Father as Lord and Master.
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Joh 10:10
Abraham was married and had children who married and had children, but they all remained in the same tribe under Abraham’s care as elder and leader as he followed his God. Throughout the stories of the bible, we see starting with the story of Abraham, the importance of family as Abraham protected their unity and went to war against strange nations to win back his family member, Lot, from the enemy tribes. Family was emphasized in the Old Testament as Moses gave laws to support the protection of every member of the family unit as the children of God in community with one another.
As we continue to look throughout history, we note that through the history of the African continent, there was a tribal understanding of the oversight by the elders as tribal leaders of the family and the principles of sharing and caring for all members of the tribe. This practice is still depicted in other ethnic groups today like in the Indigenous People, Hispanics, Italians, Caribbean’s, etc.
When we follow the African story, we learn that some African tribal leaders betrayed their tradition of unity and sold off other Africans to whites for profit. We understand that it was not their immediate family that they sold but rather captives of other tribes, which was still wrong; but they preserved their own family unit.
Following the story of Africans to America, we find that captivity as African slaves led to the white ruler’s breaking up of the African family unit into pieces for their own profits in the slave system. Love for family broke the hearts of the African families as they were split apart and the male head over his family as protect was severed by the slave system. It was the destructive hand of the enemy to divide and conquer a people for generations.
The strength of the African nature led some leaders to rise up and fight back to preserve their family and the abolitionist’ spirit led the fight in many male and female warriors to reclaim the African people and their family structure of family unity. The successful recovery of the African family was accomplished in America as the black family struggled to survive in a strange land with new cultural rules.
The cruelty of the American system of slavery, racism and class division warred against the strength of the African family in America and the family unit was greatly disadvantaged as black men in leadership were hung, locked up, kept in poverty or unemployed while black people struggled to survive as male-run or single-mother homes.
A blight on African history in America was in the 60’s and 70’s, when black men decided to sell out their past heritage as leaders and protectors of the family to favor a practice of predatory and survival instinct where they sold their female companions and wives to sexual depravity with other men for personal profit. This poor leadership style in the black family was overcome in time but the strength of the black male leadership in the family was lost and females were put at a disadvantage as white rulers and oppression of the black family challenged them for everyday survival.
The black family in the 21st century has lost an important aspect of the African family life while living in America. The tribal family leadership and respect of strong leadership is relinquished to “survival of the fittest” where every person pursues his or her own advancement. Whether the family is led by male or female, married or single; the African strength of family has been lost through division of family and loyalties.
People in America have a strange leader, and it is the love of wealth, personal fame and the love of money. For the sake of money, black families in America today are willing to sell out many valuable past loyalties for survival and personal advancement.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1Ti 6:10
Even in our black churches, our ministers still practice a type of slave mentality where they will do the white man’s bidding and teach a sold-out gospel that does little good to the weary souls of black people still longing to be free. The theme of “survival of the fittest” is still allowing the devil’s device of divide and conquer to prevail against the black family. Whether the family is led by a black male or female, our victory lies in protecting the family unit and love of tribe. We are still called to love God and serve people. The transition of knowing God as Father to knowing and loving Jesus as Lord, still requires us to protect and put family first. The gospel of Christ teaches us to reset our loyalties to that which He ordained. Jesus surely taught us to care about family and the bible states that one who does not care about his own household is worse than an infidel. The practice of Jesus and the early Christian family tells us to hold family closer than strangers because we protect our own survival when we keep the devil from dividing and conquering our home front.
American life is still dividing our black homes and families over money and loyalties. Living a Christian life helps to put these things back in their proper perspective because Jesus displayed love and service to family for 30 years before stepping out from family to do ministry. Even in ministry, He won some family members, but He also served and protected first His own tribe of Jews to restore what the devil had destroyed, before setting His sights on world ministry to outsiders. Once Jesus had proven His loyalty to family, God and tribe; He then set His sights on the strangers outside the of community of Jews to save the gentiles. What Jesus practiced and taught as love of family and tribe is what black Americans need to relearn for its survival in America.
The devil is still using the practice of divide and conquer to defeat the empowerment of black people and ultimately America. White people successfully used this tactic in slavery, and they are still employing it against our people today. Men cannot sell out their women and tribe for the mere need of money and expect to succeed because family life is the ultimate goal, even of thieves. Everyone wants a family to retire to at the end of the day. Women who challenge men at every level for leadership and success should consider that at the end of the day, we all want to retire in peace at home with a loving personal family. The biblical family does not consist of two males or two females as a couple because neither set can reproduce or multiply to be a successful family as God ordained. In addition to personal family, we must survive as a people because dividing our people into warring factions is a threat to our unity as a family and the home front of our existence. These are the practices that Jesus lived and taught His disciples. After the Jewish people used the gospel to restore themselves as a people, only then were they to teach the gentile nations and try to unite as the body of Christ with multitudes of ethnicities. God is ultimately calling all people of every nation together to Himself as the family of God and body of Christ, but we must do it His way to preserve our own soul and that of the people. It is useless to overthrow each other for the highest position because Jesus already sits there and will reject every liar and thief that approaches the throne. God will eventually divide the wicked from the good to receive His family.
Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: Lk 12:51
The devil’s strategy is to divide and conquer that which God has united, but our strategy must be to preserve that which is holy. We are called to love God and our neighbor, but we cannot do that until we have accepted Christ and preserved our own soul, which entails loving those around us. It is the enemy who strives against and competes within the brethren for power over others.
Many of us have been led astray from the first truths of God: love of God and live in His ways. Let’s remember in this month of black history and in the week of love to remember the old ways that lead to life and happiness.
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Eph 4:2-3
Read the SPECIAL INTERESTS section on this site to get more information on Black History and News.
*For a more thorough look at this subject, read my book – “Christianity and Ethnicity: Is Christ Concerned About Race?” listed under literature.
Also, be on the look out for my new book coming soon.
Truth and Life Ministries of Christ with Apostle Joyce Reba Payne 