The Fighter’s Way

Paul’s short letter to the church in Galatia packs a punch. He goes after religious leaders who were encroaching on the freedom of believers insisting that their devotion to God was inferior because they didn’t follow enough rules. Paul uses harsh language to describe his feelings about this legalistic group (see Galatians 5:12).

Reminiscent of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13 (often called the love chapter), Paul tells the Christians in Galatia what really counts is “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). This is a timely word for the American church where factions often set up an ahistorical standard for orthodoxy and denounce anyone who differs in any way as heretics. Paul would remind us that without love, all our talk is empty (1 Corinthians 13:2).

Those who are always attacking others for the slightest difference in doctrine or practice will eventually run out of allies. In time, everyone will become an enemy. No one will measure up to their standard of perfection. It will be them against the world. That’s a lonely way to live. That’s an inexcusable way to lead.

The persistent fighting of all the “other” groups will turn to into a culture of fighting which will inevitably give way to infighting. The infighting will inevitably turn into isolation. And when there is no one left, when the fighter is the only one deemed faithful, then everything and everyone will be an enemy in need of vitriol and attack. Paul describes this as spiritual cannibalism. But this cannibalism goes further than devouring others, it consumes the joy, the life, the very soul of the fighter as well.

This kind of ethos can only be described as the building of personal empires. And as Scripture reminds us, all such empires will eventually fall in submission to the true King. Paul warned the church, that if they tolerated such behavior — the constant attacking of others — they would end up devouring each another. The remedy is love and service.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. (Galatians 5:13-15, ESV)