Don't Draw Back From Faith!

1 Timothy 6:12 "Fight the good fight of faith..." 

Faith is how we fight. 

Anyone who has ever stood in faith - believing a promise they cannot see - can testify to this. Faith is definitely not a passive thing. It's so much easier to believe what you can see than it is to believe what you read in the Word. But don't give up!  Don't quit on your faith...no matter how long it takes. Fight this good fight!

Faith is the only thing that can resist the devil. Look at what 1 Peter 5:8-9 tells us to do, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith..."

If faith in God's Word is the way we resist the devil's attacks....we shouldn't think that it'll always come easy. But, I'm telling you...after you've done everything you know to do, keep standing in faith! We must be "steadfast in the faith." Don't ever lose your grip on God's promises!

Persistent Faith

Faith that confesses one thing in the sun, and then abandons that confession in a storm is not really faith. If you're going to  hold onto God's promises for an hour, and then give up when you don't see them; then you're not really standing in faith. Faith always persists!

To illustrate the persistence of faith, let's take a look at this story Jesus told about faith and prayer. (It's a lengthy passage, but DO NOT let yourself skip these words!)

Luke 18:1-8 "Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: 'There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, "Get justice for me from my adversary." And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, "Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."'

"Then the Lord said, 'Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?'"

Did you see what Jesus calls faith? Real faith is persistent. It takes hold of God's Word and refuses to let it go...no matter what things look like. Faith never gives up! We should imitate Jacob when he said to the Angel of the LORD, "I will not let you go until You bless me!" (Genesis 32:26) In the same way, we need to declare, "I will not let go of this promise of God until I see it in my life!"

As we close our series on faith, we must keep in mind that this isn't something you play at. If you decide to live by faith, then you must be willing to stand in that faith long after the feelings have passed. It's like Kenneth Hagin once said, "If you're willing to stand forever, you won't have to stand for very long."

Faith always brings results...but it must be persistent.

Not Of Those Who Draw Back

Hebrews 10:37-38 "For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."

We are the just...we live by faith! But we must never draw back from that faith. In this passage, God clearly states that He is not pleased with those who stood in faith, and then drew back from it. Faith is the only thing that pleases God.
Your obedience cannot please God.
Your daily Bible study cannot please God.
Your prayer life cannot please God.
There is only one thing that God is pleased with...faith! That's exactly  what Hebrews 11:6 tells us: "But without faith it is impossible to please Him."

If that's the case, then you and I must stay in faith. Everything we say must be a statement of our faith. Everything we do must be done in faith. We cannot be like those who draw back. We saw this when we learned about the trial in the wilderness; to draw back from faith is to forfeit God's promises.

Declare this over yourself today:
"I am not of those who draw back to perdition, but I am of those who believe to salvation.
(Hebrews 10:39)
"I will not be sluggish or lazy in my faith. I will use my faith and patience to inherit God's promises."
(Hebrews 6:12)
"I will work by faith, speak by faith, and pray in faith."
"I am a believer, and it is my faith that overcomes this world!"