Whiteboard: Spiritual Warfare: How to Defend Yourself Against Satan’s Tactics

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled | John 14:1

We live in a world of uncertainty and stress.

• Wars rage.
• Violence persists in our cities.
• The threat of terrorism looms.
• Jobs are uncertain.
• Money is tight.
• Health problems make daily living a challenge.

The future sometimes looks bleak, with the prospect of one crisis after another. We can only wonder what the world will look like for our children or grandchildren.

In this chaotic and confusing world, we all need more peace and tranquility. Even Christians are not immune from worrying about the future. Christ told His disciples:

“Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:1).

But frankly, Jesus also recognized the challenges His followers would face. He even said, referring to the last days:

“When the Son of man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

What did He mean? And maybe more importantly for each of us individually, will He find faith in us?

We all want faith. We all need faith. But it seems that our world does everything it can to dismantle and erode it. We need to know how we can have the faith Christ was talking about, especially leading up to His return.

Faith is important. It’s vital. But frankly, most people today don’t really know how to have stronger faith.

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” | Mark 9:24

When Jesus was alive and on this earth, He not only taught about the Kingdom of God to those who came to Him, He also healed them of their diseases. He was moved with compassion when He saw their suffering.

In one instance, a man came to Him with a son who was demon possessed, and as a result had seizures. After Jesus’ disciples could not cast the demon out, the man begged Christ to do so.

And then the man said something I think we can all relate to. This is found in Mark 9:24.

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

There are times when we believe. We know God is there. We believe in Him. We know He has power, but we need help with our unbelief. We want to be MORE at peace, have stronger conviction, and feel a tighter connection with God as we navigate through life.

Jesus didn’t chide or correct this man for his request. He had compassion for him! And He will have compassion for us, if we also are wanting stronger belief and stronger faith.

So how can we have that? Before discussing our three keys to stronger faith, we need to define what faith is.

What Is Faith? Go Beyond Positive Thinking

Faith is often misunderstood. Some think of it as just the power of positive thinking. They may not say it exactly in those terms, but in effect that’s the result. “As long as you stay positive, think good thoughts, God will bless you.”

Should we be hopeful and positive and try to avoid thinking negatively? Absolutely. But having faith in God is not like having a wishlist we just pull out of our pocket. Just thinking positive thoughts isn’t what faith is all about.

Faith is not just belief in Jesus. There are too many people for whom that is the sum total of their religion. Don’t get me wrong—belief in God and belief in His Son are vitally important. But those are both only the beginning.

Even the Demons Believe—But That’s Not Enough

There’s so much more that God wants us to see and understand.

As James wrote (in James 2:19):

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

Even Satan and his demons believe in God. And yet clearly they are not pleasing God and don’t have any intention of trying to do what He says. So, faith must go beyond just believing in God.

We don’t have blind faith. Our faith is based on concrete evidence. Our belief in the existence of God, for example, is bolstered by the proofs that we find in creation all around us. Our belief in God is based on evidence, from the tiniest DNA molecule to the largest swirling galaxy. David wrote in Psalm 19:1,

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.

Faith Is the Substance of Things Hoped For | Hebrews 11:1 Explained

Even so, Hebrews 11:1 shows another aspect of faith. As many students of the Bible know, that is where the definition of faith can be found. Let’s turn there, in Hebrews 11:1.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

You see, we can have faith and trust in God even while we wait for our prayers to be answered, even while we wait for God to intervene in our lives. In those times, Hebrews 11:1 is saying our faith is the evidence we have now, before that prayer is answered. It’s the substance of things hoped for, while we patiently wait for God to intervene. And that’s true no matter how dark the day is or discouraging the circumstances.

The evidence—or substance—which is our faith—that is what we hold on to, to give us hope and confidence. It’s not just a vague, impersonal, theoretical hope that things will work out. Rather, it’s the conviction that there is a living Creator who gives us every heartbeat and every breath. It’s the rock-solid confidence that our God has our best interests at heart.

Without Faith It Is Impossible to Please God | Hebrews 11:6 Explained

Notice a few verses later, we read this, in Hebrews 11:6:

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

And we saw that when a man brought his son to Christ to be healed, he asked for help to even have the right kind of faith and belief. That’s the right attitude we should have when we come to God. And He will help us if we really want it.

How to Build Stronger Faith in God

But are there specific things we can do, as we are asking God for stronger faith? Absolutely. And in the remainder of today’s program we’ll discuss those things.

We’ll break it down into three keys.

1. Know Jesus Christ (Creator, Savior, Son of God)

Key number 1: Get to know the real Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is not real to most people. That may sound shocking, but let me explain. Many people will say they believe in Jesus. They may even pray and go to church. But when it gets right down to it, most do not really know the true Jesus.

How can I say that? Well, let’s look at Scripture. Let’s start at the beginning. And when I say the beginning, I mean John 1:1. This verse is describing the earliest moment recorded in the entire Bible, the earliest moment in history. Let’s turn there to John 1:1.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God (John 1:1–2).

John 1:1 tells us that before the Universe was created, or even the angels were created, there were just two Beings. These two Beings were God the Father and the Word. The Word was the One who became Jesus Christ. He was born as a man and died for our sins.

But back to the Scripture. How are we to understand the statement, “the Word was with God and the Word was God?” It’s describing the God family, God the Father and the Word.

This is not so strange when we think of it in terms of the human family. I am McNair. My wife is also McNair—she carries my family name. But my wife is also with McNair, because she’s with me. She’s with McNair and she is McNair. It’s really not complicated when you think of it that way.

The Word—who became Jesus Christ—was at the very beginning with God the Father. But He was God as well. He was God and He was with God. The Word and the Father comprised the God Family.

Not only that, but the Word was the God who created all things, including the vast universe (notice in John 1:3).

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men (John 1:3–4).

Did you know that? The One who became Jesus Christ was the One who created the stars and the planets. He was the One who said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” He created the mountains, the seas, and the rivers. He took dust from the ground and made the first man. He took a rib from Adam and made Eve. He created everything, and that includes you and me.

In other words, Jesus is not only our Savior, He is our Creator.

Going on, we read (in John 1:10):

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name (John 1:10–12).

We read earlier about the family relationship between the Father and the Word. But here we read that Jesus came into the world to give us the right to become children in His family. What a profound truth! We have a chance to be in God’s very family. Going on (John 1:14):

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

So there’s no question this is talking about Jesus Christ. Going on (in John 1:18):

No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Now why is this significant? Well, a lot of people sort of assume the Father was the God of the Old Testament. But this says that no one has seen God at any time. That’s significant. During the Old Testament era, people saw God numerous times.

And let’s just look at just one example in Exodus 24:9.

Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel… But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank (Exodus 24:9–11).

They did not see the Father. Jesus said no one has seen God at any time. Therefore, the One they saw was the Word, who became Jesus Christ.

Think about that for a moment. So the Word created the Universe, He fashioned Adam out of the ground, and He also thundered the Ten Commandments down from Mt. Sinai. That is not the common conception most people have about Jesus Christ.

So what’s the point? We need to know Christ. And frankly, many simply have a wrong concept of who He is.

He’s not a rebellious son who overturned His Father’s laws. No, in fact He was the all-powerful God who thundered those laws down from the mountain, engulfed in fire and smoke. Our elder Brother is powerful and mighty and the Ever-Living One. And as we approach Him and ask Him to help us in our unbelief, we need to correctly understand just who we are coming before.

Jesus warned His followers to not be deceived into accepting a false Christ, especially those living into the end-times. Notice what He said in Matthew 24:4.

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:4–5).

Get to know the real Jesus. That’s the first step to having stronger faith. But we can’t stop there.

2. Faith Comes by Hearing (Bible Study Daily) | Romans 10:17 Explained

We need to know what He wants us to do. And that brings us to the next key to stronger faith.

The second key is regularly study God’s word.

If we believe in God our Father and in Jesus Christ, we need to know what they say. We need to know what they want us to do. We do that by reading the book that God inspired to be written. That is, of course, the Bible.

Some people sort of think of the Old Testament as harsh and the New Testament as good. But that’s wrong. It’s all God’s word. It’s all good. And by studying it, we learn what God thinks and what He expects of us.

And by doing so, we grow in faith. Notice what Paul said about this in Romans 10:17:

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The Bible is the mind of God in print. It’s intended so we can learn how to live. And as we follow God’s instructions, we grow in faith. When Jesus was on this earth, He made this statement, recorded in Matthew 5:17:

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

Christ didn’t do away with the Law. He came to fulfill it—to fill it to the full. In fact, as we saw in the last segment, Christ was the One who actually gave it at Mt. Sinai. So it makes no sense that He would do away with that same law.

The Greek word translated “law” here, is “nomos.” It has the connotation of feeding and caring for animals.

So think about it. We know that in the physical realm, food gives us nutrients and minerals to make our bodies work. So God’s laws—His words and instructions—are like food for us, spiritually. Jesus explained this in John 6:63.

It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life (New Revised Standard Version).

Even the best physical food only feeds us for a short time. It’s temporary. But through spiritual food we gain eternal life. And along the way, it teaches us how to live, and how to relate to our fellow man, and how to honor our Father and our Elder Brother.

It gives us spiritual strength and energy and faith. Jesus explained this further, back in John 6:57.

As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.

Feeding on Christ means listening to and doing what He says. It means going the right way and rejecting the wrong. It means being willing to be corrected. And frankly, God’s loving correction helps us grow in faith—as we become more confident we’re aligned with God and on the right path.

Notice what the writer of Hebrews said in Hebrews 4:12:

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12–13).

We can’t be afraid of God’s gentle correction. It teaches us to make better choices and overcome our sins. It gives us spiritual strength as we grow in faith and confidence toward God.

So let’s not fill our minds with spiritual junk food, flooding our thoughts with nonstop trivia and entertainment. Let’s not let our life revolve around mindless and meaningless television programs, YouTube clips, and Instagram reels.

A little diversion is good, if it’s clean and wholesome. But to have a stronger sense of trust and connection with God, we need to make regular Bible study a part of our life. We need to feed on Christ. But that’s not all.

3. Christ in You Builds True Biblical Faith | Galatians 2:20 Explained

There is another key that we need. What is that third key?

Number 3: Let Christ live in you.

Let’s go to one of the writings of the Apostle Paul (Galatians 2:20).

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

When we accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins, we are not just saying we’re sorry for what we’ve done wrong. We are allowing our old self to be crucified with Christ. Our old ways, our past style of life, our sins—it all dies on the stake with Him.

And then we carry on, living a new life, but not through our own power.

Let’s go back to what Paul said, in the last half of Galatians 2:20.

And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

In the New King James Version, when it says “faith in the Son of God,” that word “in” is translated incorrectly. Look it up in a Bible resource. It should be “of.” It should be, “the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God.”

In other words, our faith isn’t sufficient. We need CHRIST’S faith in us. That’s a much more powerful and dynamic faith than we could ever have. It’s the very faith and mindset Christ had from eternity past. It’s the faith and courage He had while alive on this earth. And it’s the faith and focus He has to this day, as He sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.

Christ wants us to see things from His perspective. He wants us to look beyond our trials by having His very mind and spiritual focus, as hard as our trials sometimes are.

In short, He wants to put His faith in us. Think about that. And think about how that can change your life.

You may think you don’t have what it takes to have the faith God wants you to have. Well, guess what? You don’t. But that’s OK, because Christ does.

And if you let Christ teach you, if you let Him gently correct you, if you let Him live His obedient life in you—He will help you to grow in faith and strength you need in your life. And it will lead right into living with Him and the Father forever in the very Family of God.

What could be more awesome than that?

The Bible is full of encouragement from cover to cover, that can help us overcome the difficulties we face in everyday life—especially as we find ourselves in these perilous end-times facing times of distress.

The Apostle Paul faced plenty of obstacles in his own life. He understood discouragement. But he also knew how to face trials and troubles squarely and positively. He made this encouraging observation to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6.

Stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:6–7).

Summary of Steps You Can Take to Build Biblical Faith

Having stronger faith is not just the power of positive thinking. Having stronger faith is not just believing in Jesus. It takes actively responding to God’s Spirit as our Father in Heaven and our Elder Brother Jesus Christ work in us, and even live in us.

As we’ve seen today, if we want stronger faith, there are concrete steps we can take. There are things we can do. Let’s review what we’ve covered today.

1. Get to know the real Jesus Christ.
2. Regularly study God’s word.
3. Let Christ live in you.

When we are frightened and worried, in trouble and distressed, we don’t have to despair. We can go to God for help. We can cry out to our Elder Brother, “I believe! Help me in my unbelief.”