The Devil and Conditional Faith

Satan penetrates into the assembly of God’s people and attacks them with different temptations. It is a grave error to think that Satan cannot work within a church. Satan can even bombard a spiritual place of grace where children are standing before God and cause much temptation and confusion.

A person named Job was among the sons of God standing before Him. Satan asserted that Job only feared God because the conditions were right, but if God brought failure to Job and his works, then Job would no longer fear Him. However, God was confident that Job loved Him not because of some conditions. God knew that Job’s faith was unconditional. God allowed Satan to strike Job so that Satan would fall into his own trap since He knew that Satan’s accusations are unwarranted. Satan destroyed Job’s possessions in the blink of an eye.

Not fearing death itself, Job confessed that he would keep his faith before God. No matter how tormenting his wounds were, he would never take his own life. Until the day that God takes his life, he would never abandon his faith before God. With this confession from Job, Satan’s accusations were proven to be lies.

Satan roams the face of the earth seeking those who have conditional faith. Since the unbelievers are going to join him in eternal perdition anyways, Satan leaves them alone. However, Satan has vehement jealousy against the saints who have resolute faith; he seeks opportunities to tempt them. Conditional faith gives victory to Satan, but genuine faith condemns him. Satan does not meddle with people who do not have any zeal before God. He can cause the businesses of diligent Christians to come to sudden ruin and bring them unexpected hardships.

During the early years of my spiritual life, I ran a chicken farm and it was very successful. I made much money while I still maintained a fervent spiritual life. The success of my chicken farm came to a sudden halt on the morning of December 23rd. The same people who had envied the success of my farm were looking at me with pity and their attention was embarrassing me. I just wanted to hide somewhere. However, I acted as if nothing happened the next day and coordinated the Christmas performances at my church as the secretary of the young adult’s group. I’m pretty sure that Satan was very disappointed. When God saw my unconditional faith towards Him, I believe that He made up His mind to make me a great revivalist, and even the overseer of a great church.

Conditional faith becomes a good meal for the Devil to enjoy. We must always remember that the Devil stands in the midst of God’s children. The Devil roams the face of the earth seeking his prey and when he finds zealous saints, he destroys their environments trying to show that their faiths are conditional. Conditional faith brings joy to the Devil but disappointment to God.

Religious faiths or mystical faiths are variations of conditional faith. People who just attend the nearest church simply because they need religion in their lives are just religious. People who attend the church because they want to improve their chances of success in life are nothing but mystics. These believers invite the pastor to pray for their businesses to succeed just as how secular people perform Buddhist or Shamanistic rituals. The desire to worship even without true faith is a proof that mysticism has gripped one’s heart. People with a mystical faith immediately forget about God once their problems are solved. When their problems are solved, they stop coming to church. Conditional faith is exactly what Satan wants to see. Job 2:3 explains the faith God desires.

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”

The faith that God could proudly boast to Satan is one that is genuine, upright, fearing God, and turn away from evil. The one who possesses this unconditional faith can surpass all of the Devil’s schemes.

in KNOW JESUS AND SUPPRESS DECEIVING SPIRITS by Semuon