Unbelief (2)

Arrows of Satan Series:

Unbelief

Romans 4:16-21

Theme. God shows us how to protect ourselves from the arrows of Satan

Welcome to Mountain View Baptist Church! We just finished VBS this week and God blessed us. I am extremely grateful for every volunteer who served this week. Many of you worked during the day and came to serve in the evenings this week. Thank you for your willingness to serve. Thank you to each parent who either brought their children or allowed their children attend.

If you are first time guest, thank you for being here today. We are honored to have you in our services. We are also thankful to you parents of our students this week. You have made this a special service by attending today.

Today, I will begin a new series entitled: “Arrows of Satan.” This study will not center around the study of Satan, simply the tools he uses to hinder man from getting close to God or keeping the believer from growing in their walk with the Lord.

We must understand that Satan is a real person. He is a created being by God who in the original creation he worshiped God. However, pride filled his heart and he rebelled against God and has become an enemy of God’s people. There is only one devil and he can only be in one place at one time. However, Satan has many demons who follow his bidding. Their weapons are arrows or darts as the Scripture call them.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” (Ephesians 6:12–16)

These fiery darts are the arrows that Satan throws at us to hinder our walk with God or keep us from being a Christian. These darts will be thrown at us all the time to keep us from knowing and living for God.

The first arrow is Unbelief.

“Unbelief is actually perverted faith, for it puts its trust not in the living God but in dying men. The unbeliever denies the self-sufficiency of God and usurps attributes that are not his. This dual sin dishonors God and ultimately destroys the soul of man.” (A W Tozer).

In the passage we just read gives us God’s view of the life of Abraham. Abraham had grown up in a pagan society; yet, God came to him and called him to leave his homeland and go to a place he had never been. During his lifetime God had promised a child which would be the promised child through which the Messianic line would continue to the next generation.

Abraham was to wait until he was 100 years old before God gave that child to him and his wife Sarai who was 89. Satan would make sure he was given an arrow of unbelief over time to get him to stop trusting in God.

There are three truths found in this passage that gives victory over unbelief.

1. Faith defeats unbelief

In verse 3, Scriptures tell us “he believed God.” Notice in verse 5 that “his belief in God is centered in faith.” Faith is what pleases God and faith overcomes unbelief. Faith means to believe God. Years ago, there used to be a bumper sticker that said: “God said it, I believe, that settles it.” The truth is: “God said it and that settles it.” Faith is the enemy of unbelief.

“Faith is not the absence of doubt, but rather it is still believing in the midst of your doubt.” (unknown)

Satan pulls out this arrow when we sit in church, when we read our Bible, or when we watch TV or a movie that says things totally against the Bible. Satan tempts with unbelief by trying to get us to doubt what we cannot see. Our sight can deceive us or lie to us or convince us of things we cannot see are not real. You cannot see air, but it is real. You cannot see atmospheric pressure, but it is real. Sound you cannot see but exists. You cannot see gravity but certainly it exists. You cannot see radio waves, but they exist. You cannot see heat but you know it exists. You cannot see cold but you know it exists. You cannot see thoughts, but you know they exist. You cannot see wind, but you know it exists.

There are evidences of the existence of these things just as there is evidence of the existence of God. God wants to us to believe Him. Put 100%, absolute assurance in the reality of God’s existence.

In order for man to have a personal, living relationship with God, He must believe in God.

“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16:31)

God said because Abraham believed Him, Abraham was counted as righteous before God. This means he conquered his unbelief through faith.

“If you truly believe that God is able, stop looking everywhere else.” (unknown)

Perhaps you are here today without a relationship with God. It may not be that you don’t believe God but you have never personally trusted in Him. The Bible teaches us that we are sinners, there is nothing good in us. We have all failed God and we cannot save ourselves. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to come to this earth, He never one time sinned, died, and was buried. He rose again the third day.

We must turn from our sin and ourself and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “For by grace are you saved through faith. . .” Eph. 2:8. Faith is the only way we can defeat unbelief.

2. God’s promises are guaranteed v. 13

Abraham was promised by God he would be the father of multitudes. Even his name means father of many. Yet, Abraham is getting older and he had waited for many years. Abraham was waiting by faith and trusting in God. While waiting looked like the impossible, all things are possible with God.

It is probable that man cannot or will not fulfill His promises but God’s promises are guaranteed. “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” (Titus 1:2) God cannot lie assures us God will always fulfill His promises.

God does not tell us one thing and do something. His guaranteed promises are backed by the entire character of God. Unbelief is to question not just what God will do but question the very nature and character of God.

The Bible makes a very bold statement about unbelief. “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” (Hebrews 3:12)

We must guard against the arrow of unbelief because it will leads us away from God.

When you stop believing God is the Creator, when you stop believing God is always right, when you stop believing God is holy, when you stop believing Jesus is the only way to heaven, you will depart from the living God. There are seminaries, colleges, churches, and mission organizations that have stop believing in Bible doctrine and now they are away from God.

The faith of Abraham at a time when anyone would struggle with unbelief never faltered. The word stagger in v. 20 means to doubt or waver. Verse 19 says he was not weak in faith even though he and Sara were past child bearing years. Even though it was against nature for them to have children, he did not doubt the promise of God.

Verse 21 says he was fully persuaded.

Sometimes in our lives when we are faced with very difficult situations, it is easy for us to allow the arrow of unbelief to come into our heart. Satan will throw doubts and unbelief into our minds. When we face a physical problem that the doctors have no answers for, we are reminded believe God. When we face a job loss, or a financial struggle, or a wayward child or an emotional problem, we are to believe God. God’s promises are in the Bible with His guarantee.

For Abraham, I believe the great promise of God for him was God is with him. He is not alone in this world. Let me remind you today, you are not alone if you know Christ. He promises “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Unbelief says God cannot or will not. God’s promises says He will perform what He promised.

Some of you may be here today struggling with an area that looks impossible in your life. God majors in the impossible and He will do what He has promised.

To be fully persuaded means we will totally trust and believe God.

I am fully persuaded that God wants to build this new auditorium for us. This is where our faith is exercised. Years ago, I helped plant a new church in Los Alamos, NM. It was a very challenging place to start a church in a closed community. God blessed and people were saved. We needed a church building desperately and unusual situation came up. A church in the community had built a new building and they wanted to move their old auditorium off the property for more parking. The pastor called me and asked if I would be interested. The cost of the building $1. We had the money for the property we were to purchase. When we went to the bank about the potential move, they approved the loan to move and relocate the church. This was the opportunity for the church to establish a permanent location. The church voted against it. I often wondered what would have happened if they would have only voted to move forward by faith.

Being fully persuaded means to totally trust in God’s promises. In these days of struggles and difficulties in life, Satan keeps throwing the arrow of unbelief. He wants us to doubt God’s existence, doubt God’s Word, and certainly doubt God’s ability.

Truth is . . .

3. Trust in God’s hope v. 18

The first part of the verse says “who against hope.” There are times in our lives when things seem to be against our hope. We may be facing some very impossible situations and when Satan throws the arrow of unbelief, we will be tempted to pull away from God.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” (Corrie Ten Boom)

Abraham did not waver in his belief because His hope is in the Lord. To believe in hope means to believe in the certainty and character of God. The odds were stacked against Abraham. He was waiting for the promised child that had not come. He was now 100 years old and his wife was 89 both well beyond parenting and childbearing years. What could he hope for? What future would he have?

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 15:13)

God is called the blessed hope and it is through this hope God is glorified. Abraham chose to believe in God’s hope so that God might be glorified. Maybe the reason God had Abraham wait until he was 100 was so that God could be glorified.

This faith and hope in God alone was credited to his spiritual account as righteousness. If you do a background check on Abraham, you would find in his accounts he was righteous in the eyes of God because He believed God.

What about your spiritual background today? If God were writing about your spiritual life, would He say: __________ believed God. You believed on Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. You believe God is our creator, God is right, and God is holy. We may not understand it all or be able to explain everything, but God is right. We can believe on Him.

He is our real hope. Our church vision statement is Real People, Real Hope, Real community. The center of everything here is we believe God.

Satan will throw the arrows of unbelief towards you. He will do everything he can to get you to not believe on God. Perhaps you are here without Christ as your Savior? Satan will do everything he can to get you not to turn to Jesus. It might be a distraction or something you cannot figure out in the Bible. Mark Twain said, “It’s not all the things in the Bible I don’t understand that bothers me, it is the things in the Bible I do understand.”

God just wants us to believe in Him. Will you call upon Him today? Christian, will you just believe God. Believe God for who He is and what He says. He will take care of the rest.