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“By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5 NKJV)

Many heretical teachings are spreading like wildfire across the churches today. One such teaching is presenting faith as a mere presumption, wishful thinking, the almighty force that can compel God to act, or the almighty formula for solving any life problem.

The concept of faith as the “almighty force” that can move, motivate, compel, or manipulate God to give or do anything you wish or want is absurd and unbiblical.

Many believers today are frustrated and depressed in a bid to use their faith to compel, persuade, manipulate, or control God to grant their wishes, desires, and prayers or to carry out their commands.

A proper spiritual understanding of faith and how it works is crucial to your Christian life, for a call to be a Christian is essentially a call to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

The Christian life, race, or journey starts with faith in the provision of God’s grace, and only by faith in God’s grace can it be successfully finished or completed (Eph. 2:8, Col. 2:6). It is impossible to live a victorious, overcoming, triumphant, or prosperous life in this evil world without a true and living faith in God (1 John 5:4-5).

Moreover, the Scripture warns that whatever does not proceed from faith is a sin in the sight of God (Rom. 14:23). So, any believer who is not living and walking by faith is simply living and walking in sin. It is a life of faith in the finished work of Christ that pleases God (Heb. 11:6).

Without a living and dynamic faith, you cannot appropriate, possess, or enjoy all your inheritance or blessing in Christ. Therefore, it is crucial for you as a believer to understand what true, living, and dynamic biblical faith is and how it works.

Contrary to the widespread but false and unscriptural teachings about faith in the Church today, faith is not seeing what is not real, it is not speaking what is not true, and it is not seeking, claiming, or possessing what does not exist.

True faith is not seeking or striving to motivate, compel, manipulate, persuade or impress God by your prolonged fasting and prayer, good works or performance to promise you what He has not promised you before in His Word, or to give you what He has not given you in Christ, or to do for you what He has not done for you before in and through Christ Jesus.

Instead, true, living, and dynamic biblical faith is simply appropriating, receiving, and possessing what God has already given to you in Christ and done for you through Christ.

True faith is not striving or seeking to move God by any means; instead, it is you moving to say what God has already said about you and your situation and to receive what God has already given you in Christ and done for you through Christ.

True faith is not laboring through fasting, corporate prayer, a prayer of agreement, tithing, offering, or sowing all kinds of “prophetic seeds” to appease God as though He is angry or to motivate God as though He is lazy or reluctant to save, heal, deliver, and bless His children, or to perform miracles.

When you say, give, or do anything with the intent or motive to appease, persuade, motivate, compel, or manipulate God to provide you with something or to do something for you, you are no longer operating in true faith in the finished work of Christ, but in your imperfect works (Gal. 5:1-4).

Sadly, many preachers today call undiscerning believers to move or motivate God to act according to their wishes or desires by giving generous offerings, praying, or fasting for some days in specific ways or at certain sacred places.

True and biblical faith is not trying to motivate or persuade God to respond promptly and positively to you through good works. Instead, true faith is you responding promptly and positively to God—to what God has already said, given, and done for you in Christ and through Christ.

True faith is your positive response to God’s Word. It is your positive response to the finished work of Jesus Christ for your salvation, healing, deliverance, victory, fruitfulness, success, breakthrough, or prosperity in life.

You are not operating in the proper and biblical faith when you are still seeking to appease, impress, persuade, or motivate God by your self-righteousness, performance, or good works to bless, heal, deliver, or prosper you.

Seeking to motivate God to bless you by your performance or good works shows that you don’t believe God’s Word that He has already blessed you with everything in Christ through the finished work of Christ (1 Cor. 3:21-23, Eph. 1:3, 2 Pet. 1:3).

Faith does not push, force, or motivate God to do anything for you that He has not already done by grace. Faith takes hold of, receives, and appropriates what God by grace has already done, given, or provided for you in Christ and through Christ.

God’s grace has made salvation and all its benefits accessible to all men. There is nothing good that Christ’s atoning sacrifice or finished work of redemption has not provided and made available to all men.

Scripture amply affirms this truth.

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” (2 Pet. 1:3 RSV).

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 1:3 RSV).

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32 NKJV).

Faith is believing, speaking, and acting according to the truths of God’s Word. Faith is you seeing and receiving what God has already given in Christ and done for you through the finished work of Christ.

Faith is not you seeking to push, motivate, compel, or force God by any means to give or do anything for you on account of your self-righteousness or holiness; instead, it is you believing that God has already given you everything on account of the finished work of Christ.

Beloved, if you have a true and living faith, you will rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and continue steadfastly in prayer, giving glory to God, “and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” (Rom. 4:21 NKJV).

But how does true faith operate?

Find out in the following piece!

Prayer:

Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me live and walk daily by the true and biblical faith, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” (Romans 4:20-21 NKJV)

As Abraham continued to walk with God, he reached a point where he could no longer doubt any of God’s promises.

The Scripture reveals that there was a point in Abraham’s walk with God that “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” (Rom. 4:20-21 NKJV).  

From that point, Abraham’s eyes became fixed on God’s promises, and he would not “consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.” (Rom. 4:19 NKJV).

You also must desire to get to that point in your walk with God! 

Abraham’s conviction about God’s ability to perform what He had promised resulted from his intimacy with God. He had come to know God too well to doubt His willingness, power, or ability to fulfill His promises to him.

Even when all things in the natural realm were contrary to what God had promised Abraham, he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief because of his revelation-knowledge of God. Abraham had come to know God as the One who gives life to the dead and calls into existence that which does not exist (Rom. 4:17).

Like Abraham, if you also get to know God well enough, you will never again doubt God’s willingness and ability to fulfill His promises.

The root of unbelief is ignorance!

Your lack of confidence in God’s Word indicates a lack of revelation knowledge of the God of the Word. You constantly struggle to believe or trust God to perform what He has promised you because you don’t have personal revelation knowledge of God’s infinite love, wisdom, and power.

It is impossible to know God intimately and still doubt His willingness and ability to do whatever He said He would do for you. Unbelief or doubt is an offshoot of ignorance of God’s love for you in Christ Jesus.

You will always doubt God’s promises to you until you are fully convinced that God loves you unconditionally and infinitely. If you are rooted, settled, and grounded in God’s love, nothing can shake or overthrow your confidence in God’s words or promises (Rom. 8:35-39, Eph. 3:17-19).

You cannot have a revelation or experiential knowledge of God’s love for you in Christ Jesus and still struggle to trust God to supply all your needs, heal, deliver, protect, or guide and help you.

When you know, recognize, or acknowledge God as your light, salvation, and strength, your heart will never fear or doubt; instead, you will also be confident and bold (Psa. 27:1-3).

Although the children of Israel saw diverse signs and wonders of God while in Egypt and in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land, they continually doubted God’s love, wisdom, power, and promises (Psa. 78:19-20).

You may ask, “What on earth was wrong with the children of Israel?”

Ignorance!

Lack of revelation knowledge of God!

They never got to know God intimately!

They only knew the acts of God, but they did not know the ways of God (Psa. 103:7). Like the children of Israel, you will never know what it means to be steadfast in the faith, not wavering at the promise of God through unbelief, if you don’t have personal and intimate revelation knowledge of God.

Only those who know God intimately can trust Him wholeheartedly. Therefore, intimacy with God is an effective antidote against unbelief. The depth of your personal, intimate, or experiential knowledge of God determines the degree to which you will trust God. You cannot trust God more than you know Him.

Trusting God is the fruit of knowing God!

When you know God deeply, you will trust Him better!

Like Abraham, as you grow in the revelation knowledge of God, you will get to a point when you are fully convinced that God can perform what He has promised. Moreover, as you renew your mind increasingly with the truths of God’s Word, you can trust God increasingly.

An unrenewed mind is the breeding ground for fear, unbelief, and doubt. Therefore, you cannot overcome fear, doubt, or unbelief without renewing your mind according to the truths of God’s Word.

Your unrenewed physical mind doubts and rejects God’s promises or words (Rom. 8:7). Your physical mind has been properly schooled, trained, programmed, or set by your old, sinful, and fallen self to fear, doubt, rationalize, or reject spiritual realities (1 Cor. 2:14).

Even though you are now a new creation or self in Christ, you still possess the same physical mind of the old self, trained to doubt and rationalize God’s Word. Therefore, when you allow your unrenewed physical mind to rule, dominate, or control you, you will always doubt and rationalize God’s promises or words.

It was not the boisterous wind that was responsible for Peter sinking while walking on water towards Jesus, but his unrenewed physical mind. Peter began to sink when he started to see and process the boisterous wind in his mind, as any natural man would (Matt. 14:30). At that point, fear and doubt began to dominate his mind, causing him to sink.

The unrenewed physical mind is the primary cause of why many believers today are sinking into sins, sicknesses, defeat, failure, or poverty. You cannot walk in the perpetual victory Christ has won for you if you only see, think, or process things in your physical mind as a natural man.

Like Peter, God has given you all that it takes to walk on the troubled water of life, but without renewing your mind or thinking according to the truths of God’s Word, you may not walk long on the troubled water of life before you begin to doubt God’s Word and thus begin to sink.

It took a renewed mind for Paul not to sink into doubt, unbelief, depression, and discouragement when he was hard-pressed. He didn’t see or process his sufferings for the sake of Christ with his physical mind as a natural man would.

That is why Paul could say, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (2 Cor. 4:17 NKJV).

Similarly, no matter how hard the devil may press you on every side, like Paul, you will not doubt God’s love for you and faithfulness to keep His promises if you don’t see and process things with your unrenewed or carnal mind.

Beloved, no boisterous wind or storms of life can cause your faith to falter, shake your confidence in God’s promises, or make you doubt God’s love for you and thus make you sink into depression and despair if you choose not to see, perceive, view or regard the storms of life as natural men would do but as a spiritual man in Christ Jesus.

Fear, doubt, or unbelief can only rule and dominate your mind when you begin to see, evaluate, and process what happens to you as a natural man would.

Therefore, stop seeing, thinking, or processing things as natural men do. Instead, begin to see, think, and process things as a new creation in Christ, just as Jesus Christ Himself would.

That is the sure way to overcome fear, doubt, and unbelief!

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, teach me daily by Your Word and Spirit how to see, think, reason, perceive, and process trials and challenges of life as a new creation in Christ, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:23-24 NKJV)

You don’t need faith as big as your problem to handle and overcome your situation in life. All you need is a small but pure faith—faith without unbelief.

According to the Lord Jesus, as a mustard seed (the smallest of all seeds), a tiny amount of faith is sufficient to remove a mountain if no unbelief exists to hinder or negate it.

The Lord Jesus told His disciples, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matt. 17:20 NKJV).

Nothing will be impossible if you have only a tiny amount of faith, without unbelief!

“If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” (Luke 17:6 NKJV).

The efficacy of your faith is not determined by its size but by its purity. Small but pure faith is more powerful than great faith with a bit of unbelief.

Unbelief always negates, neutralizes, or counterbalances faith. This is why some believers today appear not to have any faith.

Every believer in Christ has received from God the measure of faith. The Scripture testifies that “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Rom. 12:3 KJV).

No one can be saved without first receiving the measure of God’s faith, which comes by hearing God’s Word, the gospel of Christ.

Paul writes, “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17 RSV).

We are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). This faith is not ours because we are spiritually bankrupt as sinners. It is “the faith of the Son of God.” (Gal. 2:20 KJV).

According to God’s Word, if you are a born-again believer, you already have in your recreated spirit the faith that is sufficient to live a victorious, triumphant, prosperous, and fulfilled life in this world.

If you don’t allow unbelief to pollute, negate, or neutralize this faith, Jesus said, “Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matt. 17:20 NKJV).

Today, many believers live a life of defeat, not because they don’t have faith, but because they have allowed unbelief to overwhelm and submerge their faith by focusing on and meditating on the negative things they hear, see, touch, or feel rather than on God’s words or promises.

It takes a little yeast or leaven to raise the whole dough. Similarly, it takes a bit of unbelief to pollute, defile, negate, or neutralize your faith.

It took great faith for Peter to walk on water toward the Lord Jesus. However, all it took to deplete, negate, or neutralize his great faith was a little unbelief or doubt.

As soon as Peter took his eyes off Jesus and set them on the boisterous wind, fear and doubt entered, sapping his great faith, and he began to sink (Matt. 14:28-30). No wonder Jesus queried him, “Why did you doubt?” (Matt. 14:31).  

Many believers today, like Peter, are sinking into sinful habits, defeat, failure, or poverty, not because they don’t have faith but because they have taken their eyes off Jesus, thereby allowing fear, doubt, or unbelief to come into their hearts to defile, deplete, negate, or neutralize their faith.

While it is good to seek to build up a massive faith in your mind by constantly hearing and meditating on God’s Word, if you don’t guard your mind against unbelief, a little unbelief will defile, deplete, neutralize, or negate the enormous faith you are trying to build and thus make your faith ineffective or unproductive.

The Scripture reveals that it is possible to have both faith and unbelief simultaneously. The unholy mixture of faith and unbelief is the primary cause of the defeat, failure, and frustration many believers are experiencing today. Pure or undefiled faith overcomes the world (1 John 5:4)!

While the Lord Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration with His three closest disciples (Peter, James, and John), His other disciples struggled in vain to heal a boy with epilepsy by casting out the demon that afflicted him. But Jesus came right in time to save the situation.

When Jesus was alone, His bewildered disciples came to Him, asking, “Why could we not cast it out?”

The Lord responded, saying, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matt. 17:20 NKJV).

The Lord’s response to His disciples’ sincere question about the cause of their defeat, failure, or frustration in casting out the demon and healing the boy who had epilepsy brought to them revealed that they had faith and unbelief simultaneously.

The disciples had cast out many demons and healed many sick people before that time. This shows that they had faith in the name of Jesus Christ to cast out demons and heal the sick (Matt. 10:1).

However, in the case of the boy who has epilepsy, the disciples could not cast out the demon and heal the boy because they had allowed the boy’s father to sow seeds of unbelief in their minds as they listened to his story of past experiences of defeat, failure, and helplessness.

The boy’s father had both faith and unbelief. His plea to Jesus revealed, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24 NKJV).

The man’s unbelief contaminated, defiled, neutralized, or hindered the faith of the disciples of Christ from casting out the demon and healing his boy.

Perhaps the disciples also fixed their eyes on the strange manifestation of the demonic spirit in the boy, thereby allowing fear, doubt, and unbelief to enter their minds, polluting, negating, neutralizing, or counterbalancing their faith (Luke 9:42). 

Therefore, you must always guard your mind lest anyone sows the seeds of doubt or unbelief in your mind by his words, stories, or experiences of defeat in life and thus defile, neutralize, or negate your faith in God’s Word.

Don’t focus on the negative things you see around you; set your mind on God’s words and promises.

Martha is also a typical example of someone who had a mixture of faith and unbelief. When Jesus eventually showed up at Bethany, Martha accosted Him, speaking words of great faith.

The Scripture records, “Then Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. “But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” (John 11:21-22 NKJV).

However, when Jesus responded with assurance, saying, “Your brother will rise again,” Martha’s hidden unbelief came to light (John 11:24-28).

Jesus had to rebuke Martha sharply for her unbelief when she tried to stop the men the Lord Jesus had commanded to remove the stone from Lazarus’ tomb.

Jesus asked her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40 NKJV).

The slight doubt or unbelief in Martha’s heart, like a bit of leaven, permeated her whole being, submerged her faith, and corrupted and hardened her mind against the Lord’s words.

Beloved, beware of doubt or unbelief in your mind, for it may eventually overwhelm and submerge your faith and corrupt or harden your mind against God’s Word.

Therefore, purge the evil leaven of doubt and unbelief out of your mind today before it permeates your whole being and negates or neutralizes your faith (1 Cor. 5:7).

Prayer:

Lord, help me today to uproot and cast out all the tares of unbelief competing with and choking the seed of faith in my mind, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2 NKJV)

Growing up steadily in all things into Christ is not optional but mandatory for all believers. God predestines everyone born into God’s family to grow steadily and healthily until they reach the full measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

The Scripture reveals that the primary purpose why God has set up men as spiritual leaders in the Church is for our spiritual growth – “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ.” (Eph. 4:14-15 NKJV).

However, it is disheartening that the majority of the people today who claim to be Christians and attend church services dutifully are still spiritually immature, fearful, carnal, sensual, selfish and shallow in spiritual understanding, and unstable in the faith—always been tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, and constantly drifting from one church to another and from one prophet to another.

More than ever before in the history of the Church, we now have many gifted, anointed, and charismatic church leaders. Nevertheless, many people who regularly fellowship in our churches and under the tutelage of these great leaders remain spiritual babes.

Something is wrong somewhere!

But what on earth could it be?

In the first part of this piece, we explored some possible causes of spiritual retardation in today’s Church.

First, we noted that the majority of people in our churches may not be genuinely born again, though they may assume or claim to be.

Without being born again of the Spirit and the Word of God, it is impossible to have the seed of God or the divine potential to grow into Christ (1 John 3:9).

Second, we also noted that many believers do not grow spiritually because they assume that spiritual growth is automatic or comes naturally with time. It certainly requires effort if we desire to mature in the faith and be conformed to Christ in all aspects.

Let us further explore more causes of spiritual retardation or hindrances to spiritual growth.

Third, many believers in our churches today are not growing up steadily into Christ because of the shift in our church leaders’ primary goal, purpose, and pursuit.

Church leaders indeed wield a significant influence over the people of God. Suppose the pastor’s ultimate purpose and pursuit is the spiritual growth and transformation of the believers under his authority into Christlikeness. In that case, the believers under his influence will undoubtedly desire and pursue spiritual growth above anything else.

It is, however, sad but true that many of our church leaders today are primarily concerned with the numerical and financial growth of their congregations, not with the spiritual growth of the believers under them.

It is so unfortunate that many ministers of God today, who would gladly pray and fast for a significant influx or increase of people and finances into their church, hardly care about seeing the people saved, changed, or transformed progressively into Christ’s image or likeness, as long as the people still keep coming and gathering to them.

The Scripture testifies that the early apostles were primarily concerned about the spiritual growth of the believers under their care. Paul and his team constantly prayed for their converts’ spiritual growth and transformation (Gal. 4:19, Col. 1:9-10, 4:12).

Today, our church leaders must re-prioritize their prayer lists and teaching subjects. Spiritual growth and transformation of believers should always be the primary focus of their prayers and teachings.

Lastly, many believers today are no longer advancing in the faith and growing into Christ because they consider themselves to be ahead, better, more spiritual, or more mature than other believers around them.

How mistaken they are!

Unhealthy spiritual comparisons are one of the major causes of spiritual retardation among believers today. It is unwise to compare, judge, or measure your spiritual growth by the life and character of anyone else except that of Christ (2 Cor. 10:12).

While it is good and beneficial to have a spiritual mentor, leader, or discipler whose love for God, godly lifestyle, faith, and labor and sacrifices for God’s kingdom you can emulate; however, you must be careful not to set any man, regardless of his spiritual level or maturity as your perfect or ultimate standard and model of spirituality or maturity (Heb. 10:24).

Beyond mortal men or human leaders in the Church, we must always be “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:2 NKJV).

Beloved, don’t fall into the subtle trap of judging or evaluating your spiritual life or growth by your spiritual charisma or gifting, or by your church’s numerical or financial growth, or by your material prosperity, career advancement, educational attainment, economic success, or by exploits in life and ministry.

When you are not judging or evaluating your life and character by the teaching and example of Jesus Christ, you are using wrong or imperfect spiritual standards or measurements for growth.

Friend, your spiritual growth is your responsibility, and you cannot transfer it to another person, not even your pastor or mentor (Phil. 3:13-14).

Therefore, even if your pastor fails to pay any close attention to your spiritual growth and development, you must take it upon yourself to grow into Christlikeness in every aspect of your life by renewing your mind through diligent and regular intake of God’s Word, by a regular communion with God in prayer, and yielding to God’s Spirit.

Moreover, your glorious transformation into the image or likeness of Christ in your thinking, speech, emotions, conduct, or lifestyle is progressive and continuous. It is a lifetime process!

You are expected to grow up in all things into Christ until Christ is fully revealed to you at His second return, and you see Him as He is.

1 John 3:2-3 – NKJV
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Prayer:

I declare today that my ultimate goal and pursuit is to grow up in all things into Christ. Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me relentlessly pursue this goal, and influence other believers around me to do the same, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.” (Hebrews 5:13 NKJV)

Every normal parent takes special delight in their child’s healthy growth and development. Parents derive great pleasure, joy, or fulfillment from watching their children grow into responsible adults who can be trusted with responsibility and authority.

Parents take special pride or delight in speaking about their children’s healthy growth and development, successes, and achievements.

Likewise, God delights in His children’s healthy spiritual growth and development. God loves to see every believer grow up in all things into Christ. God has made abundant provision in the Church for every born-again believer to grow up in all things into Christ (Eph. 4:11-16).

Every faithful pastor takes delight in the spiritual growth of the believers under their tutelage. Apostle John said, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3 John 1:4 NKJV).

Any pastor or spiritual leader who takes no delight in the spiritual growth of believers under his care is selfish, sensual, and wicked. Unfortunately, many servants of God today take no pleasure in seeing believers under their authority grow up in spiritual understanding, knowledge, or discernment.

Why?

So that they may continue to deceive, control, manipulate, abuse, or exploit them! How sad!

When a child is not growing or developing healthily and steadily in every aspect—physically, mentally, emotionally, or otherwise—those who genuinely love and care for the child become deeply concerned, troubled, and unhappy.

Moreover, the child also becomes a burden to his parents and those around him. Similarly, when you are not growing up in a healthy, steady way in every aspect of your life into Christ, you will become a burden and a concern to your pastor and to all those around you.

All those who genuinely love you in God’s family should be concerned when you are not growing, developing, or maturing in the faith as you should.

After several years of claiming to be born again, if you still have to depend constantly and totally on your pastor or prophet to hear, know, discern, or recognize God’s voice or to receive divine guidance and direction for your life, then you have not grown up spiritually.

Likewise, after many years of being in the faith, something is wrong if your conduct or character still does not resemble that of Christ in any way or if you are still not bearing or manifesting the fruit of the Spirit. You should be concerned!

But what are the possible hindrances to healthy spiritual growth?

Why are many people in our churches today not maturing in the faith or growing steadily into Christ?

Let us consider some possible causes and solutions.

First, many people in our churches today are not growing up into Christ simply because they are not yet born again and thus do not have the divine life, nature, or seed of God in them.

As a lizard can’t grow up into a crocodile or a rat to grow up into a cat, a sinner can’t grow up into Christ, notwithstanding the years he spends in a church, his position in a church, or his activities in a church.

Until you are born again, you don’t have and cannot have the divine potential to grow up into Christ or become like Christ.

Only those who have become a partaker of God’s nature through faith in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ possess spiritual potentials or capacities to grow up in all things into Christ (2 Pet. 1:3-4, 1 John 3:9).

The truth is that there are many people in our churches today who suppose that they are born again because of their regular attendance, faithfulness in tithing and offering, fervency in prayer, full participation in all church activities, compliance with all the church’s doctrines or traditions, or because of the miracles they have received from God.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Unfortunately, many of our church leaders strengthen and confirm these baseless assumptions of these unregenerate church converts by publicly commending their good but dead works in the church, praising them for their generous donations, and even giving them special responsibilities in the church, and by honoring and rewarding them with leadership positions or titles in the church.

It is so sad but true that there are many religious sinners or unregenerate church converts in our churches today ushering the saints into “the house of God,” leading us in spiritual worship and ministering to us in spiritual songs, teaching God’s Word to our children, and worst still, serving as deacons, evangelists, pastors, and elders in the church.

What an aberration!

Whether a sinner is in the church or on the street makes no difference. No matter how religious or prayerful a sinner may become, he can never become like Christ or grow up into Christ until he first experiences new birth or spiritual regeneration through faith in the person and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ alone.

Second, many believers today are not growing spiritually because of the erroneous belief or mindset that spiritual growth is automatic or comes naturally with time.

Even naturally, a child does not automatically grow up or develop healthily and steadily without input from their parents or effort on their part. A new babe in Christ must be started on the pure milk of the Word of God so that he may grow up (1 Pet. 2:1-3).

However, the young believer must not stay on the milk of the word forever. He must desire and go for the solid food of the Word of God.

Many believers are not growing steadily in the faith today because their pastors continually serve them milk rather than solid food—they are only taught the elementary principles of God’s revelation (Heb. 5:12-14).

Beloved, if you claim to be a believer in Christ and are not being changed progressively into the likeness of Christ in your mindsets, values, emotions, or conduct, you must scrutinize your spiritual diet.

Perhaps you are not yet genuinely born again, so you do not have the divine potential to become like Jesus Christ. Or maybe you have stayed too long on the milk of the Word, not feeding on solid spiritual food.

It is indeed high time you changed your spiritual diet!

Hebrews 5:13-14 – NKJV
13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Please learn more about the hindrances to spiritual growth and how to overcome them in the second part of this piece.

Prayer:

Dear Holy Spirit, open my eyes today to why I am not spiritually growing in a healthy, steady way in all things into Christ, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” (2 Corinthians 4:11 NKJV)

Growth is defined as a development from a lower or simpler to a higher or more complex form; an increase in size, number, value, or strength; extension or expansion (The American Heritage Dictionary).

Naturally, this definition is true, but spiritually, it is not accurate or applicable. True spiritual growth cannot be defined or measured in terms of increase in size, volume, number, value, or strength.

The new creation is one with Christ, complete in Christ, filled with the fullness of Christ at the new birth (Col. 2:9-10).

The Scripture amply teaches that believers lack absolutely nothing about life and godliness, or anything necessary to live a godly life. In Christ, you are blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3, 2 Pet. 1:2-3).

Therefore, true spiritual growth is not about increasing the size, height, stature, power, or glory of the new creation in Christ.

True spiritual growth is not seeking to improve on God’s divine and holy nature we received at the new birth, or the quality of God’s kind of righteousness imputed to us at the new birth through faith in Christ.

True spiritual growth is not seeking more blessings, grace, anointing, authority, or divine abilities from the Holy Spirit. It is neither striving to do more good works to please God nor being acceptable to God.

If this is your concept or idea of spiritual growth, you will always be frustrated, for you can never by any means or effort add to or remove from what God has done in you and for you through the finished work of Christ.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 – NKJV

 14 I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.

Your born-again spirit was sealed with the Holy Spirit at the point of regeneration until the day of redemption!

Ephesians 1:13-14 – NKJV

 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

 14 Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 4:30 – NKJV

 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Sadly, because of the wrong but widely accepted concept of spiritual growth in the Church today, many believers are striving in vain to improve, increase, develop, educate, or mature their recreated or born-again spirits through various spiritual exercises.

As a result of ignorance, many believers today pray and fast to strengthen, anoint, or empower their spirits. They read and study God’s Word because they want their spirits to gain greater knowledge and understanding.

What sheer ignorance!

While it is good and right to pray and fast and read and study God’s Word, it is not for the sake and benefit of your recreated or born-again spirit.

Instead, prayer and fasting and studying God’s Word are for the sake and benefit of your soul (mind, will, and emotions), which still needs to be purified, sanctified, or renewed daily, and for the sake and benefit of your body which still needs to be disciplined and kept under control daily; for they are yet to experience full redemption (Jam. 1:21, 1 Cor. 9:27, Rom. 8:23, 1 Pet. 1:9).

However, your born-again spirit is already fully redeemed and perfected in Christ; therefore, it needs no further growth, improvement, or development (1 Cor. 6:17, 15:47-48, 1 John 4:17).

Your born-again spirit is presently in the perfect state of holiness, perfection, or maturity that it will be throughout eternity. Nothing is to be changed, removed, or added to your born-again spirit. It is entirely like Christ in every aspect.

If it is true that the believers’ born-again or recreated spirits are identical to Christ, why then are we still commanded to grow up into the full stature of Christ?

Man is not just a spirit; he also has a soul and body (1 Thess. 5:23). While your recreated or born-again spirit is already full of Christ, your soul and body are yet to receive or experience the fullness of Christ.

Though the full redemption of your soul and body is guaranteed, it is ongoing and will be completed in the future—at the physical return or full revelation of Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:13-14).

Your recreated inward man is already fully conformed to the image or likeness of Christ, but your soul and body still bear the image of Adam, the fallen man.

You are identical to Christ in your spirit, but not yet in your soul and body. Though you already have a new spirit, you are yet to have a new soul and body like Christ’s.

Growing into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ has nothing to do with your recreated spirit, but it has everything to do with your soul (your mind, will, and emotions) and your body.

While your spirit is already quickened and raised with Christ and is presently seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, your soul and body are still full citizens of this earth (Eph. 2:4-6).

While the fullness of Christ is dwelling presently in your born-again spirit, your soul still has many negative and ungodly imprints and stuff of your old man that was crucified with Christ, and your body still has all the human weaknesses and frailties.

While all the desires and delights of your new inward man or recreated spirit are godly, pure, and perfect, those of your soul and body are often ungodly, impure, and imperfect and, therefore, need to be daily examined, purified, or renewed according to the truths of God’s Word.

Beloved, true spiritual growth is not seeking more from God but letting God have more of you. It is not praying and fasting and reading and studying God’s Word to strengthen, develop, or educate your inward man (your born-again spirit), but rather to purify your soul or renew your mind and to discipline and bring your body into subjection to your inward man so that they also can experience and manifest the exceeding riches of grace in your spirit.

True spiritual growth is not seeking more power or anointing of the Holy Spirit, but yielding more of your soul and body to the Holy Spirit so that His power and anointing in your inward man may flow or manifest increasingly unceasingly in and through your outward man.

In summary, true spiritual growth is growing in the revelation knowledge of Christ and becoming more and more like Christ, not in your spirit but in your thoughts, words, imaginations, perceptions, understanding, actions, or character.

This can only happen as your carnal mind is increasingly renewed through constant reading, studying, listening to, and meditating on the truths of God’s Word; likewise, as your body is increasingly disciplined and put under subjection through Spirit-led fasting and prayer.

Babes in Christ are believers who remain carnal or ungodly in their thinking after being born again. They refuse to continually put off their old ways of thinking and living and put on new ways of thinking and living according to the ways of Christ (1 Cor. 3:1-4).

We cannot genuinely claim that the Church is growing if we are only increasing in size, number, material prosperity, mental or intellectual knowledge of God, spiritual gifting, or acquisition of earthly possessions, but not becoming more and more like Christ in our thoughts, perceptions, actions, values, virtues, conduct, or lifestyle.

Friend, as a new creation, you have the fullness of Christ (His Spirit, Life, Nature, Glory, Wisdom, and Power) in you, but you must let it shine forth or manifest increasingly and continuously in your soul and mortal body.

That is true spiritual growth!

Prayer:

Help me, Holy Spirit, renew my mind and discipline my body continually while waiting for the physical return or revelation of my Lord Jesus Christ, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18 NKJV)

Few things in life are incompatible. Love and fear are undoubtedly contrastive and incompatible. It is impossible to have both together at the same time. Where there is love, there is no fear; where there is fear, there is no love.

John clearly states, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18 NKJV).

Why does fear still bind many people who claim to be in love today?

It is simply because natural, erotic, or sexual love is not strong enough to cast out fear and deliver any soul from the torment or anguish of fear!

Then, what kind of love can eliminate fear and deliver the human soul from fear’s torment or anguish?

Perfect love!

The love of God is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:39)!

The Scripture reveals that only divine and perfect love (the love of God in Christ Jesus) is the perfect cure or antidote for fear, driving it out and delivering you from the bondage and torment of fear.

John testifies, “Love has in it no element of fear; but perfect love drives away fear, because fear involves pain, and if a man gives way to fear, there is something imperfect in his love.” (1 John 4:18 WNT).

According to God’s Word, if there is any element or trace of fear of anything in your mind, you are not experiencing or walking in divine and perfect love.

Divine and perfect love has no element of fear in it. When you receive, experience, and operate in God’s kind of love, fear will have no place in your heart, for perfect love drives away fear.

There are four Greek words translated as “love” in the Bible. Let us consider them to gain a deeper understanding of what the Bible means by “perfect love.”

First, Eros (intimate or romantic love): This speaks of sexual or erotic love or the feelings of arousal shared between two physically attracted people.

Second, Phileo (brotherly love): This word conveys warm affection between family and friends.

Third, Storge (affection or fondness): This word refers to family love and bonding among mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers.

It also describes a sexual relationship between two people gradually growing out of a friendship.

Fourth, Agape (sacrificial or selfless love): The Greek word often translated as “love” in the New Testament.

It refers to the perfect, divine, unconditional, self-sacrificing, active, deliberate, and thoughtful love of God for humans.

The highest and perfect expression or demonstration of Agape is the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins.

The Scripture amply states this truth.

1 John 4:9-10 – NKJV
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 3:16 – NKJV
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Agape is the very nature of God, for God is love. The Holy Spirit pours this kind of love into every believer’s heart at the new birth (Rom. 5:5).

Therefore, all believers must demonstrate this perfect and divine love towards God and people, including their enemies (1 John 3:16, 4:7-12, Matt. 5:43-48).

Only the “Agape” (God’s kind of love) is perfect and thus potent or powerful enough to cast out fear and neutralize, counter, and destroy its devastating effects upon human souls.

Wherever God’s love reigns, fear cannot reign!

For “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18 NKJV).

When anyone receives God’s love into his heart and begins to walk in the understanding of the divine and perfect love that he has received, his heart will be set entirely free from the torment of his past mistakes, from his apprehension about life, from his anxiety about the unknown future, and from his fear of death or any evil.

Why are many believers today still fearful and living under fear?

Lack of spiritual understanding, revelation, or experiential knowledge of God’s love is in Christ Jesus!

Fear indicates you are not secure, grounded, and settled in God’s love. When you know, believe, and understand that God unconditionally loves you and accepts you in Christ Jesus, fear will lose its grip on your life.

You are fearful, worried, anxious, or troubled about things because you are unsure that God loves and accepts you in Christ wholly and unconditionally.

When you know that God loves you, is for you, and is working out all things together for you, you will not fear or be troubled despite the roaring or threat of the devil.

Like the Psalmist, when you are secure in the love which God has for you in Christ Jesus, even though you may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, yet you will fear no evil; for you know that God loves you and that God will never leave you nor forsake you (Psa. 23:4).

Beloved, if you are always fearful, restless, anxious, or troubled about life or death, it indicates that you are not yet rooted and grounded in the love of Christ.

When you begin to experience or operate in the love of Christ, which surpasses all intellectual knowledge or mental understanding, fear will be driven entirely out of your heart because God’s love cannot co-inhabit with fear in your soul.

When you are secure in God’s love for you in Christ Jesus, you will boldly declare with the Psalmist, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Psa. 118:6 NKJV).

Prayer:

Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me understand and walk increasingly in God’s perfect and unconditional love for me in Christ Jesus, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, ‘Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” (Nehemiah 4:14 NKJV)

The devil will employ any agent, strategy, or means to frustrate, dissuade, or discourage you from pursuing and fulfilling God’s vision and purpose for your life.

The devil often uses fear to paralyze believers from taking the first step of faith toward pursuing and fulfilling the great and glorious destiny God has ordained for them.

Fear is the master key the devil uses to open your life’s door to steal your peace, conceal your potential, and abort your dreams.

Whatever you fear will eventually become your master, controlling, dominating, and ruling your life—your words, emotions, and actions. Fear always attracts evil. It is what you dread in life that will eventually happen to you!

Job aptly testifies to this truth.

Job 3:25-26 – KJV
25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. {the thing…: Heb. I feared a fear, and it came upon me}
26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

Throughout Scripture, God’s people are commanded not to fear. Anyone walking in fear can never please God. It is impossible to please God without faith (Heb. 11:6).

Fear is simply passing a vote of no confidence in God and His promises. Any of your prayers or actions borne out of fear is a sin in God’s sight (Rom. 14:23).

The Lord Jesus expressly warns, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28 NKJV).

Unfortunately, many believers today run from one church to another, from one prayer meeting to another, and from one prophet to another for fear of their adversaries.

Consequently, they fall prey to false prophets specializing in manipulating, exploiting, and defrauding gullible and undiscerning souls through frightening negative prophecies and visions.

In the first part of this piece, we began to examine how Nehemiah and the Jews in Jerusalem confronted, defied, and overcame the massive arrows and missiles of fear their adversaries fired at them to deter them from completing the rebuilding of the broken wall of Jerusalem.

First, Nehemiah recognized fear as a sin.

When the false prophet hired by Sanballat and Tobiah counseled Nehemiah to flee to the temple to hide, he declined to “act that way and sin.”  (Neh. 6:13 NKJV).

You cannot overcome fear by defending or excusing your fear; instead, you must treat fear as a great sin and disobedience to God and genuinely repent, confess, and forsake it. 

Second, Nehemiah overcame fear because he was not dull in spirit.

Nehemiah could discern that God did not send all those prophets who pronounced frightening prophecies to him. He rightly perceived that the motive of those prophets was to manipulate and control him through fear, for they were hired by his adversaries (Neh. 6:12).

Without a sound knowledge of God’s Word and spiritual discernment, you will be manipulated, controlled, and defrauded by many agents of the devil today who are parading themselves as God’s prophets and prowling our streets today for prey.

Third, Nehemiah and his workforce confounded their enemies with spiritual alertness and preparedness.

While Nehemiah and his men were rebuilding the broken wall of Jerusalem, they were fully armed, watching and praying. When their adversaries heard about their alertness and preparedness, they gave up attacking them (Neh. 4:9-15).

Fourth, Nehemiah overcame fear and fulfilled his purpose in life by fearing God.

Nehemiah was unmoved by the threat of his adversaries because he feared God (Neh. 5:15). The fear of the Lord is to hate evil (Prov. 8:13).

Nehemiah conducted himself in fear of the Lord. He refused to walk in the path of unrighteousness, so no threat from his adversaries could erode his confidence and boldness in God.

Righteousness emboldens a man, but sin weakens and paralyzes a man with fear. A sinner is a lawful captive of fear; he is under a spell of fear and has no right to true peace and confidence.

Solomon states, “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” (Prov. 28:1 NKJV).

You cannot be living in sin and still retain your confidence. Sin constantly erodes confidence. Sin will always put you to flight before your adversaries. Today, many believers running from one prophet to another are not being chased by any demons but by their sins that they refuse to repent of, renounce, and deal with.

Fifth, Nehemiah overcame fear through his knowledge of God and his true identity in God.

When some people brought Nehemiah the frightening news of the evil plans of his adversaries to him ten times, he said to the Jews with him, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” (Neh. 4:14 NKJV).

Even when a prophet told him to flee for his life, Nehemiah retorted, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” (Neh. 6:11 NKJV).

Nehemiah was bold because he knew that his God was far greater than all his adversaries and would protect him and his workforce, for “the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” (Dan. 11:32 NKJV).

Instead of being afraid of their adversaries and threats, Nehemiah and his workforce offered incessant prayers to God (Neh. 4:9).

Beloved, if your life is dominated and controlled by fear of death, fear of failure, fear of witches, fear of men, angels, or demons, it is a clear indication that you do not know Christ and who you are in Christ.

Your revelation-knowledge of Christ and your spiritual identity, exalted position, and great authority in Christ will embolden and strengthen you. Your spiritual strength and boldness are a function of your depth of revelation and knowledge of Christ and who you are in Christ.

Friend, the Lord Jesus Christ has set you free from the spirit of fear, so don’t remain in the bondage of fear. The spirit of fear is not from God. So, reject it. Refuse to let the spirit of fear dominate and control your life. Paul testifies, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7 NKJV).

Therefore, arise today, taking hold of the shield of faith to quench every fiery dart of fear fired at you by the enemy to stifle your creativity, conceal your potential, arrest your progress, abort your dreams, and discourage you from stepping out in faith to pursue and fulfill God’s purpose for your life.

The spirit of fear is the spirit of bondage. Don’t accommodate or tolerate it in your life! Like Nehemiah, don’t give in to fear!

Prayer:

I refuse to be deterred, distracted, and discouraged by the spirit of fear from pursuing and fulfilling my God-ordained destiny in life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.” (Nehemiah 6:13 NKJV)

In a swift response to the distressful news of the deplorable condition of the Jewish exiles who had returned to Jerusalem, Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to encourage and mobilize his people to rebuild the broken wall of Jerusalem and repair its burnt gates.

But when their adversaries, led by Sanballat and Tobiah, saw that Nehemiah and his workforce were making significant progress in rebuilding the broken wall of Jerusalem, they became furious. They employed several means to frustrate and stop them (Neh. 4:7-10).

Fear was the principal means, strategy, or weapon they employed against them. They used every tool to frighten Nehemiah and his workforce, to stop their progress, and to thwart their plan and purpose.

First, Sanballat and Tobiah sent Nehemiah ten times to warn of their intention to invade Jerusalem (Neh. 4:12). Second, Sanballat and Tobiah employed prophets to prophesy false and frightening words to manipulate and control Nehemiah through fear (Neh. 6:10-14).

But Nehemiah and his workforce confronted, quenched, subdued, and overcame all the fiery darts and missiles of fear fired at them and thus accomplished their goals in fifty-two days.

They indeed have some great lessons to teach us about confronting, subduing, and overcoming fear, which is the devil’s chief weapon and means of paralyzing and stopping us from pursuing and fulfilling God’s purposes for our lives.

Let us learn from them!

First, Nehemiah recognized fear as a sin.

Nehemiah vehemently refused to flee to the temple to hide, according to the counsel of the false prophet hired by Sanballat and Tobiah. Why?

Because Nehemiah recognized fear as a sin, he insisted he would not “act that way and sin.”  (Neh. 6:13 NKJV).

Any time you speak, pray, or act in fear, you sin against God. Unfortunately, many prayers in our churches today are motivated by fear of our enemies. Many believers and churches are controlled, dominated, and influenced by fear of death, witches, or demons.

Your victory over fear starts with recognizing it as disobedience to God’s command not to fear. God commands, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.” (Isa. 43:1 NKJV).

Any of your actions not motivated by faith is a sin in God’s sight, “for whatever is not from faith is sin.” (Rom. 14:23 NKJV).

A believer operating in fear indirectly says that God’s promises or words are untrue and unreliable, and that God cannot keep them.

Second, Nehemiah’s spiritual perception or discernment enabled him to overcome fear.

Sanballat and Tobiah hired many prophets to pronounce frightening prophecies to Nehemiah so that he might be afraid and then run to hide in the house of God.

One of those false prophets even counseled Nehemiah, saying, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.” (Neh. 6:10 NKJV).  

However, through spiritual discernment, Nehemiah perceived that God did not send this prophet, so he refused to believe, obey, or submit to his prophecy and counsel.

Nehemiah said, “Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.” (Neh. 6:12 NKJV).

Many false prophets today pronounce frightening prophecies, terrible dreams, and visions to people with a motive to manipulate, control, and defraud unwise and undiscerning people who are ignorant of God’s Word.

Unlike Nehemiah, who refused to be frightened, controlled, or manipulated by false prophets and frightening prophecies, sadly, there are many undiscerning believers today whose allegiance and devotion to a church or a prophet are borne out of fear.

Whenever you submit yourself to fear in any form, you submit yourself to the devil to manipulate, control, dominate, oppress, and hold you in bondage (Heb. 2:14-15).

Therefore, you must not allow any prophet or pastor to frighten you into praying in strange and unscriptural ways, give special offerings and gifts to him, or become his financial partner, follower, or church member.

You need to pray for spiritual discernment and be versatile in God’s Word lest someone manipulates and defrauds you in the name of God through frightening prophecies, visions, or dreams.

The Scripture warns, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1 NKJV).

Third, Nehemiah and his workforce could waste and defeat all the arsenals of fear their adversaries rolled out against them because they were watchful and prayerful.

Nehemiah and his men were fully armed as they rebuilt the broken walls of Jerusalem. When their adversaries heard about their alertness and preparedness, they gave up attacking them (Neh. 4:9-15).

Beloved, it takes putting on the armor of God and being watchful in prayers to recognize, repel, or quench every fiery dart or arrow of fear the enemy may fire at you.

Therefore, be alert spiritually and allow no one to sow the seeds of fear in your mind through any medium. Watch what you incline your ears to hear, what you fix your eyes upon, and what you read.

“Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” (Eph. 6:16 NKJV).

Friend, are you today bombarded with arrows of fear on all sides like Nehemiah?

Arise today to confront and overcome your fear by taking the shield of faith.

Find out more about overcoming your fear in the second part of this piece!

Prayer:

Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me daily to take the shield of faith to quench all the fiery darts of fear fired at me by the devil and his agents, in Jesus’ name. Amen.