Doing What We Know To Do

Acting by faith, believing by faith, stepping into the unknown by faith, can be daunting. Often we may cry in our own hearts, pleading to have more faith! We berate ourselves for lack of faith, but self scolding doesn’t really help to build our faith, does it. Paul said something interesting in Ephesians 6:16, “…Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” We may read this and feel despondency begin to grow in our hearts as we tell ourselves, yet again, but I am so lacking in faith I can’t hold up the shield! The quest to obtain greater faith probably discourages the Christian more than anything else. Satan loves this and just keeps shooting more fiery arrows of doubt to keep weary souls in the doldrums.

Good News! We don’t have to obtain some special, yet undiscovered secret code, to walk in faith. We don’t have to amble around feeling inferior because our faith isn’t even as big as a mustard seed. All we need to do is — do what we know to do. Dr. Charles Stanley expressed this so well when he said, “When we fill our minds with Scripture and live according to its principles, Satan’s schemes lose their power over us.” So simple but so powerful. When we simply do what we already know to do, then we are acting in faith. When we obey God’s principles, then we are trusting, by faith, that He will strengthen us. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, as Paul tells us in Romans 10:17. When we hear and respond in obedience, that is an act of faith. Every single time we obey God’s word, we are acting in faith. Therefore, when we act in faith, those “fiery arrows of the devil,” must cease.

Jesus did that very thing when He was tempted by Satan. We read the story in Matthew 4. Three times Jesus was severely tempted, and three times He stood on Scripture and lived by it. Satan was defeated and left Jesus alone.

The greatest faith building exercise you and I can do is what we already know to do. Pay attention to God’s Word. They are living words providing strength, comfort, guidance. They are powerful over Satan. They make our faith stronger. Then, when situations call, we can be confident to act by faith, believe by faith, and step into the unknown by faith. When Scripture saturates us, we become strong, living in faith, defeating Satanic attacks, and bearing good fruit; all because we are — doing what we know to do.