Human nature includes a desire to be first and an ability to compete or overcome. Good lessons come from striving to prevail, but satan has twisted competition so that people forever compete against one another. Society is driven by competition, which is defined as conflict between individuals, groups, nations, animals, and others for territory, a niche, or allocation of resources. At some levels competition remains informal and serves only for fun or bragging rights, yet other competitions become extremely serious and can even lead to wars. This winner-takes-all mentality shows no concern for the cost to others and has no place in the Christian life. Such competitiveness is simply another form of self-exaltation that elevates the self while putting down others and soon leads to conflict. It all reduces to self-centered pride, which holds no value in God's eyes. Jesus taught that anyone who desires to be first must be last of all and servant of all. This competitive spirit does not come from God and must be overcome in order to reflect the image of Christ. One form of competition is called cooperative competition, which promotes mutual survival so that everyone wins. Individuals or groups work together against a common foe for the benefit of all. This kind of competition fits the Christian life because all share the same enemy. God has already chosen His people to become firstfruits, and they are therefore first in His eyes. There is no need to compete for a worthless trophy in this world.

Competitiveness is a dominating character trait of human nature's self-centeredness that disturbs the peaceful and harmonious quality and activities of life. To compete is to strive with another or others to obtain a goal. Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, nations, animals, and others for territory, a niche, or a location of resources that arises whenever two or more parties strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition produces wars and rumors of wars. Competition combined with coveting causes almost all wars as well as divorce on a small scale and business as war. Politics is highly competitive and is war. In the Israelitish nation the dominant economic model is capitalism whose dominant motivation is competition to create wealth. In capitalism competition is perceived as good because without it there would be no advancement in quality of life. The central theme of the theory of evolution is survival of the fittest which is a euphemism for the continuation of life through competition. In athletics the object is to defeat those striving for the same goal and the competition can become so intense that participants proclaim it is war. If competition is uncontrolled fairness equity equality impartiality integrity and justice begin sliding out the window and those less strongly competitive and maybe less skilled and playing by the rules are not on a level playing field. The source of the fire of competition is the spirit of satan who is so competitive that he took on the Creator God to wrest rulership from Him. Competitiveness ultimately separates people from each other. All labor and all excelling in works is a man's rivalry with his neighbor. All painful effort in labor and all skill in work comes from man's rivalry with his neighbor. The incentive to work is not the accomplishment of something truly worthwhile but is in short a bad motivation and life thus becomes rivalry-based rather than mutual cooperation-based. The potential for producing bad fruit rises exceedingly with the rivalry and God judges it as a vanity something that is futile. Somewhere there is a balance because man's rivalry and competitiveness with one another is unchecked and when it is free to do just about anything all kinds of imbalances begin to occur within a society. A Christian's primary motive is to be service rather than profit. There is a social obligation to see that every worker is adequately rewarded for his work. Competition for gain should be replaced with cooperation in service. Christianity cannot be identified with capitalism socialism or any other particular economic system. Capitalism is able to produce wealth and spread it around in a fairly balanced way through the culture but history also shows that an evil side-effect intensifies competitive spirit in man and with that it also produces disagreement division and war in a variety of levels and intensity. One cannot use a wrong system and produce good all around for everybody. Strife is rivalry competition. The stress in this word is on rivalry competition. The way it is translated is what the rivalry produces and it produces variance contention warfare separating people from one another. The antonym the opposite for the Greek word translated as strife contentions or rivalry is the Greek word which means peace. All of the works listed together clearly indicate why there is so much disagreement and division everywhere throughout all time and that includes these things being in the church.

Competition forms a foundational aspect of American society from childhood through adulthood. Individuals compete for attention, grades, athletic success, scholarships, and marketplace positions. This drive produces economic growth and innovation such as improved products. At the same time it fosters a throwaway culture focused on obsolescence and eventual transition to an information and technology based economy. Within the church competition among members destroys unity and doctrinal agreement. It operates as a form of conflict or war that pits one person against another for the same objective. Such struggles arise from lust, coveting, poor priorities, and pride. Pride elevates the self above others and leads to disputes. satan first demonstrated this attitude by choosing to compete against God. A proper form of competition exists when participants strive to do their best without seeking to harm or demote others. This approach supports collective improvement. Destructive competition however aims at tearing down another person or vaunting the self. Humility counters pride by prompting individuals to esteem others better than themselves and to consider the interests of others. Longsuffering enables patience with those who hold differing views. In doctrinal disagreements love requires bearing with others rather than driving them away through harsh words. God works in each person and provides time for growth. Individuals must work out their own salvation while holding fast to the truth they possess. Cooperation that shares knowledge and experience replaces competition and maintains peace.