When Disagreement Becomes Division: How the Enemy Uses Secondary Issues to Fracture the Church

Not every disagreement places us in the judge’s seat. Romans 14 reminds us that Christ—not fellow believers—is the Master before whom we all stand.

I’m noticing a trend. And I’m not convinced it’s because the Church has suddenly changed.

It might be because I have.

As I’ve grown—hopefully more mature in my faith, more grounded in Scripture, and more aware of Church history—I’ve begun to see something that should concern every Christian: our growing inability to disagree without dividing.

Not on the gospel. Not on the deity of Christ. Not on the resurrection.

But on tertiary issues—and sometimes even preferences. And the fallout is public, loud, and damaging.

Disagreement Isn’t New—But Public Dissection Is

The Church has always disagreed.

Paul and Barnabas disagreed sharply. Augustine and Pelagius disagreed. Luther and Erasmus disagreed. Calvin and Arminius disagreed.

Yet historically, the Church distinguished between:

• Primary doctrines (what defines Christianity)

• Secondary doctrines (what shapes denominations)

• Tertiary doctrines (what invites discussion without division)

What is new is this: social media has turned theological disagreement into public execution.

A single doctrinal shift. A nuanced theological clarification. A charitable conversation with someone on the “other side.”

And suddenly:

• You’re “compromised”

• You’re “dangerous”

• You’re “no longer a Christian worth listening to”

Not corrected. Not challenged. Not engaged.

Dismissed.

Throwing the Baby Out With the Bathwater

We’re seeing this play out in real time.

When prominent believers disagree—even on non-core doctrines—the reaction is often swift and merciless.

Take the recent example that some of us have watched unfold:

Kirk Cameron openly discussing annihilationism / conditional immortality.

Whether you agree with his views or not is almost beside the point.

What matters is the response.

Instead of thoughtful engagement, Scripture-anchored dialogue, and charitable disagreement, what we often see is:

• YouTube “exposé” videos

• Social media pile-ons

• Christians publicly declaring other Christians “false teachers” over non-essential doctrines

This is not discernment. This is division dressed up as zeal.

How the Enemy Loves This

Let’s be clear: Satan cannot undo the resurrection. He cannot dethrone Christ. He cannot silence the gospel.

But he can:

• Distract believers

• Weaponize pride

• Turn conviction into condemnation

• Replace unity with suspicion

Paul warned the Corinthian church about this exact tactic:

“For you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh?” (1 Corinthians 3:3)

Notice—Paul didn’t accuse them of heresy. He accused them of division.

The enemy thrives when:

• Christians police one another more harshly than they confront sin

• Secondary doctrines become identity markers

• Orthodoxy is measured by agreement with my conclusions, not historic Christianity

Discernment vs. Suspicion

Real discernment:

• Is rooted in Scripture

• Is patient

• Is humble

• Is willing to listen

• Knows the difference between error and heresy

Suspicion, on the other hand:

• Assumes the worst

• Seeks clicks more than clarity

• Gains a following by tearing others down

• Confuses theological disagreement with spiritual rebellion

The New Testament calls us to test everything—not torch everyone.

Unity Is Not Uniformity

Biblical unity does not require theological uniformity. If it did, the early Church would never have survived its first century.

Unity is centered on:

• Christ crucified

• Christ risen

• Christ reigning

• Salvation by grace through faith

When we elevate tertiary disagreements to gospel-level threats, we unintentionally say:

“The cross isn’t enough—you also have to agree with me.”

That’s a dangerous place to stand.

A More Excellent Way

What if, instead:

• We debated ideas without destroying people

• We corrected with gentleness

• We assumed sincerity unless proven otherwise

• We remembered that sanctification includes theological growth

Maturity doesn’t mean never changing your mind. It means holding convictions without losing charity.

If Satan can’t stop the Church from preaching Christ, he’ll try to stop the Church from trusting each other.

And if he can get believers to eat one another alive over non-essential issues, he doesn’t have to persecute us.

We’ll do it to ourselves.

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

Not if you win every argument. Not if you call out every disagreement. But if you love one another.