Faith That Conquers and Continues

Hebrews 11:32–40

We have been going verse by verse through Hebrews, and recently what is often called the “Hall of Faith.”

This is where the writer showcases lives that trusted God against all odds.

Up to this point, the author has walked us through individual heroes in detail—Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses.

But now he changes pace, moving quickly through names and experiences as if he is running out of time yet overflowing with examples.

The message is clear: faith is not reserved for a few giants of the past, but for all who walk with God, in every circumstance of life.

Whether in triumph or in trial, faith clings to God’s promises and looks forward to His reward.

If we are going to live by faith, we would be wise to look carefully to men and women who have gone before us as examples to follow and as encouragements in our walk.

Life is full of struggles and sorrows.

It is wise to see how others have overcome these obstacles and follow their paths.

So as we begin in verse 32, He lists six men, and a general description of others who are set to show us an example of…

I. The Courage of Faith

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

The writer begins by reminding us that faith has the power to change the course of nations.

It’s not the strength of the warrior but the strength of their faith that brings victory.

And the first example he gives is that faith subdues kingdoms.

A. Faith Subdues Kingdoms

33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

God used ordinary men like Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah to defeat enemies far stronger than themselves.

Gideon – A timid farmer whom God called to lead Israel against the Midianites.

With just 300 men, torches, and trumpets, Gideon won a miraculous victory that showed God’s strength, not man’s.

Barak – A reluctant leader who, at Deborah’s urging, led Israel to victory over Sisera’s army.

Though hesitant at first, his faith grew as he obeyed God’s call.

Samson – Known for his physical strength, Samson was deeply flawed yet used by God to deliver Israel from the Philistines.

His final act of faith came when he prayed for strength to defeat the enemy at the cost of his own life.

Jephthah – An outcast who became Israel’s deliverer from the Ammonites.

He trusted God for victory but is remembered for his rash vow concerning his daughter, showing both the power of faith and the danger of foolishness.

David – The shepherd boy who slew Goliath, became Israel’s greatest king, and was a man after God’s own heart.

His life was marked by great victories and deep failures, yet faith defined his legacy.

Samuel – The last of the judges and the first of the prophets, Samuel faithfully led Israel, anointed kings, and called the nation back to God.

He modeled a life of obedience and prayer from his youth onward.

Victory did not come through these men’s power but rather through their dependence on God’s power.

Zechariah 4:6 tells us…

Zechariah 4:6 KJV

6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, Saith the Lord of hosts.

When we face battles in our homes, workplaces, or communities, victory comes when we lean on God’s Spirit, not our strength.

In the victories that God brought to these men, they brought righteousness to their land, and obtained promises from God in the process.

B. Faith Shuts Up the Enemy

The writer of Hebrews no doubt has Daniel in mind, who by faith saw God silence the mouths of lions.

But the truth reaches further—faith has always silenced the voices of those who mock, accuse, and oppose God’s people.

Daniel’s accusers thought they had ended his influence, but God vindicated him and exposed their lies.

Faith does not argue back with the world in its own wisdom; it trusts God to silence the enemy in His way and time.

Psalm 63:11 says,

Psalm 63:11 KJV

11 But the king shall rejoice in God; Every one that sweareth by him shall glory: But the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

When slander, ridicule, or false accusation rises against us, faith keeps us steady and lets God do the defending.

Martin Luther, standing before the Diet of Worms, faced enemies demanding he recant.

His faith silenced their threats with one declaration: “Here I stand, I can do no other.”

C. Faith Survives the Sword

34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

Believers escaped death, quenched fire, and were raised back to life.

Examples include Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who stood before Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace and declared that even if God chose not to deliver them, they would not bow to an idol.

They were thrown into the flames bound, but the king looked and saw them walking free with a fourth figure “like the Son of God,” and not even the smell of fire was on them when they came out.

Or think of the widow at Zarephath, who watched her son breathe his last in a time of famine.

In desperation she turned to Elijah, and through his prayer God brought the boy back to life—turning a home filled with sorrow into a home filled with praise.

These stories remind us that faith is not just a doctrine on paper; it is the power of God breaking into real lives, rescuing His people, and displaying His glory.

We too are given promises of a victorious christian life!

Romans 8:37 declares,

Romans 8:37 KJV

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Faith is not blind optimism but confident trust in a God who is able to deliver.

Yet faith is not always rewarded with earthly triumphs.

Sometimes faith leads not to deliverance but to suffering—and still it remains victorious.

II. The Cost of Faith

Faith takes courage, but we see a great victory if remain faithful

But it often comes at a cost.

Faith without a cost is not really faith.

This has been spoken of often by many great men:

William Penn: “No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.” (No Cross, No Crown, 1669)

He is reminding us that suffering is not a detour from faith but the very pathway to glory.

These verses show saints who endured pain, thorns, and loss, yet their faith crowned them with God’s approval.

A.W. Tozer: “True faith commits us to obedience—costly obedience at that—and to live in the expectation that God will honor that obedience.” (The Radical Cross)

Tozer’s words echo the reality that the believers in Hebrews 11 chose obedience even when it cost them freedom, comfort, and even life itself.

Faith that endures suffering does so with confidence that God sees and rewards.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” (The Cost of Discipleship, 1937)

Bonhoeffer, who lived—and died—by these words, captures the spirit of Hebrews 11:36–37.

Many saints faced torture and execution, yet their willingness to die was the truest proof of their living faith.

Verses 36-38 says,

36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

A. Faith Suffers Torture

(v.35b)

Some chose death over deliverance because they believed in a better resurrection.

They lived out Philippians 1:21

Philippians 1:21 KJV

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Faith teaches us that eternal life with Christ is worth more than temporary safety.

In our comfortable culture, it is easy to forget that persecution is not just history—it is happening right now.

According to Voice of the Martyrs, more Christians have suffered and died for their faith in the last century than in all previous centuries combined.

In places like North Korea, Nigeria, and parts of the Middle East, believers face imprisonment, beatings, and even death simply for naming the name of Christ.

Their faith costs them everything, yet they endure because they believe in a better resurrection, just as Hebrews 11:35 says.

Faith is not proven by how loudly we sing in safety, but by how firmly we stand when the world turns against us.

If our brothers and sisters around the world can stand under torture and threat, surely we can stand against ridicule, rejection, or inconvenience for the sake of Christ.

1 Peter 4:14 KJV

14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

That same Spirit that strengthens the persecuted church will also strengthen us to stand faithfully where God has placed us.

B. Faith Submits to Trials

36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

Believers endured mocking, scourging, imprisonment, stoning, and even death by the sword.

These saints were not weaker in faith than the victors—they were equally approved by God.

It is not about whether your faith is stronger that determines if you have victory or not.

It is a matter of God’s Will.

2 Timothy 3:12 assures us,

2 Timothy 3:12 KJV

12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Faith does not always remove suffering, but it always gives strength to endure suffering for Christ’s sake.

C. Faith Survives in Tribulation

37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

They wandered in deserts, mountains, dens, and caves—despised by the world but precious to God.

The world saw them as worthless, yet God says the world was not worthy of them.

John 15:18 reminds us,

John 15:18 KJV

18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

Our worth is not measured by the world’s approval but by God’s acceptance.

Whether in victory or in suffering, the testimony of these saints points us to the ultimate hope found in Christ.

III. The Completion of Faith

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

A. Commended Through Faith

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

All these saints—whether they conquered kingdoms or suffered in caves—received God’s approval through their faith.

Notice, it was not their victories that earned commendation, nor their sufferings that secured it, but their faith.

Faith is what pleases God (Hebrews 11:6), and it is faith that brought His “well done” upon their lives.

Our greatest goal should not be to gain the applause of men but the approval of God.

Think of a parent watching a child take their first shaky steps—not perfect, but pleasing. God delights in His children’s faith, however faltering, because it is directed toward Him.

B. Confined Without Fulfillment

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

Though they were commended, they did not receive the promise in their lifetime.

They looked forward to something better, but it was not yet revealed.

Abraham longed for a city whose builder and maker is God. David spoke of a greater King to come. The prophets looked ahead to Messiah, but they died still waiting.

1 Peter 1:10–11 says that the prophets searched diligently about the salvation that was to come, but they saw it only from a distance.

This reminds us that faith often involves waiting. We may not see the answers to our prayers immediately—or even in this life—but God’s promises never fail.

C. Consummated in Christ

The writer tells us that God had “provided some better thing for us.”

That better thing is Christ—the fulfillment of every promise, the substance of every shadow.

Those saints of old could not be made perfect without Him, and neither can we.

Faith is completed, not in outcomes or victories, but in Christ Himself.

2 Corinthians 1:20 says,

2 Corinthians 1:20 KJV

20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

We do not look for another hero or another covenant—we have Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.

D. Connected with the Family of God

Notice the phrase “that they without us should not be made perfect.”

The story of faith is not divided between “them” and “us,” but united in one body of believers across all ages.

We are running the same race they ran, but now with the added joy of seeing the promise fulfilled in Jesus.

We are part of something bigger than ourselves. Our faith joins a great cloud of witnesses who testify to God’s faithfulness.

Imagine a relay race where the baton of faith has been passed from Abel to Abraham, from David to Daniel, and now into our hands. We run our leg of the race not alone, but as part of God’s eternal plan.

Conclusion

Hebrews 11 closes by reminding us that the story of faith is not finished without us.

The heroes of the past received God’s commendation, but they were still waiting for the completion that came in Christ.

Now we live on the other side of the cross, with the better thing God has provided—Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Their faith was real, though they never saw the full promise, and our faith is joined with theirs in one great family of God.

The baton has been passed into our hands, and we are called to run our race with the same perseverance and trust.

So let us not be satisfied with a faith that only conquers in good times, but also one that continues in hardship, always looking to Christ.

As Hebrews 12 will tell us, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.

Their lives testify that God is faithful—and now it is our turn to run with patience, keeping our eyes on Jesus.