If God has called you, then you will experience trials of faith. Scripture tells us not to be surprised when these seasons come, for they are an essential part of God’s work in perfecting His people. Peter wrote, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.” These trials are not evidence of God’s absence but of His refining purpose. Through them, He purifies faith, strengthens character, and conforms us more fully to the image of Christ. In these moments believers learn the necessity of taking up “the shield of faith,” God’s provision against the fiery darts of the wicked one. (1 Peter 4:12; James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3-5; Ephesians 6:16)
The victory of the Christian life is not found in the strength of our own faith, but in receiving, appropriating, and walking in the faith of the Son of God, which enables us to endure every trial and bear increasing fruit unto God. (Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 6:16; John 15:5)
First, there is only one true faith, and that faith is found in the Son of God Himself. Our old man was crucified with Christ, and through faith we have been united with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection. This is a gigantic leap of faith. Because we now live in Him, we are called to live by His faith rather than our own natural strength. Paul testified, “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Christ extends His faith to us, but we must receive what He freely provides. Therefore, the apostle exhorts believers, “Above all, taking the shield of faith.” The Christian life is not merely believing about Christ but living by what Christ Himself supplies. (Romans 6:1-11; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 6:16)
The faith of Christ protects the believer and enables him to “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Yet this raises an important question: What exactly is the faith of the Son of God? Most believers have read the Scriptures concerning faith, but have we truly understood them in the depths of our hearts? Before we can effectively wield the shield of faith, we must understand the nature of the faith God has provided through His Son. (Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 6:16; Hebrews 11:6)
This question is of great importance. Many sincerely say, “I believe in Christ.” Such belief is the beginning of the Christian walk. Yet standing firm in the faith of Christ while Satan’s arrows assault the mind is another matter altogether. As we draw nearer to our Savior and seek deeper fellowship with Him, opposition often increases. God desires that His people move beyond spiritual infancy, build their house upon Christ the Rock, and bear not merely fruit, but “more fruit” and ultimately “much fruit.” (John 15:2, 5, 8; Matthew 7:24-25; Ephesians 6:16)
Therefore, let us dig deeper into the unsearchable riches of Christ. Let us seek from the Holy Spirit a thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and hundredfold understanding of the faith of Jesus Christ. Spiritual fruitfulness is inseparably connected to spiritual understanding. As the Spirit opens our eyes to the heart and mind of Christ, we become increasingly equipped to walk in victory, maturity, and fruitfulness. (Ephesians 3:8; Mark 4:8, 20; John 16:13)
Before examining the faith of Christ in greater detail, it will help us to review some foundational truths concerning faith itself. Every aspect of our relationship with God begins, continues, and matures through faith. The just live by faith, walk by faith, and overcome by faith. If faith is so central to the Christian life, then we must understand what Scripture means when it uses that word. (Hebrews 11:6; Romans 1:17; 2 Corinthians 5:7)
One of the Bible’s foundational definitions is found in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Another translation renders it, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see” (NET). Faith is a God-given certainty concerning realities that cannot yet be perceived by the natural eye. It reaches beyond the visible world and lays hold of what God has spoken because it rests confidently upon His character and His promises. (Hebrews 11:1; Romans 4:20-21; 2 Corinthians 4:18)
Conclusion We have seen that trials are a normal part of God’s refining work in the life of every believer and that victory over those trials is found not in human resolve but in the faith of Christ. The shield of faith is more than a doctrine to admire; it is a spiritual reality to be received and exercised. As believers learn to depend upon the faith supplied by the Son of God, they are enabled to withstand the attacks of the enemy, grow in spiritual maturity, and bear increasing fruit unto God. Having established that the Christian life is lived through His faith rather than our own, we are now prepared to examine more closely what the faith of the Son of God is and how it operates within the heart of the believer. (Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 6:16; Hebrews 11:1; John 15:5, 8) Kenneth Wayne Hancock
