Proven Faith: Whose Side are We On, Really?

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Christians, do you know that God and Satan have an ongoing argument about us? It goes something like this:

God: “Have you seen my new child, [your name here]? He made a decision to trust in Jesus Christ for his salvation. Now, he’s attending church, praying and reading his Bible. He even repaid some money he stole from his employer.”

Satan (aka, The Accuser of the Brethren): “Oh, please! That Kum by ya moment when he supposedly “trusted Jesus”? Really? You know he didn’t mean it. You’ll see. I’ll put a few well placed ads on his laptop and he’ll get hooked on porn. And just watch what happens when I make his boss leave the cash register open and unattended on his shift!”

And so it begins: our season of testing and temptation. The testing, coming from God, is intended to prove the genuineness of our faith. The temptation, coming from Satan, is intended to prove that our faith is a hoax.

These periods of both testing and temptation are usually not continuous in the Christian life. But when we enter one, we know we’re in it. It’s excruciatingly painful on many different levels: spiritually, psychologically, physically and socially. It may even feel like God and Satan are both standing right in front of us, with God slapping us on one side of our face and Satan slapping us on the other.

The Bible contains a couple of explicit examples of God and Satan arguing about who belongs to whom. Both of these examples result in testing/temptation to prove who is right. The most famous example of this process is in the Book of Job.

“Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”¹

A second example of Satan and God in a tug of war with believers is Simon Peter. Listen to Jesus’ prediction of what would happen to Peter after his denial:

“Simon, Simon, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

But he said to Him, “Lord, with you I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know me.”²

Other biblical examples of believers going through severe periods of testing and temptation to prove the genuineness of their faith are Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice his son, Joseph in Egypt, David fleeing from Saul, Paul and his persecutions, and the readers of Peter’s first epistle.

I’m particularly interested in what Peter wrote to his readers about suffering, because it relates directly to us today. Peter had this special word of encouragement for them – and us.

“This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”³

Notice that Peter tells his readers that they were suffering grief so that their faith would be proved genuine, resulting in “praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” As a result, their proven faith was the most valuable thing on earth.

What Peter’s readers were going through is exactly what every single believer goes through at some point in their life. Every one of us either has had or will have his faith severely tested. Why? Because God is proving our faith to Satan, to his demons, to the world, to his holy angels – to every sentient being there is.

So what should we do when we enter these periods of testing and temptation?

• Draw near to God. God has promised to protect and preserve you during these times if you will let him. Memorize and meditate on passages like these: 1 Corinthians 10:13; Jude 1:34; Isaiah 43:2; Deuteronomy 31:6; 2 Timothy 4:18. Stay in prayer. Be found often in church.
• Surround yourself with godly and loving family and friends. Sadly, Job had neither godly nor loving family and friends. They were a hindrance to him in his time of suffering. Find Christians who will encourage you, not condemn you, and spend as much time with them as you can.
• Be transparent. Satan flees from light. It’s not easy to admit sin and temptation. But we need people in our lives with whom we can be completely honest. Find them – fast.
• Be patient. No period of testing/temptation lasts forever, even though it may seem like it. All testing and temptation will eventually end, even if it’s been around for years. And if it has been around for years, you may need to get professional counseling. There are many excellent Christian counselors out there.
• Keep your eyes on the prize. “Whoever has this hope in him purifies himself as he is pure.”⁴ Imagine yourself in heaven before the throne of Christ, surrounded by millions and millions of angels and saints shouting praise at the top of their lungs as Christ says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” That is your goal.

In the end, our desire is to say with Paul:

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.

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1. Job 1:8-11, New International Version
2. Luke 22:31-34, New American Standard Bible
3. 1 Peter 1:4-7, New International Version
4. 1 John 3:3