Welcome back, my friends. How is your faith doing today? I want to move on with our study in faith by first looking at the stumbling blocks Satan uses to hinder your faith. He wants you to question what your faith is fastened to. What is the object of your faith? Remember, the strength of your faith is directly related to the strength of what you believe in. What are you believing in? Who are you believing in? God or the world?
Jesus says, “You cannot serve two masters at the same time. You will hate one and love the other, or you will be loyal to one and not care about the other. You cannot serve God and Money at the same time. Matthew 6:24 (ERV)
Remember, you are an escaped prisoner of Satan, and you are a danger to him. You are a holy rebel loose in his world. You are now part of God’s family with access to the throne of your Heavenly Father. You now have a big red target on your back that says “Believer” and his minions have express orders to destroy your faith, using whatever method they can.
So, how is he doing this? He and his minions place stumbling blocks in your mind’s path; let’s call them the Enemies of your Faith. His goal is to get you to question your faith in God. If he can succeed in disrupting your faith, then he sidelines you from effectively sharing the Good News about Jesus Christ and stops other prisoners (unbelievers) from escaping his grasp.
Let’s take a look at some of the faith crushing boulders he rolls in your path. Below each stumbling block, I’ve provided a corresponding Scripture verse to help you overcome the block in your path.
1.Ignorance. You cannot believe a promise until you hear it or find it
God says, If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking. James 1:5 (NLV)
2.Fear. Negative fear is an emotion based on the real expectation of bad things to come. It is rooted in anxiety and a lack of trust in God\’s fatherly protection and love. Perfect love casts out fear. (1Jn 4:18). God is perfect love.
God says, So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
3.Doubt. Doubt is an enemy to faith because it speaks with a voice that challenges the truth or the reliability of what we should be believing.
God says, Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way. Proverbs 3:5-6 (ERV)
4.Discouragement. Sometimes we feel discouraged because of physical or emotional weakness or tiredness. We may be disappointed by the behavior of other Christians. Perhaps we have waited for what may or may not be God\’s promise to you, and you grow impatient. Many Christians at some time in their lives become disappointed with God. Satan uses discouragement to weaken and if possible, destroy our faith.
God says, Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (GNT)
To overcome discouragement, we must decide to be strong in the Lord.
Last of all I want to remind you that your strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power within you. Ephesians 6:10 (TLB)
We must want to be strong and stop making excuses for our weakness and failure. We must consider God\’s faithfulness to us in the past, even through difficulties.
5.The Love of Praise. When you are more interested in what people, even Christian people, think of you, than what God thinks of you, according to Jesus, you won’t be able to truly believe in Him. Why? Because God’s priorities and man’s are different. Jesus said,
No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the only God! John 5:44 (TLB)
My friend, a lack of faith leads to a lack of obedience. God\’s commands can only really be fulfilled through faith. Without confidence in God\’s promises you will never really do what God says, For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17 (NKJV)
How often have you heard someone say, \”If I only had enough faith, I could do so and so and such and such,\” as though faith were a commodity sold by the pound, as though all you have to do is buy another pound of faith and add it to the store you have now, and you could do great things for God.
The quantity of faith is of little significance. Jesus said so: \”If you have faith as a mustard seed, you could move mountains” Matthew 17:20.
It is not quantity that is important in faith, it is the quality. Every born-again believer already has the same quality and quantity of faith that Jesus has.
Let me close our study on faith with what it is not.
- Faith is not a feeling.
- Many people think that faith is an attitude or an agreement with a certain statement, doctrine, or creeds.
- Faith is not religion. Many times, people say \”We have our faith.\”
- What they mean is this: \”We have our religious ideas and doctrines, our traditions, our ways of doing things passed down through the generations. Don\’t you try to change them.\” This is not the Biblical idea of faith.
- Faith is not mental acceptance.
- It is not agreeing with your mind, \”Yes, that is true.\” Many professing Christians believe intellectually that the Bible is the Word of God, but this faith does not change the way they live.
- Faith is not positive thinking; that is something quite different.
- The art of Positive Thinking
- Faith is not a hunch that is followed.
- Faith is not hoping for the best,
- hoping that everything will turn out all right.
- Faith is not a feeling of optimism.
Faith is not a matter of being sure of all the factual, logical, footnoted, photographed, notarized evidence that our senses can confirm. It’s not what we can see, taste, hear, smell, or feel. That’s what our human faith is based on. It is a matter of being certain of what we do not see! The greatest power to overcome doubt comes from the Holy Spirit Himself, who “bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
God’s Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God’s children. Romans 8:16 (GNT)
Trusting God
It is now time for you to take your faith and put it into action. It’s one thing to have faith, but my friend, you need to take that faith you have in God and actively combine it with trust in God.
It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe. Proverbs 29:25 (GNT)
If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. 6 In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success. Proverbs 3:5-6 (TLB)
Let me ask you, do you really take that faith you have in God and trust Him with it completely, without question or hesitation?
One of the many great and glorious Attributes of God is that He is immutable. What does that mean? The immutability of God means His quality of never changing.
“For I am the Lord—I do not change. Malachi 3:6 (TLB)
Webster Dictionary defines immutability as not capable of or susceptible to change. This describes the Lord God of the Universe.
Other synonyms for immutability are unchallengeable, absolute, unassailable, undeniable, indisputable, unquestionable, irreversible, final, unalterable, permanent, irretrievable, fixed and binding.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 (NIV)
God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change. If he says he will do something, then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised. Numbers 23:19 (ERV)
But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. Psalm 33:11 (NLT)
God is unchangeable in His nature, perfections, purposes, promises, and gifts. He is ever perfect and, as God, cannot be otherwise. Perfection is an absolute, and it is impossible for Him to be “more perfect” or “less perfect.” By contrast, a human being lacks God’s infinite capacities. A human is finite and mutable and always has room for improvement.
Webster’s Dictionary defines mutability as prone to change, capable of change or of being changed. This describes you and me.
Other synonyms for mutability are, undependable, untrustworthy, irresponsible. reckless, fickle, erratic, unpredictable, inconstant, faithless, untrue, flighty, unstable, volatile, and skittish.
Let me ask you: Have the circumstances in your life, such as unemployment, no money to pay your rent, a family member suffering from a terrible disease with no chance of recovering, sexual abuse, or drug/alcohol addiction, led you to believe that the very God you have faith in obviously can’t be trusted if He’s just standing by and doing nothing to help you? We can only find real answers to life’s uncertainties when we keep our focus on God and trust Him.
Do you feel like you should be a happier person? Do you trust in material things to bring you happiness, only to be let down with each new purchase? Or do you place your trust in people to make you happy only to find out they are untrustworthy or undependable? Do you trust that getting high or drinking is the real key to happiness, only to wake up the next morning and find that nothing has changed? We can only find real happiness when we keep our focus on God and trust Him.
We strive for more and more, trusting that the promotion or the raise or the move to a new location will finally bring us peace. Then we discovered that we did not find peace at all. We can only find real peace when we keep our focus on God and trust Him.
We all have an ingrained need and desire to trust in someone or something to be happy. It’s one of the God-given attributes we all have deep in our soul. You were created to yearn for, seek and trust God. All the uncertainty and unhappiness you feel inside of you right now can only be wiped away by seeking and trusting God.
- He is totally trustworthy, compassionate, understanding, and forgiving
- He has no equal, and will never walk out of your life, or turn His back on you no matter what the circumstances
- He can guarantee your eternal happiness and fill your life with treasures beyond your wildest imagination
- He can answer every question you have about life and many more that you haven’t even thought about yet
- Something that comes far too easily for many of us is impossible for almighty God: He cannot lie.
So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. Hebrews 6:17-18 (ESV)
Doesn’t the Bible Tell Us that God Does Change His Mind?
Some may say: Wait a moment — doesn’t the Bible talk about God repenting over a decision He has made and changing His mind? The flood being an example; God destroyed all of humanity.
The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. Genesis 6:6 (NIV)
He was sorry that He made Saul the first King over Israel.
“I am sorry that I have made Saul king. For he has turned away from following Me. He has not done what I told him to do.” 1 Samuel 15:11 (NLV)
These are passages that seem to contradict the Immutability of God. Yes, God was grieved that he had made Saul king, but he did not claim to have made a mistake. In fact, because God is perfect, he cannot make mistakes. He felt sorry that Saul’s heart had turned away from him. But later in the chapter, we see that God cannot and does not “change his mind.” There is no conflict between this fact and the reality that God was grieved.
Israel’s majestic God does not lie or change his mind. He is not a human being—he does not change his mind.” 1 Samuel 15:29 (GNT)
I cannot explain why God decreed to be grieved over making man or making Saul king. However, the explanation is amazingly simple. When speaking of Himself, God frequently accommodates His language to our limited capacities of understanding, He is infinite, and we are finite. He describes Himself as clothed with bodily members, as eyes, ears, hands, etc. He speaks of Himself as \”waking\” (Psalm 78:65 TLB), as \”rising up early\” (Jerimiah 7:13 TLB); yet He neither slumbers nor sleeps. The word that describes God using human parts in the description of Himself is “anthropomorphism,” and these descriptions do not indicate weakness or changeability in His divine will. When He institutes a change in His dealings with men, He describes His course of conduct as \”repenting.”
God’s decrees are irreversible. He will never change his decision or alter his decree. God is omniscient (all-knowing); he already knew Saul would not follow his desires. Yet, the immutable God is grieved about Saul’s inauguration. Here is the marvel. God in eternity past decreed all this. He decreed to make Saul king. He decreed Saul’s disobedience. He decreed to be grieved over making Saul king. He decreed to replace Saul’s house with David’s house (a change). All this is irreversible because God is immutable.
Faith is the cornerstone to our belief in God. But trust is the Rock on which we need to stand. God is referred to as the Rock, and it emphasizes the stability and permanence of God and His unchanging nature.
“The Lord is the Rock, and his work is perfect! Yes, all his ways are right! God is true and faithful. He is good and honest. Deuteronomy 32:4 (ERV)
The Lord lives! I praise my Rock! How great is my God, the Rock who saves me! 2 Samuel 22:47 (ERV)
Jesus said:
“Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock. Matthew 7:24-25 (ERV)
My friend, Jesus didn’t say if disasters happen or hard times overwhelm you, but when they happen. When the problems of life beat down on you like hard rains, when your doubts and despair begin to overwhelm you like a flood and when the winds of change come blowing and try to knock you over, if your faith and trust are in the Lord God of the Universe, your Rock, you will not fall.
On this rock you can trust that when you’re surrounded and battered by troubles and when you’re demoralized and not sure what to do, God knows what to do. When your faith is being spiritually terrorized by Satan, God hasn’t left your side. Remember, your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is living in your heart, He’s living within you so you can trust in Him and through Him be victorious.
The Apostle Paul reminds us not to give up.
So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without His unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times; the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (MSG)
Finally, my friends, let me close this lesson with one more word to add to the rock-solid foundation you’ve built on faith and trust in the Lord God of the Universe. The final word is hope.
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5 (NIV)
We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20 (NIV)
What is hope? Hope is to cherish a desire with anticipation. It is to want something to happen, trusting with a longing expectation of receiving it — a fulfillment to expect with confidence
I’m not speaking of a hope based on anything this world has to offer.
Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 1 John 2:15 (NLT)
we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, Titus 2:12 (NLT)
I’m speaking of the hope that comes from the Lord through the Holy Spirit. As believers, our hope is a future hope and eternal hope. My friend, there is no hope in this present world. God’s word tells us that this present-day Heaven and Earth will be destroyed and replaced with a new Heaven and Earth.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished. Revelation 21:1 (GNT)
That, my friend, is the hope we are to look forward to. It is nothing less than an eternal hope that we hope for. Remember, God is immutable; He cannot lie. So, if He said it would happen, that’s good enough for me. How about you?
Need something to hope for while you’re waiting? Grab hold of one of the verses below and make it your statement of Hope.
5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. Galatians 5:5 (NIV)
13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Titus 2:13 (NIV)
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)
For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 1 Thessalonians 2:19 (NIV)
Finally, I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NLT)
Next month, we’ll look at how, as a believer, you need to dress in order to protect yourself from Satan’s wicked barbs. To stand firm against those unbelievers living in this sinful World who encourage you to partake in their sinful pleasures. Until next time, my friend, may His mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.
The Anatomy of Sin
⇐ Victory Over Sin Pt. 1: Faith | Prepare for Battle ⇒2
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