Arm Yourself.

 Faith.

Faith we acquire by hearing.

Hearing we acquire by the word of God.

Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

Faith. We can get faith when we read the word of God. How important is it to read the word of God for ourselves? To just take the Bible that has been provided to us (if we've been so blessed) reading it, we are cultivating our faith. 

Do you lack faith? Can anyone claim they ever have enough faith? Can we ever get to a place that where we no longer want our faith to increase? I can't personally imagine ever saying to myself, "Okay, you have enough faith, you need no more." 

The Bible tells us to take up our Shield of Faith along with our Sword of the Word of God.  

How often have you seen pictures/movies etc with soldiers fighting with shield and sword? We can imagine such a scene, can't we? A soldier who is under attack raises sword and shield. The shield they use to block the blows coming from the enemy, the sword they use to strike the enemy wounding or killing them. They used their sword and shield to protect themselves, to keep themselves alive in battle. They battle because they've been enlisted in an army. 

We are all enlisted in the army of God from the moment we believe. 

From the moment of our birth we are engaged in a spiritual war that is all around us constantly. The enemy would keep us from God, from belief, from faith, from being in the army of God. Why? Because as long as we don't belong to the army of God, we belong to the army of Satan. You might find that preposterous but it's the truth. If you don't believe you are of the army of Satan because you aren't a Satan worshiper engaged in active worship of Satan, then you are deceived. Satan doesn't need any one to actively worship him to belong to him. Just like any army, there are many, many roles people take. Even if you support the troops while back at home you are doing your part for that army- without ever stepping foot on a battlefield. Your mental ascent to the ways of the army are fuel for it. Satan works with principalities and powers, and wickedness. Satan works in the realm of the spiritual darkness. Spiritual war, this is what we are born into and live in each and every single day. 

Each of us gets to a point in our lives when we choose a side, Spiritual Good or Spiritual Evil.  The big problem comes when Satan uses his deceptive powers to appear to be the Spiritual Good.  We are given all we need by God to truly be His and not to be deceived. He has given us His Holy Word!

When we first believe, we have faith and as we continue to believe that faith grows in purity. Faith can grow through the Word of God.  Faith comes by hearing the word of God.  Our spiritual shield of faith get its power from the Word of God. The sword of the Word of God, is so powerful it can actually kill the spiritual evil that wars against us.  The WORD OF GOD! 

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD! 

Do NOT neglect the WORD OF GOD!

If you have access to the WORD OF GOD utilize it as often as you possibly can! We have to, we so desperately need the power of the Word of God, faith- the shield, the sword of God! Pick up your Spiritual armor! Arm yourself!  

(Excerpt)

Faith is complete dependence upon the word of God only for the accomplishment of what that word says.

This being so, it must never for a moment be forgotten that where there is no word of God, there cannot be any faith.

This is shown also in the truth that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Rom. 10:17.

Since faith thus comes indeed by the very word of God itself, it is perfectly plain that where there is no word of God,  there can be no faith.

This is beautifully illustrated by an instance in the life of David, because David had it in his heart to build a house unto the Lord, the Lord spoke to him by the prophet Nathan, saying, "The Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house. . . . And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever."

Then David prayed and said, "Now, O Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as thou hast said. And let thy name be magnified forever,  saying, The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel, and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.

"For thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house:  therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.

"And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant; therefore, now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee: for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever." 2 Sam. 7:11-29.

His prayer was altogether of faith, because it was altogether of the word of God: the word of God was the cause of it; the word of God was the basis of it; and the word of God was all the hope of David that the prayer would ever be answered.

He asked according to the will of God, because the will of God was expressed in the word of God. Having asked according to the plainly stated will of God, David knew that his prayer was heard. And knowing that his prayer was heard, David knew that he had the petition which he desired of him. 1 John 5:14. 

Therefore he said, So let it be. And therefore also the answer to that prayer was, and is, and forevermore shall be, sure unto David.

And this was written for our learning: that we might know how to pray in faith and how in prayer to cultivate faith. Therefore, Go and do thou likewise. Because "the knowledge of what the Scripture means when urging upon us the necessity of cultivating faith is more essential than any other knowledge that can be acquired."

February 21, 1899 AT Jones Excerpt