SWORD & SPIRIT WRITER

Recently, I received a prayer request with the same cry for help I’ve heard many times: “Please pray for our faith and minds. We need provision. We are overwhelmed and afraid.” (P.S. The day after we prayed, he received a job offer from a place they had God’s peace about. And with excellent pay. Glory to God!)

There’s nothing wrong with feeling afraid, of course. Life is a lot sometimes. But our good Father wants so much more for His children.

His will for you is to enter His rest, cast all your cares upon Him, and be anxious for nothing. That His peace always guards your heart and mind.

Wow! Imagine what it would feel like to walk with Him this way. You don’t have to imagine. It’s His will for you. Do you want to learn how you can partner with God and His Word to have victorious faith that marvels Him?

Seems like a tall order, right? Something for the greats of the faith you only read about in the Word? Nope. And nope. He inspired people just like you to write words to teach you exactly how to have great, victorious faith.

8 Things You Need for Victorious God-marveling Faith that Receives His Promises

Can something like victorious faith be boiled down to a simple, blog post checklist? Why yes. Yes, it can. God’s Word provides us with checklists giving us perfect pictures of faith.

The Word says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work,” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Let’s see how the Lord uses His Word to instruct you on victorious faith to equip you for every good work.

1. Hear the Word daily

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” (Romans 10:17).

If you want victorious faith, you must keep hearing it. Get the Word deeply rooted by hearing it often. If not, then you’re vulnerable to it being stolen from your heart (Matthew 13).

When life’s circumstances easily shake our faith, it’s a sign we need more of it. More Word. More faith. Our good Father laid it all out for us simply and clearly in His Instruction Book.

2. Be the navigator of your own faith

You need firsthand knowledge of the Word. It’s not enough to rely on pastors or teachers to spoon it to you. If you’re not feasting on the Word yourself and getting a personal revelation of it, then you won’t ever realize regular, victorious faith.

For example, have you ever arrived at your destination using a GPS and couldn’t remember how you got there? Barely remembered driving even? I have many times. One day, the Lord used it to teach me about firsthand and secondhand faith.

As usual, I arrived at my destination and couldn’t remember one street or turn I took. And the Lord said to me, “You are so dependent on your GPS, you didn’t have to think or learn the way for yourself. And think of all the times your GPS led you astray – either on a convoluted path that took much longer than necessary or the wrong way entirely. This is My people who never bother to learn the Word for themselves. Easily led astray. Taking much longer than I desire for them to make it to their destinations. Sometimes, never making it there at all.”

Wow! How profound is God! Best Teacher ever. You can’t depend on others to get you to where God wants to take you Himself.

A good reminder here to be wise like the Bereans: “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so,” (Acts 17:11).

3. Faith is a choice

“Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,” (Matthew 18:2-4).

These verses are about what it takes to have great faith. Faith is a choice that requires humbling yourself as a little child. Simple faith that simply believes God. No matter what it looks, feels, or sounds like.

humble verb – to lower in condition, importance, or dignity; to destroy the independence, power, or will of; to make meek: to humble one’s heart.

Lord, I choose to destroy my independence and will to believe You over man in all things. I desire victorious faith that receives Your promises and marvels You. Not only for myself, but so I may lay co-labor with You to heal the sick, raise the dead, and set captives free in Your name. I am willing to look foolish, even undignified, to the world for Your sake in Jesus’ name, amen.

4. Faith works by love

“Faith works by love,” (Galatians 5:6).

That means, for your faith to work, you need a revelation of God’s love for you. If you don’t understand God loves you no matter what you do or don’t do, then it will be difficult for your faith to work for you or through you for others.

If your faith is more often shaken than not, you may need to study the love of God for yourself as well as your worth in Christ. These topics alone could fill a book, so I will leave you with a few verses here to bless your faith:

• “See what love the Father has given you, that you should be called His child. That is what you are,” (1 John 3:1).
• “So you have known and believe the love that God has for you. God is Love. So Love is your permanent home. And You are God’s permanent home,” (1 John 4:16, paraphrased).
• “Because you are in Christ, your righteousness is equal to God’s,” (2 Corinthians 5:21, paraphrased).
• “Because you are in Christ, the Father is only at peace with you and sees you as holy, blameless, and above reproach,” (Colossians 1:20; 22, paraphrased).

When you were born again, you became a part of Jesus’ body, and He became a part of yours. Forever tucked safely inside Jesus. Him forever in your heart. Fully loved. Brimming over with Jesus’ worth.

5. Believe and receive. Doubt and do without. Because God is Love, He won’t violate your free will.

“But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him,” (Luke 7:30).

“Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief,” (Matthew 13:58).

“And He marveled because of their unbelief,” (Mark 6:6).

“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,” (James 1:6-7).

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37).

Without the love of God as part of this faith equation, it makes Him seem harsh. But not when we imagine these principles applied to human relationships.

If you love someone, would you force them to love you back? To trust you? To make them believe your words? Or force them to accept your gifts? Never.

To have the satisfaction of experiencing true love, you’d want them to choose these things with their own free wills.

So it is with God. He wants the satisfaction of experiencing your true love and trust. He won’t violate your free will. We can choose Jesus. Or reject Him. Take God for His Word and receive His will and promises by faith. Or reject them through unbelief.

6. Find pictures of victorious faith in the Word and model your faith after them

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us,” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Find the promises you need for victorious faith for your situation. Then, model your faith after CHECKLISTS like the one found in Romans 4:

1. Romans 4:13 – God promised Abraham he would be the heir of the world, the father of many nations. A promise is a “yes” answer to prayer from God.
2. Romans 4:17 – Consider a promise of God as already done. You are free to boldly, “call those things that are not as though they already are.”
3. Romans 4:18, 19: No matter how hopeless or impossible your situation looks, do not even consider the “deadness” of it. The Promise Keeper’s name is also Resurrection and Life (John 11:25).
4. Romans 4:20, 21 – “Don’t waver at the promise of God through unbelief. Stay strong in your faith. Give glory to God, being fully convinced, that what He promised you, He will also perform.” After many years of waiting, Abraham and Sarah received what God promised – their son, Isaac.

Or this CHECKLIST in Joshua:

1. Joshua 1:3 – God’s promise, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you.” Have given you. Likewise, every promise of God to you is already yours. His answer is already “yes” and “amen.”
2. Joshua 1:11 – Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.” The condition of God’s promise, “every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon.” By faith, being fully persuaded in the promise of God that the land was already theirs, they prepared for the journey.
3. Joshua 2 to 20 – The children of Israel went into many cities. They had much opposition and many fierce battles. But they possessed the land knowing victory was theirs because God promised. They divided the Promised Land among the tribes as God commanded.
4. Joshua 21:43, 45 – “So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.“

Time, feelings, battles, opposition, or what you currently see never negate His promises. Stay fully persuaded in the promises of God that they are in fact already yours, so you may receive them.

7. Get your violent faith on

This is difficult for many of God’s children because we don’t want to hurt people’s feelings. Saying this as gently as possible. You need to get over it, “because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to whom he may devour,” (1 Peter 5:8). But it doesn’t have to be you.

What does violent faith look like? It looks like answering every attack of the enemy on your mind and heart with the Word. This prevents him from stealing it from your heart and sowing lies in its place.

You may find this uncomfortable at first, but it’s usually necessary.

Your fight is not against flesh and blood. The devil knows this and uses people, including ignorant believers, to try to plant seeds of unbelief into your heart. Lies that exalt themselves against God’s Word.

For example, if a man is sick with a certain illness, the enemy may use someone to say something like, “I knew a few people who had that. They all died within a few months. Every doctor gave them less than a 10% survival rate.” The thief’s goal? To sow seeds of fear and unbelief into his heart to choke out the Word. To convince him to reject God’s will for himself through unbelief. God’s will in this case: “By Jesus’ stripes, he was healed,” (1 Peter 2:24).

In a situation like this, do as Jesus did. Immediately answer the devil’s attack with the Word to condemn and refuse his lies. Unless you want him to succeed in devouring you.

Oh, and remember to direct your anger at the devil when this happens. Not the person. That snake’s other motive is to cause strife and division. And unforgiveness in you.

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force,” (Matthew 11:12). Satan’s sole modus operandi is violent assaults. Your counterattacks must be likewise. Use the sword of the Word to destroy his evil works.

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment YOU shall condemn. This is your heritage as a servant of the Lord,” (Isaiah 54:17).

I’ve watched hundreds of victorious healing testimonies. Do you know what they all had in common? They knew the Word, their heritage in Christ, and boldly condemned every bad report with the Word. No matter who spoke it – doctors, friends, or family.

Yep. Many of them offended people. Were seen as crazy. But they also knew the devil only plays dirty in every spiritual battle. That they couldn’t play nice and keep their faith intact at the same time. Their reward? Victorious faith that marveled God and received the promise, “By Jesus’ stripes, they were healed.” Hallelujah!

Who can forget Jesus’ words to Peter when he contradicted the will of God? “Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men,’” (Matthew 16:23).

Some battles are life and death ones. Other people’s feelings don’t get a say.

8. Remember the path of faith is narrow

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it,” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Maybe you’ve discovered you’re alone in taking God for His Word where you are or in your church? You’re believing God’s promises for total healing for yourself or a loved one from a sickness doctors say there’s no cure for.

You’ve gained firsthand revelation that the atonement includes physical healing. Paid for in full for all by Jesus’ stripes. But must be received by faith.

You’re fully persuaded you or your loved one “was healed,” (1 Peter 2:24). But you also know healing can be progressive. That there’s a war in the spiritual realm fighting against it. And an enemy hoping you’ll give up before you “possess the land” and forfeit your inheritance in Christ to him.

Remembering Jesus warned us most wouldn’t walk the narrow path of faith with Him will help you reject the unbelief of the majority.

This way, you:

• only allow His Word to determine your faith.
• don’t compare the future outcome of your circumstance to the past, negative outcomes of others who, according to God’s stats, may have been in unbelief.
• never put your faith in manmade doctrines or traditions of man which make the Word of God ineffective for those who put their faith in them (Mark 7:13). Wow! This point is way too important not to highlight. Meaning, God’s people can receive what they use their free will to put their faith in. Even if it’s a lie. And doing so voids God’s promises for them. For example, most Christians in America believe the “doctrine” of medical professionals over God’s Word. Put the entire weight of their faith into man’s stats and survival rates. Then, receive what they put their faith in. This too is unbelief.
• stay fully persuaded in what His promises say, not waver at them through unbelief.
• finally realize the victorious faith and receive the promises that “your joy may be full,” (John 16:24).

There you have it. A checklist for victorious faith based on firsthand revelation of what our good Father taught me. As a body, we are called to share revelations He teaches us from our prayerful studies of His Word. I pray these Spirit-led words were living water to you.

P.S. Never forget, sin in our lives can grant satan legal access to us. It can rob us of God’s promises. Why? It’s a form of unbelief: “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1) In choosing the sin we choose the lie over His truth and allow the thief to ensnare us. In essence, we’ve put out our wrists and asked him to shackle us. If this is you, simply ask God for help getting free from sin. “Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you,” (James 4:7). This may be a battle depending on whether a stronghold has taken place, but fear not, God will help you. He’s angrier at the devil than you are about him tricking and trapping you. “Come boldly to His throne of grace that you may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need,” (Hebrews 4:16). ❤

Did this post bless your faith? Like, share, and let me know in the comments. Thanks! God bless you and yours.