What's the best chapter to read to combat unbelief?

What do you say to somebody who's getting worse by the day and letting lies in that has brought overwhelming fear into his life.

After many years of serving the Lord he has no longer senses God's presence and woke up in the middle of night feeling He left. It shook him up so much where he's doubting his salvation. What do you saints think?

What's the best chapter to study over and over in the bible to combat this sudden unbelief and fear? Or sermons or books? Or testimonies?

PS - He's been drinking milk for years and kept falling into sin.

It was the "friends" who tore a hole in the roof to lower the sick friend down to Jesus; and Jesus said because of "their" faith he was healed.

Only knowing what you've written in 3 short paragraphs, I'd say fasting and prayer (on your end) because he may be too far along to even care. And lay hands on him yourself and rebuke the enemy... the spirit of lies, for one. Can you have regular prayer and bible study with him?

God bless,
Sister Lisa

That's pretty good lisa thank. Oh he definitely cares, it's all he talks about. He's just living in fear that God left him. But he always had emotional problems anyway. But this is kind of serious.

I know God will rescue him in his time. I really think he needs to go through this so he can walk by faith and not by sight. Everything has always been about feelings. Yes prayer and fasting to. It's the only way.

We will try bible studies but I sense a changed man around the corner..Praise God. This is his fire That he have to walk through.

"Keys to Personal Revival" by Michael L. Brown-- it is available on this website.

Hi
God bless you for having a burden for your friend, I agree that fasting and prayer are your first and most important steps. I'll assume that you are confident that your friend is actually saved, so then you can ask God to reveal to you if there is any persistant sin in the man's life and if so attempt to restore him gently. Reassure him that the Lord wants him restored rather than condemned.

Galatians 6:1
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

You probably hit the nail on the head by pointing out that he has placed his confidence in his own feelings rather than on the truth in the Word. I would speak to him about the faithfulness of God, who remains faithful even if we are not. God does not push one of his children away because they have disappointed him or not read their Bible often enough, and not feeling His presence does not change the promises of scripture. The Lord is able to save completely and forever and He placed a seal on us!

2 Timothy 2:13
13 if we are faithless,he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

John 6:37
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

Hebrews 7:25
25 Therefore he is able to save completely[a] those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
Footnotes: Hebrews 7:25 Or forever

Ephesians 1:13-14
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

This does not sound like the Lord might just drop one of His children because they have not been diligent or dabbled in the things of the world. To be sure, we can grieve Him and ought to live obedient and holy lives but God does not just quickly withdraw salvation if we fail in that. Unless a once saved person deliberatly turns away and rejects the Holy Spirit's testimony about the love, work and nature of Christ, and so blasphemes Him, one does not simply overnight lose his salvation(at least that's my understanding, there may be other views).

So then I would encourage your friend to stay in the Word, to pray faithfully for God's mercy and to be strengthened in his faith, whether he feels God's presence or not, and to let the Lord search his heart and cleanse Him from all unrighteusness. What is reqired of your friend is perseverance, and the enemy who attacks him with fear will have to leave him alone.

Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

If the fear really paralizes him perhaps you could help him come up with some prayers taken from scripture, such as Psalms. Hope this helps in some way.

Sola,

Thank you for those verses. I printed the whole thing out. And we'll go through it later.

He doesn't want to deliberately walk away from God and begs God that he never fall away from God. But now he's confused if he just wants to avoid hell and not really in love with the Lord. The enemy is really kicking him when he's down.

I really feel for him...but like I said, this is going to strengthen his faith big time. I can really see God allowing this but I'm confident God knows when enough is enough. Thank God for crying prayers..and for you guys. The faith of Saints can really bring him out of it.

This post is just making me think so hard as I have dealt with people with the same issues and it has puzzled me in the past. Perhaps it could be helpful to look at the possible reasons for what is happening to your friend.
I'll be ranting more to myself than anything but it helps me to sort things out and hopefully makes sense to others.

The man fears God has left him. Can it be that he was not saved in the first place? If so, would he be able to perceive an "absence of God's presence?" As he would never known His presence, he would not be able to tell the difference.

He fears he has lost his salvation. If we assume that fear comes from the enemy, would the devil place a fear of having lost salvation in a man's heart if he wasn't saved anyway? You bet not! Would the devil try to place fear in a saved man's heart to discourage him to the point of giving up and turning from God? Certainly.

The above can lead to the conclusion that the man is indeed saved, but there's one other possibility:

What if the fear is not from the devil but conviction from God that he is in need of true regeneration? Can he know the difference? Yes, by looking at what it does to him. Does it push him away from God, cause bitterness and dilusionment or does it draw him towards God with fear and trembling?
But even if he can not say for sure, the right move is to throw himself at God's feet in repentance and submission and to plead for mercy and for help with unbelief until there is assurance in the heart and he can say Amen to this:

Romans 8:16
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

The key is perseverance. He must grab onto God for dear life, like Jacob who wrestled with the Angel of the Lord all night until he received His blessing. Even if it takes more than a night, perhaps weeks or months, scripture tells us to keep knocking and that to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Now, if the man was saved all along, the question is how did he get to the point of fearing he has lost his salvation?

If the fear that is attacking him comes from the devil, he must have opened himself up to hearing that voice at some point or over time. I trust you have knowledge of the things that may cause this to happen. The further away a sheep wanders from the herd, the harder to hear the shepherd's voice and the louder the growling of the wolf who has come to kill and destroy. I remember calling on the Lord once, when I felt far from God, that He would come and find me as I felt like a lost sheep, alone out in the dark, and He did wonderfully! The memory of this moment brings tears to my eyes.

If the fear is indeed conviction from God, it is a warning and a call to return with all his heart. I pray your friend will heed it and bear up under the pressure that the Lord has allowed into his life to correct and train him. The Lord uses the schemes of the evil one to accomplish His own purpose. He punishes and disciplines those he accepts as sons, those He loves, but he will not let him be tempted beyond what he can bear and provide a way out for him. Let your friend be assured of the Lord's love for him as well as of His great faithfulness.

I trust that what I said is biblically sound and references could be found, I just don't have the time, but can do so at a later date if requested.

Hey Sola,

I really appreciate your concern in this matter.

Thanks.

So what your saying, someone could spend years and years going to church, working in ministry, crying out to the Lord, and not even have been saved? i really believe his heart was and is pure. He just always struggled with feelings, emotions, reading, mental stuff from his past, etc.

I honestly think this is the turning point in his life.