Battlefield of the Mind for Teens by Joyce Meyer & Todd Hafer

Author:Joyce Meyer & Todd Hafer [MEYER, JOYCE]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: REL000000
ISBN: 9780759573864
Publisher: FaithWords
Published: 2006-09-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

The States of Doubt

and Unbelief

At first glance, it might seem like these “states” are redundantly named. Aren’t doubt and unbelief pretty much the same thing?

The two are related, and both are dangerous places where Satan would love to drag you. Let’s look at both doubt and unbelief, so that you can know exactly which one you’re being lured or pushed toward.

The Dirt on Doubt

A great reference tool, Vine’s An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, notes that to doubt is “to stand in two ways . . . implying uncertainty which way to take, . . . said of believers whose faith is small . . . being anxious, through a distracted state of mind, of wavering between hope and fear.” 1

Here’s a story that brings the definition to life:

A sick man wanted to be healed. So, he prayed and quoted scriptures about healing. He believed that he would be healed. But all the while, doubts invaded his mind. This tension made him grow discouraged.

Then God allowed him a glimpse of the spiritual world. This is what the man saw: A demon was hurling lies at him, telling him, “You’re not going to get healed; all of this reciting Bible verses like some kind of magic words—that’s not going to work!”

But the man also saw that each time he proclaimed God’s Word, a light would come out of his mouth, like a sword, and force the demon to cower and tumble backward.

This vision made a profound impression on the man. He understood that it was important to keep speaking God’s Word, because it was having an effect. And the very fact that it was effective was prompting the demon to use doubt to get the man to stop. Doubt is a tool of the enemy; it’s not something from God.

The Bible promises that God gives everyone a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). He puts faith in our hearts, and the devil tries to negate that faith by attacking us with doubt. This is why it’s so important to know and understand the Bible—to memorize key verses and be able to look up passages that build our faith. If we understand God’s Word, we will recognize when the devil is trying to plant lies in our minds.

Uncovering Unbelief

While doubt is belief tinged with second-guessing and uncertainty, unbelief is a lack of belief or faith. Unbelief can even grow into an all-out rejection of faith. Unbelief is a dangerous state to stumble into, but it can be avoided.

Remember the story about Abraham—how God promised this 100-year-old man (with an almost equally old wife) that he would be the forefather of many nations? Abraham heard God’s promise and didn’t weaken in his faith—even though a spirit of unbelief attacked him like a swarm of angry bees.

As Abraham stood up to the temptation to disbelieve God’s promise, the Bible tells us that he grew stronger in his faith; he felt increasingly empowered by it. This is a key point. You see, when God tells or asks us to do something, He also provides the faith and courage for us to follow through.

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