One day, I witnessed an argument between two Christians. Each of them was convinced they were right and tried to prove it with logic and reasoning. In the end, both were upset, and the argument had hurt them even more.

I was standing nearby, and suddenly I felt the presence of Jesus like never before: an extraordinary peace came over me. I could feel that our Lord was there, but He was distant from the argument on neither side. Yet each of the individuals was convinced Jesus was on their side.

Let me tell you this: when you argue with someone, Jesus is never there; He never agrees with you. Arguments are powerful tools the devil uses to wound, divide, and destroy. Don’t be deceived! Very often, when God is working in an area of your life, the enemy will do everything he can to destroy what God is doing and arguments are one of his most effective weapons.

You come back from a meeting where God spoke to you, you’re full of faith, and then suddenly you get into an argument over something trivial. And everything God gave you seems to vanish: the peace, the joy nothing is left! The devil has stolen it all, and now you’re fixated on what someone said to you. A small remark takes on huge proportions and turns into a major issue. The devil doesn’t want you to come out of your problems; he will do everything. I assure you to throw you right back into them.

But when it comes to quarrels, the solution is simple. God wants to shape His character in us so we can walk in the works He has prepared in advance. The Word tells us to seek peace with everyone:

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.” — Hebrews 12:14-15

If someone speaks ill of you or hurts you — whether intentionally or not — choose God’s way: don’t respond. That’s how you’ll have victory over the enemy. Always react in love, and then God will use you — what joy! It’s not the easy path. It’s hard not to respond when you’re hurt or angry, but what a blessing it is to do God’s will and avoid the traps of the enemy!

We all want to be powerfully used by God, but first He must shape our character. Moses, after bearing with the people of Israel, became the meekest man on earth. God’s character was formed in him. God won’t use us if we spend our time quarreling. On the other hand, rest assured — the enemy will!

So, don’t give the devil any more room and allow yourself to be transformed by God. Develop the character of Christ in you!

This text is an excerpt from the book “365 Days at the Master’s Feet” written by several French-speaking authors, the main one being Jérémy Sourdril.

We invite you to read the next article: “PRAYER IN THE SPIRIT.”

REFUSE TO ARGUE. REFUSE TO ARGUE.