5 Tactics for Fighting Unbelief
It could be argued that the greatest enemy in our spiritual walk is unbelief. Someone might say, "No, it's Satan." However, as one of my favorite Christian teachers likes to say, "The bible doesn't say, 'pick up your cross, deny the devil, and follow Jesus.' It says, 'Deny YOURSELF, and follow Jesus"' (Matthew 16:24 NIV).In Mark Chapter 9, Jesus' disciples are unable to cast a demon out of a boy. Then Jesus shows up on the scene and is able to cast it out. When they get alone with Jesus, the disciples ask Him why they couldn't cast out the demon, and Jesus tells them that it is because of their unbelief. Jesus' exact answer to the disciples is, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20 NIV).
Related Post: 4 Ways to Remain Grounded and Steadfast in Your Faith
Brothers and sisters, we live under an open heaven! Satan has already been defeated. Jesus has given us the authority in the heavenly realms to unlock any door that needs to be unlocked in order to carry out His will on this earth. Matthew 18:18 NIV says, "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." The only battle left to fight is the one we fight with ourselves to dispel unbelief and to trust God!If the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in us, then there is absolutely nothing the enemy can put in front of us that is more powerful than that Spirit. It's not even a competition! Therefore, the enemy's main tactic is to get us to doubt. He is constantly trying to instill unbelief, while the Holy Spirit is constantly working to instill faith. The enemy's main tactic is to twist the truth in such a way that we begin believing things that are incorrect about God and incorrect about ourselves. Sometimes it seems like the enemy's main weapon is the Bible itself! He twists and distorts scripture to confuse people and keep their lives from bearing fruit for the Kingdom.
So how do we practically fight? I wanted to provide a quick list of things that have helped me experience victories in fighting unbelief:
#1. Spending intimate and meaningful time in the presence of God.
Spending intimate and meaningful time in the presence of God is the most important activity in our lives. It helps us to establish a relationship with our creator. It is where we learn His nature, His voice, His touch and His will. This is how we practically allow Jesus to teach us and guide us in every step of our lives.
#2. Reading God's word.
Maybe it would be better to say falling in love with God's word. This goes right along with the first point. God's word brings clarity and insight into the things that God is saying to us. It shows us God's nature, and helps us to understand His will.
#3. Guarding our hearts and minds.
The enemy has set up the world system to fight for our affection. It will constantly try to turn us away from Jesus, and towards our own selfish desires. Therefore, we have to draw lines in the sand. We have to protect ourselves from destructive mindsets and behaviors. Part of that process is controlling what we allow into our minds. Over the years, I have had to stop watching certain television shows that I knew were destructive, distance myself from certain friends who were pulling me in the wrong direction, and surround myself with people who would hold me accountable in my areas of struggle.
#4. Hanging around people with outrageous faith.
Bill Johnson, senior pastor of Bethel Church, always says, "If you want to slay giants, then hang around a giant slayer." We all need people in our lives who stretch our faith and compel us to deeper levels of reality in the Kingdom!
#5. Fasting.
There have been so many times where I could feel the snares of the world getting a hold of me and smothering the faith in my life. Declaring a fast is a way to draw a strict line in the sand, and to separate ourselves from the worldly things that have become louder than heavenly things. Whether it is food, social media, television, or all the above, fasting is great way to unplug from the world and get plugged back into God.These are just a few tools that have helped me in my journey. The bible provides many weapons for fighting unbelief. No matter what weapon you choose, the most important thing is engaging in the fight! Instead of rolling over and giving in to yourself, make the choice to proactively fight to dispel unbelief!