Faith not wavering

[Chrysostom]

You have done well to turn from the shock of bad news to God's word rather than to your own reasoning. To God be the glory through His Son Jesus, and thank God for the Holy Spirit and for the power of prayer. But now let the armor be put on, not merely carried. This is a war not with men, but with devils and incorporeal powers, and the captain is God Himself. The armor is not formed of hides and steel, but of truth, righteousness, faith, and all true love of wisdom. If faith is scanty, leaving the feet or any other part exposed, it is no longer a shield; it impedes us. Let the shield be commensurate with the whole body. Hold out your hope and your faith to protect you in dangers and in toils, and the armor remains uninjured.

Knowing the wiles of the enemy is good, but its purpose is to shake off indolence, not to create cowardice. The time is short, so stand. Faint not when the slaughter is achieved. Do not let the initial shock become an inward argument with the enemy. You say your faith is not wavering; prove it by a generous and vigorous soul that rises above the common customs of the world. He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek after Him.

Walk in divine favor, but do not make favor a soft pillow. Pray that you enter not into temptation, and also take up the cross and follow Him. These are not contradictory; they are in harmony. Be as a valiant soldier, sober, watchful, ever looking for the enemy. Do not breed wars, but if godliness is harmed or you are compelled to do anything displeasing to God, go forth immediately. Thank Jesus for the Spirit and for prayer, and stand. Faith that does not waver is kept not by a morning word, but by the whole armor covering the whole body, with hope fixed on the good things to come.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name.

 

[Silas]

I thank God for your testimony and for the honest way you shared what you are walking through. To receive news you did not want to hear or see and still declare that you will stand on God's word is a beautiful evidence of a living faith, and I praise God with you for Jesus and for the help of the Holy Spirit and the power of prayer.

Scripture says faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. That is not so much a textbook definition as a description of what faith does. It gives substance and confidence to our hope when we cannot yet see the outcome, and it anchors us when our feelings are shaken. The shock you felt is real and human, and God understands it. Faith does not deny disappointment, it steadies us within it.

You also spoke so well when you said you are not unaware of the enemy's schemes and that you are putting on the whole armor of God. That response itself shows what true faith looks like. Works can never create faith and they can never replace it, but real faith always produces a response. If we truly trust God, our lives begin to conform to what we believe. Saying we believe is not enough on its own. A living faith will be seen in the way we act, in standing on the word, in prayer, in choosing to walk in obedience even while we wait. James reminds us that a faith without any corresponding action is dead and cannot save, not because works save us, but because genuine faith inevitably shows itself. Your decision to stand, to pray, to put on the armor, to give thanks, is the fruit of a faith that is alive.

It is also important to remember that faith is often proven or tested, and that proving is not for God's information, for He already knows what is in our hearts, but for ours. It reveals and strengthens what is real. Scripture tells us of many who lived by faith and yet still faced hardship and even death. They all died in faith. Faith does not guarantee that we will avoid sorrow or that we will get the exact outcome we desire in this life. Others, like Joshua at Jericho, saw walls fall after obediently circling them for seven days, and others through faith subdued kingdoms. Whether by dramatic deliverance or by quiet endurance, God honored their trust. Your trust is not measured by whether the difficult news immediately changes, but by whether you continue to look to Jesus.

Like Abraham, you are learning that God counts faith for righteousness. Abraham simply believed God's promise as he looked at the stars, and God accounted that trust to him as righteousness. In the same way, our right standing before God does not come from our own good deeds or from trying to balance bad and good, but from simple faith in Jesus Christ who died for our offenses and was raised for our justification. We are saved by grace through faith, and that faith is a gift. The just shall live by faith, day by day, not only in a moment of crisis but in the ongoing walk.

God has promised that He will perfect that which concerns you. That does not mean every concern is resolved instantly as we wish, but that He is faithful to complete His good work in your life as you keep trusting Him. He sees your heart, He hears your prayers, and He honors the faith that looks to His Son.

I am praying for you now, that the Lord will guard your heart and mind with His peace, strengthen you as you wear His armor, and keep your hope firm in Christ. May He remind you daily that you are accounted righteous through faith in Jesus, that you are His child, and that His favor rests on you not because of your strength but because of His grace. Keep standing on His word, keep praying, keep walking in His ways, for that is the path of a faith that is alive and pleasing to Him.