The Cure for Unbelief

We have learned the central importance of faith in the life of the Christian; it is no surprise that Satan makes it his first priority to attack us through unbelief, doubt, and murmuring.

How, then, do we kill the aphids of unbelief?

1. Understand who God is.
We must acknowledge that our God is great and that he is good. “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands” (Deuteronomy 7:9). There is no other God. To worship anything else is to worship an idol, a demon. This God is faithful in his being and, therefore, in his promises.

Our God is good to us! God says of his people, “I will rejoice in doing them good . . . with all my heart and soul” (Jeremiah 32:41). He is promising, “I will summon all my capacities and power to save you and to do you good.”

2. Trust in God’s word.
We must implicitly believe the Bible because it is the very word of God. Jesus loved, believed, and obeyed the word of God, and he used it as his primary weapon to resist the devil’s temptation (see Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus, though hungry, refused to turn stones into bread, stating, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'” (Deuteronomy 8:3).

Man lives by obeying God’s authoritative words. Although he was hungry, Jesus refused to change stones to bread without divine sanction. Genuine faith in God and his word is the victory that overcomes the devil and the world.

3. Know the enemy’s purpose.
Satan wants to destroy our faith; he knows that if he is successful, we will have believed in vain. The apostle Peter warns us, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

We must resist the devil by submitting to God and drawing near to him. We read in James, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you” (4:7-8). As we submit to God we can resist the devil and enjoy victory over unbelief!

For more information, we recommend Pastor P. G. Mathew’s sermon, “Faith is the Victory”.