Ephesians And The Bible: The Nature Of Conflict

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice,” Ephesians 4:31 (Revised Standard Version).
Conflict and the nature of it have been around since the beginning. The nature of conflict is usually the war between what is right and what is not right. For instance, in the Old Testament, when Cain killed Abel in Genesis 4:8. The nature of the conflict was jealousy of Cain towards his brother because God had accepted Abel’s offering over his offering. Fast forward, in Romans 7:25-32, Paul is exhibiting the struggle between the flesh, the law, and sin that may arise through the law. Although Paul is not warring against another person as in the case of Cain against his brother, both cases are conflicts. Steinke shares, “A two-person relationship is unstable when tension and anxiety exceed tolerable levels” Whether the tensions are within or against another, the nature of the conflict still arises.
In the preceding scripture, the Bible displays the nature of the conflict. Bitterness, wrath (extreme anger), clamor (loud noises), anger, and slander (false statements) are areas that hinder the growth of a church. Paul is

There are several references where God gives an answer on dealing with these conflicts. God repeats the theme of loving one another throughout the Bible. However, the number one scripture is where Jesus gives a new commandment of loving one another in John 13:34-35 (RSV), “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Regardless of the flesh feelings, to be the disciple of Christ, love must remain in the forefront of the mind. Van Yperen cites, “Western culture celebrates individualism and self-promotion. Christianity calls believers to love and serve