No subject in the Bible is more important than faith.  The Hebrews writer wrote, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).  Faith in God is one of the foundations of Christianity.  It is, at least in part, what gives us victory over Satan, sin, and the world.  John said, “…And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4).

What is faith?  Listen to what these experts on biblical words tell us.

“Conviction of the truth of anything, belief; “in the N.T. of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament).

“Pistis is the most common term denoting faith in the New Testament, with the underlying senses of belief, trust, and conviction in the person of God and Christ” (Expository Dictionary of Bible Words).

“It conveys the idea of trust, a firm internal conviction regarding the truthfulness of someone or some claim. The verb form, pisteuo, is usually translated, ‘I believe” or “I trust’” (Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary).

To have faith, then, is to believe in God, with the underlying sense of trust.  Having true faith in God and trusting Him are two inseparable concepts.  We trust God because we believe in Him. This is really what faith in God is all about—trusting God in all aspects of our lives.    

• We trust God’s provisions to meet our needs (Matthew 6:33)
• We trust God’s deliverance from trouble in our lives (2 Corinthians 1:8-10)
• We trust God’s justice in our persecutions (Romans 12:17ff)
• We trust God’s grace in our salvation (Ephesians 2:8) 

Do you trust in God and His Word in your everyday life?  If you are a Christian, you can answer yes without hesitation because faith is a characteristic that every true Christian has.  If you do not have enough of this kind of faith or if you view yourself as being weak in faith, try studying the Bible a little more.  Paul tells us that this is how faith is acquired (Romans 10:17).

The devil knows this to be true as well.  This is why he does what he can to keep the Word of God out of the hearts of people.  

Luke 8:11-12 (ESV)
¹¹  Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. ¹²  The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 

Do not allow the devil to stop you from being a person of strong and life-changing faith.  Study the Bible regularly and let it fill your heart.  The result will be a stronger faith that will demonstrate that you are a Christian indeed. 

As you wind down for the night, think about these things