Don’t neglect your faith

You can’t sit back and do nothing, believing that God will do everything for you. You have a part to play. Paul says God gives each of us “a measure of faith.” Jude says you develop spiritually by “building [yourself] up on your most holy faith” (Jude v. 20 NIV). Faith under attack is just faith under construction. It’s in the battles of life that you discover whether you have nurtured faith or neglected faith. In Bible times, a Roman soldier’s shield protected him from head to toe. It was made of iron and upholstered with thick layers of fabric, and he saturated it in water when he went into battle. Consequently, the flaming arrows of the enemy fizzled out on contact. Now you understand what Paul meant: “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16 NIV). Satan’s arrows can’t penetrate your heart when it’s pure, saturated in scripture, and fortified by faith. That’s why Jesus told Peter, “Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail” (Luke 22:31-32 NKJV). It’s your faith that’s under attack! It’s your faith that needs to be fed! It’s your faith that sustains you in life’s battles! Jesus told us to “have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). Note, Jesus didn’t tell you to have faith in something bigger than yourself. No, He said to have faith in God. It’s the time you spend with God in prayer and the scriptures that strengthens your faith to win life’s battles.