All throughout God’s Word he paints us a picture of how to be victorious and he also tells us of how Satan distorts the truth and prevents us from being saved from hell. Our flesh or what the Apostle Paul called our natural desire, it cannot see God’s perfect picture without the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Accepting the fact that we are sinners and headed for hell and by faith believing that Jesus Christ as our savior, confessing him publicly, trusting that he paid our sin debt in full, by giving his life for us on an old rugged cross and knowing that he was God in human flesh born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit and that God raised him from the dead to live again, is the only way we can receive the gift of the spirit within us. Even after we have done the above, the flesh will still war against the spirit. When we give into the flesh, it is called be double-minded.
His word had much to say about that.
Joshua said “choose this day whom you will serve”
Daniel wasn’t double-minded when the King told him he could not pray or he would thrown in the lions den.
The three Hebrew children were not double-minded when they were thrown in the fiery furnace.
Elijah said in 1 Kings 18
"How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him;
In James 1:5-8
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
KJV
What are we to do when doubts and fears come into our mind?
2 Cor 10:4-6
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
Heb 10:23-24
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
KJV
God words says in Hos 4:6
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
KJV
What builds our faith?
1 Peter 1:6-9
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Double mindedness is also called wavering. We waver when we read God's Word and want to believe what it says, but we're still wondering how it can be true, especially in the light of worldly' knowledge. Since we have human tendencies and limitations, each of us will invariably experience this to some degree from time to time. Although it's understandable, it's still unbelief and can be an enemy of faith.
Without faith it's impossible to please God. If he feeds the sparrows, we need to believe he is taking care of us. What causes unbelief? Satan- He may be working through someone else to influence us. He may be working in our own thoughts, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life. How do we fight him? With faith. Where does faith come from? by hearing. By hearing what? The word of God.
1 John 2:3-6
3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Wavering is usually the result of limited knowledge of Gods ways and purposes. HIS WORD TELLS OUR THOUGHTS ARE NOT HIS THOUGHTS OUR WAYS ARE NOT HIS WAYS. One of the surest signs of spiritual immaturity is wondering and questioning. WE NEED TO BUILD OUR HOUSE UPON THE ROCK, THAT ROCK IS JESUS. Some people will ponder, 'Is this really for us today.' or 'If this promise is really true, why didn't my Godly cousin get the miracle she was claiming from God?" or "Should I even be asking God for this?' Faith is ASSURANCE, but it must be supported by the power of patience, and patience itself is fruit that grows out of our Spirit. Therefore, to overcome double-mindedness, we must keep feeding our spirit with the Word of God and steadfastly guard against any contrary thoughts. We should always remember, if we ask anything according to his will, he will hear us and and answer. The key phrase is “according to his will”. We need to realize he is God and he knows what’s best for us. How he answers our prayers, may not be what we think is best, God knows much more of what we need than we do.
And remember Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose.
Matt 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Cor 10:20-22
21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
James 3:11-12
11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Rom 5:1-5
5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
1 Cor 2:9-12
God's wisdom
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
NKJV
Today is the day of salvation. When is today? Today is today. Everyday day is a new day and we crucify the flesh daily. Don't worry about tomorrow, it has enough troubles of it's own.
2 Sam 22:32-37 32 "For who is God, except the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God? 33 God is my strength and power, And He makes my way perfect. 34 He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places. 35 He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 36 "You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great. 37 You enlarged my path under me; So my feet did not slip. NKJV
Trusting is a lot easier when you are on the mountain, but as the song goes, he the God of the mountain and the God of the Valley. If we praise him in the valley, and when he takes us through, that's when our faith increases and we can be more effective, and he can use us more for his Kingdom. As another song goes: Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word, I'm so glad I've learn to trust him. Oh for grace to trust him more.
Since we know there is going to be valleys in our life, we should always keep our armor on.
because we know the devil comes to kill, steal and destroy, he goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
The Armor:
Belt of truth
Breastplate of Righteousness
Helmet of Salvation
Sword of the Spirit——Word of GOD
Shoes shod with the Gospel of peace
He called us to let our light shine before men, he wants us to bear much fruit. He didn't call all of us all to be pastors, but he did call all of us to preach the gospel. We are all called to be his witnesses. Through his spirit he gives a desire to know his word and to share with others, to only look for his approval, not that of men. It's not our performance that Jesus is looking for it is our heart. God's ways are much better than the world's ways. Jesus has called all of us to do his work until he takes us home.
We should always remember, not by our power or our might, but by his spirit. We are only his vessels.