Having Faith in a Faithful God.
Satan delights in launching such “fiery darts” at us. These are stressful circumstances that make us fearful, unsure of what to do next. When faced with a situation that creates anxiety, doubt, or uncertainty, it is likely that Satan is attacking us in the hope of neutralizing us and shaking our Faith.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-10,
The Greek word translated as faith is “Pisteos.” One of the definitions is “Pistis,” which means reliability or loyalty. The word can mean either faith or faithfulness, depending on whether “Pisteos” is attributed to humans because man cannot be faithful, but even when man remains unfaithful, God remains faithful. If Paul attributes “Pisteos” to humans, then the expression “through faith” treats faith as a commodity or a prize and a bridge between the invisible and the visible.
“Everything we possess in the invisible cannot materialize in the visible without FAITH.“
If I have faith, then salvation comes from the faith I exercise. But if Paul attributes Pisteos to God, the verse should read: “For by grace you have been saved, because of (through) the faithfulness of God.” In this case, Paul is saying that salvation is rooted in the very character of God as a faithful and reliable person.
In a conversation with a Father about the issue of Faith and God’s faithfulness, he asked me: Zozo, what contribution have we made to our salvation? I answered: Nothing.
Paul explicitly states that we are saved by grace, not by our own will and not by our works. Therefore, the strength of the shield does not depend on your works but on the person in whom you have placed your Faith, and it must be founded on God’s faithfulness, for this is revealed in a salvation given by His grace.
God’s Faithfulness is our Shield.
The first mention of a shield refers to God as the shield of a man to whom He gives a promise.
“After these events, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.’” Genesis 15:1
This is true for all other shield analogies in the Old Testament. As the psalmist says in his lament sung to the Lord concerning Cush, the Benjamite:
“Bring an end to the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure—you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts. My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.” Psalm 7:9-10
The devil may launch fiery arrows, but the truth you must hold on to is that no circumstance can separate you from God’s love or render God’s love ineffective towards you. Writing to the Corinthians, Paul speaks of the difficulties everyone must face. The Greek word for temptation is also translated as trial. Thus, Paul encourages the Corinthians by saying:
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
Everyone faces difficult circumstances in life, but through them, God remains faithful. And even when you fall, God remains faithful.
King David was shocked when he learned that his son Absalom was leading a rebellion against him and that Absalom was already advancing towards Jerusalem with an army. David had been defended only by a troop of royal bodyguards, and he had no choice but to flee the city. As David fled, he remembered that he had betrayed his God by taking Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, then ordered his officer Joab to give Uriah a mission where he was sure to be killed.
David had failed in trying to hide his sin. Ultimately, this never prevented him from returning to God in His presence and appealing to His faithfulness. David was the only King in the Bible still alive after his successor’s investiture, despite his faults and the number of times he had fallen. That’s why he writes in Psalm 3.
“A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom. Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!”
In Psalm 3, he knew that many said of him, “God will not deliver him,” many read me now but are the first to put a final point in the lives of the anointed, not knowing that they may have arranged with God because He has not appointed a man as judge or counselor of His relationship with men.
The body of Christ has lost men, like the evangelist Jimmy Swaggart who ministered at the same time as the evangelist Billy Graham. After the shocking news, some men of God made this the theme of their seminar sermons or examples to support their views. Finally, there came a day when evangelist Billy Graham was to be received for a show, and the number of spectators increased because everyone wanted to know his reaction to the matter.
The journalists asked him what he thought of his colleague’s fall, he replied: “If it happened to Jimmy, then it could happen to me too. He is a holy man of God. He has won thousands of souls to Christ, he is already wounded, let’s not finish him off, let’s heal and lift up our soldier.”
What we ignore as Christians is that the devil knows that by touching a Hero, he can destabilize an entire army. Every individual struggle in the body of Christ has a collective impact behind it.
Dear readers, my heart weeps to see how Christians finish off our own heroes; some are the first to expose and criticize the heroes in public, forgetting that yesterday they were a blessing to the church. The fact is that the body of Christ has fewer intercessors than Philistine princes who find strategies to kill the heroes. Today, seeing a statesman, man of God, pastor, or prophet fall becomes a news topic; a sad reality.
We count, in our ranks, more people who finish off those who fall than intercessors who pray for them. David’s prayer in Psalm 3: 2-6 is the typical image of a prayer from a low point.
“Lifting his heart to God, David cried out: (3:3) Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’ Pause. But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the one who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. Pause. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.”
Therefore, lift high the shield of Faith and be ready for Satan to create difficult circumstances to force you off the path that God has set for you. Here are some ways you can take up the shield of God’s faithfulness:
Understand that God, in eternity, has already brought you through situations, tested you, and you had already succeeded before they presented themselves to you. Memorize verses that depict God as a shield and declare them.
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.” Psalm 28:7
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91:4
Find an environment that will foster your growth in the path of Faith; the Christian walk is not a life to be lived alone, maximize a certain solidarity and fellowship, this will help you believe in yourself, avoid anxiety or even depression, and help you take responsibility. Avoid, with all your might, environments toxic to your faith, where you are barely tolerated, take care of your health…
This text is an excerpt from the book “HOW DID THE HEROES FALL?” written by Paul Zozo Minu.
We invite you to read the following article “The Hero in Human Evolution“.
Faithful God
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