In the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, found in Matthew 13:24-30 and 36-43, Jesus identifies the tares specifically as darnel, a plant whose seed is nearly indistinguishable from wheat while both are in their upright, growing state. This physical similarity is central to the parable's meaning: because darnel so closely resembles wheat before maturity, attempting to uproot it prematurely would risk destroying the good wheat alongside it. Separating the two is described as beyond the ability of the householder's servants, which explains why the enemy who sowed the darnel is permitted to let both grow together until harvest. Only after the wheat has fully matured can the darnel finally be detected and distinguished from the genuine grain. At that point, the tares are gathered into bundles quickly and are subsequently destroyed by fire, while the wheat is preserved. This depiction of darnel serves as the key to understanding the mixed condition of the visible church. Because darnel and wheat appear alike in their early stages, the parable illustrates how religious hobbyists and truly converted saints can exist side by side within a congregation, often indistinguishable from one another for a time. Those represented by the darnel may attend services, pray, and read Scripture just as genuine believers do, yet they remain merely superficial in their faith, ultimately identified as children of the wicked one because they have developed their character under Satan's influence rather than through true conversion. The wheat, by contrast, represents the baptized members indwelt by God's Holy Spirit, those who have received, understood, and obeyed the Word of God and are therefore called children of the Kingdom. The imagery of darnel underscores Satan's deliberate strategy: rather than sowing evil among the wicked, he sows it among the good, intending to cause confusion and division within the church. Since darnel cannot be safely separated from wheat until maturity, the parable teaches that the presence of counterfeit believers alongside genuine ones is often a mystery that cannot be immediately resolved by human effort, and God does not blame Himself for this mixture since it is Satan, not God, who sows the false seed. This teaching directly supports the broader emphasis on the church as a spiritual body unified by the Holy Spirit rather than a flawless physical organization. Because the physical, visible congregation will always contain both true wheat and deceptive darnel, spiritual unity cannot be located in outward organizational perfection. Instead, true unity exists only among those who are genuinely indwelt by God's Spirit, the true wheat, while the darnel, though outwardly similar, remains spiritually foreign. The parable thus reinforces the necessity of sound doctrine and self-examination, urging believers to ensure that their own hearts have not had tares sown into them in the form of bitterness, complaining, or spiritual laziness, so that they may be found true wheat at the harvest.