Jason Silver | Pastor & Author
Right from the Genesis to this present day, the devil has been working hard trying to get God’s people to doubt what God has said and His faithfulness to fulfill it.
He started with Eve in the Garden… “Did God really say not to eat from that tree?” “Oh He did…well he said that because He knows when you do, that you’ll become like Him.” Did you notice Satan said this in a way that made it sound like God was withholding some kind of blessing from Adam and Eve?
The devil will use any available opportunity of wavering thought to get us to take the bait of doubt.
And he’ll use any available person:
Mark 8:31-33 | Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But when Jesus turned and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” He said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
The devil can use one’s most zealous follower to give what sounds like wisdom, but if you listen with spiritual insight, it carries the underlying interests of men.
I personally have played the part of Peter before… where I’ve given advice to someone that I thought was good at the time…and later I had to renounce the words I spoke….and go and tell them I missed it please forgive me. I realized it wasn’t God’s wisdom for them.
Can anyone else relate to that?
Or how often have we listened to someone sharing with us about something there standing in faith and believing God for…and we begin share with them all the reasons we see why it won’t work.
Why do we do that? Especially when the Bible says we are to live by faith, not by sight.
I’ve been there…done that…and have had it happen to me numerous times. The devil will use whatever situation, and whoever He can to get us to doubt God’s promises. In fact, it’s one of the most successful tools that he uses to rob us from receiving from God. “…because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” (James 1:7&8)
Don’t ever think that when God gives you a vision that will take faith to see fulfilled, that the devil won’t try to take it. HE COMES FOR THE SAKE OF STEALING THE SEED!!!
In Luke 8:11-15 Jesus said: “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. 12 “And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the seeded word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 “And those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 “And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 “And the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold on to it tightly, and bear fruit with perseverance.”
We often look at God’s dealings with the Israelites, and we think, after all God did for them… and there’s a long list of things… I can’t believe they continued to doubt His faithfulness. Yet many times we do the same thing today. When circumstances arise in our lives that cause us to forget God’s past faithfulness to us in every other circumstance.
In Deuteronomy 6:10-12 Moses speaking on behalf of God said…
“When the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you-a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant–then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
So we see our first Doubt Defeating principle to live by…
DON’T FORGET THE LORD’S FAITHFULNESS!!
2 Timothy 2:13 says, “Even when we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself.”
ONE OF THE NAMES OF JESUS IS FAITHFUL!
Revelation 19:11 says, “And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True.”
Faithful is His very nature! He can’t deny it! Jesus is always there when you need Him… and we need Him always!
The second Doubt Defeating principle to live by is this:
2. DON’T RECEIVE THE SEEDS OF DOUBT
FROM PEOPLE, OR FROM CIRCUMSTANCES!!
People | Mark 5:38-42
When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at Him. After this He put them all out, He took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with Him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.
Jesus didn’t allow the wavering seeds of others to be planted in His heart. He always threw doubt out of the circumstance.
He was given many opportunities from those even closest to Him to take the thought, but He never did. He was unwavering in His trust and reliance on the Father’s word and His faithfulness to fulfill it.
There’s a lot of doubt seed sowers out there…don’t let them plant it in the garden of your heart!! Jesus didn’t…and look at what He accomplished!!
Circumstance | Luke 8:22-25
One day Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, He fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” He asked His disciples.
LISTEN… You can measure your level of faith, by your level of peace amidst the storm.
REMEMBER: WITH FAITH, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD. AND WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD.
So again, the second principle of defeating doubt is…DO NOT RECEIVE THE SEEDS OF DOUBT, FROM PEOPLE, OR FROM CIRCUMSTANCE!!
Nip it in the bud so to speak!!!
And the last doubt defeating principle…but definitely not the least is to …
3. RELY ON GOD’S HELP…through the Holy Spirit
Mark 9:20-24 | And they brought the boy to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling about and foaming at the mouth. And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.” And it has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can!’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out and began saying, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
I believe this man was genuine in his request for Jesus to help his unbelief, and I believe we can be too. Jesus didn’t let Peter sink; He took him by the hand., and lifted him up. Why? Because even when we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny His very nature!! AMEN???
Acts 4:29-31 says… Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Whenever I feel like giving into doubt, or have already, I try to think of the power of the Holy Spirit in my life. I ask him to fill me anew… I start to speak in my personal gift of tongues, and the doubt begins to lift. And faith comes. After all, isn’t this what the scripture tells us will happen?
Jude 20 | But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit…
So in conclusion, the 3 Doubt Defeaters are:
DO NOT FORGET THE LORD’S FAITHFULNESS!!
DO NOT RECEIVE THE SEEDS OF DOUBT, FROM PEOPLE, OR FROM CIRCUMSTANCE!!
RELY ON GOD’S HELP…through JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jason currently pastors New Victory Church in Calgary, Alberta Canada. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology, authored two books, and has been in full-time pastoral ministry for over 25 years. He passionately loves God and people with a heart to see everyone walk out of their full potential in Christ living out the kingdom of Heaven on Earth.
Copyright 2024 | Permission to copy, print, or use material is freely granted. Provided that the integrity of the material is not compromised in any manner.
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