James 1:6
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Everything has an opponent. The opponent of up is down. The opponent of light is darkness. The opponent of fast is slow. The opponent of ice is heat. Likewise, if good is present, then the opponent of good will show up and try to squelch the good.
Faith is one of the key components of the Christian life. You cannot get saved without faith, and you cannot live for God successfully without faith. Therefore, if faith is at the core of the Christian life, Satan will try to offer you the opponents of faith in the disguise that they are safer than faith. Satan knows that if a believer lives by faith that his cause will be hampered or defeated. If you are going to live for God successfully, you must know the opponents of faith that would hinder you from living for God. Let me share four opponents of faith that you must beware of.
Indecision is the first opponent of faith. God says that we are to ask in faith, nothing wavering. Wavering is indecision. Indecision always hurts faith’s cause. It is the time of indecision that you often consider other ways than faith to your detriment. You must not be indecisive about living by faith or stepping out on faith. It is only by faith that the miraculous happens, and any moment of indecision is a moment that the miraculous will not have its affect on others for God. Never let indecision be your choice. If God tells you to do something by faith, you must immediately obey so that indecision does not get its grip on your heart.
Fear is the second opponent of faith. It was the fear of the disciples that caused them not to believe that Christ could get them to the other side of the lake. It was the fear of the ten spies that caused them to advise Israel to return to Egypt. Fear has done nothing good for anyone’s life. The only thing fear does to your life is it keeps you from the miraculous that faith has for you. Fear is a natural emotion, but the believer is not to live by emotion but by the directing of the Holy Spirit. To let fear control your life is to let emotions control you, which is always more detrimental than faith will ever be.
Doubt is the third opponent of faith. Doubt calls faith a liar, but faith proves doubt is the greatest liar of all. Doubt is an emotion that Satan wants you to surrender to instead of obeying God by faith. Doubt has always caused God not to be able to do the works He desires to do. It was the doubt of Jesus’ hometown that kept Him from doing the miraculous in that town. It was the doubt of Thomas that kept him from enjoying the presence of the resurrected Saviour. It was the doubt of Israel that kept them from enjoying the Promised Land. Doubt always hurts the cause of Christ. Doubt tells you that what God did in the past cannot be done today, but faith tells you that God still has the power to do the miraculous no matter what generation you live in.
Prayerlessness is the fourth opponent of faith. Prayer is what silences indecision, fear, and doubt. The fact that you don't pray is what keeps you from doing the works of faith. My friend, you will find that your faith will become stronger the more you pray. It is when you lack time to pray that your faith begins to waver. Prayer builds your faith in God’s ability and helps you to have the courage to act on faith’s command. Prayer must be your closest companion if you choose to live a life of faith.
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