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The faith you are clinging to may do you absolutely no good against Satan’s fiery darts — unless it meets several specific conditions. Your faith must rest on the solid foundation described here.

      A man checked into a room on the 30th floor of a big hotel on a warm, foggy night. The room was too hot, so he forced open a window and stepped through it into the thick darkness, thinking he was stepping onto a balcony. But, to his horror, he quickly realized (too late) that nothing was under his feet! The terrified guest fell headlong to his death on the sidewalk below.

      Did the man’s belief that he was stepping onto a balcony save him? If a person unwittingly drinks some deadly poison, not realizing it is poison, will his ignorance (his misplaced belief or faith), prevent his untimely death?

      If people sincerely believe a lie, will it profit them? Millions of Germans really believed in the promises of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party before and during World War II. They trusted that the fuehrer would bring them peace, prosperity and happiness. But by mid-1945, they were disillusioned. The deluded masses of Germany came to see that they had placed their faith in a man and a party that could not deliver what they had promised. The result? A ravaged, divided Germany.

      Faith is simply confidence and assurance in YAHWEH—the absolute certainty that something will happen according to our unshakable belief based on YAHWEH’s promise or knowledge of His will. It is trust in YAHWEH, not in man—not in one’s own unfounded supposition. Faith is assurance that what YAHWEH has promised He will perform (Rom 4:21). It is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1).

      But how can we make sure that our faith is not “dead” or “in vain”? (Jacob 2:17, 1st Cor 15:14,17). How can we make sure that our faith does more for us than it did for the man who only believed there was a balcony outside his hotel window?

A solid foundation

Faith, or belief, in order to be effectual, must be solidly based. It must have a sure foundation if it is to stand. Sincerity alone is not enough. It is possible to be ever so sincere—like those people who believed in Adolf Hitler—and yet be sincerely wrong—to have a misplaced trust.

If we are to have real, living, effective faith, we must learn to put our faith in YAHWEH, not in men! “So says YAHWEH, Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and who makes flesh his arm, and who turns aside his heart from YAHWEH” (Jer 17:5). And we are also told, “Put not your trust in nobles, in a son of man, for there is no salvation in him” (Psa 146:3). Yahshua Messiah said to them “Let the faith of YAHWEH be in you” (Mark 11:22).

But why put our faith in YAHWEH rather than in someone or something else? Because YAHWEH is the only sure foundation for belief! Even when men are well intentioned, you never really know whether they will be able to keep their promises. And many people are not well intentioned.

But YAHWEH will never break His Word. He is totally reliable. When He makes a promise, you can depend on it. Men are limited in knowledge and understanding, and also in their ability to keep their word. But YAHWEH is always 100 percent faithful (1st Cor 1:9, 10:13, 1st Pet 4:19).

It is utterly impossible for YAHWEH to lie (Heb 6:18). He who has promised is faithful. (Heb 10:23). Whatever YAHWEH promises—whatever His will is—He will bring it to pass.

Knowing YAHWEH’s will

The patriarch Abraham was “never weakened in faith…he did not hesitate at the promise of Elohim, as one lacking faith; but he was strong in faith, and gave glory to Elohim; and felt assured that what YAHWEH had promised to him, he was able to fulfill” (Rom 4:19-21). YAHWEH made an oral promise to Abraham, and faithful Abraham simply believed his Creator. He knew YAHWEH would not lie—that His Word was good.

Can we follow Abraham’s example? Some of us may be prone to say: “Well, I could believe YAHWEH, too, if He would speak directly to me as He spoke to Abraham. Abraham had perfect faith in YAHWEH because He had revealed His will to him. He told Abraham what He was going to do and what He wanted Abraham to do. But YAHWEH hasn’t spoken to me. He hasn’t made His will known to me.” Hasn’t He? YAHWEH has made it possible for us to know exactly what His will today is—He has spoken to us in as direct a manner and with the same authority as when He spoke personally to Abraham. How?

Through His written Word, the Bible—the Holy Scriptures. The Bible reveals the will of YAHWEH. What we call the Old Testament and the New Testament (the word testament means covenant or contractual agreement involving promises on YAHWEH’S part and trusting obedience on man’s part) contains the complete revelation of YAHWEH to mankind—His revealed will to man.

Real, living faith must be based on YAHWEH’S will as revealed in the Bible. If professing Christians would obey YAHSHUA’s command to “Search the scriptures” (John 5:39) – if they would, like the noble Bereans, study the Bible daily (Acts 17:11)—they would know what YAHWEH has—and has not—promised.

For instance, most people who claim to follow YAHSHUA sincerely believe that they will go to heaven when they die. But does the Word of YAHWEH promise any such thing? No! YAHSHUA said that no man has ascended into heaven, and that those who develop proper discipleship character will inherit the earth (Psa 115:16, Isa 60:21).

But is this what most of “Christianity” has been taught? No. True disciples must rightly divide “the word of truth” to know exactly what YAHWEH’s will really is and thus be able to have faith in that solid foundation (2nd Tim 2:15, Eph.5:17). Belief in whatever is stated in the Bible is a properly based belief. Faith cannot be based on faulty human reason, but must be placed in YAHWEH’s Word.

Then, we can pray properly and expect to receive answers from YAHWEH: “And this is the confidence we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him” (1st John 5:14-15).

When we fail to petition YAHWEH according to His will, we can expect no answer to our prayers—we do not have the proper faith YAHWEH requires for answered prayer (Jacob 4:3, 1:6-7). This proper faith, of course, must also include keeping YAHWEH’s commandments, which are also revealed in the Bible (1st John 3:22).

The Promise of Healing

Many people who think they have perfect faith are forced to realize that their faith is worthless because they do not receive what they pray for—because they misunderstand what YAHWEH has actually promised. A good illustration of this problem is to be found in the subject of healing.

Many Christian-professing churches believe in divine healing. That is fine, because the Bible teaches that YAHWEH can and does heal. But many churches misunderstand YAHWEH’s promises to heal and misapply them to their own distress and discouragement.

The Apostle Jacob instructs disciples as follows: “Is any among you sick? Let him call the elders of the Congregation, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of our Master. And the prayer of faith will heal those being sick, and our Master will raise him up. And if he may have committed sins, it will be forgiven him” (Jacob 5:14-15).

Those who truly believe the Word of YAHWEH know that YAHWEH has made certain promises concerning healing. But it is vital that we do not misunderstand what YAHWEH promises. Does YAHWEH anywhere in the Bible promise to heal every one of every sickness and every disease in this life? Does YAHWEH’s Word say when YAHWEH will heal? Or, after praying for healing, do we not have to wait patiently for YAHWEH to heal us in His own good time and way? Jacob said the prayer of faith would save the sick and that YAHWEH would raise them up, but he did not say when YAHWEH would do so.

On numerous occasions in the Bible, YAHSHUA, the apostles and the prophets healed people instantly. But there are other examples when YAHWEH took a longer period of time before He raised up the ill and healed them (2nd Kings 20:1-7, John 4:52). In some instances, YAHWEH did not heal the people at all. But is His Word still good? Is it ever too late for YAHWEH to “raise him up” and make a sick person completely whole?

When does YAHWEH heal?

King David of Israel was a great man in YAHWEH’s sight, yet YAHWEH allowed him to contract some kind of “loathsome disease” (Psa 38:7, 41:8). Near the end of David’s life, he was so infirm that his body temperature wouldn’t stay high enough, so his servants “sought for a fair damsel” to keep the king warm (1st Kings 1:1-4). Nothing indicates that YAHWEH healed David of his sickness. But he died in faith and the time is coming when YAHWEH will raise him up, “But they [Israel] shall serve YAHWEH their Elohim, and David their king, whom I will raise up to them” (Jer 30:9).

The prophet Elisha also died in faith—unhealed, “And Elisha had become sick with his illness in which he died” (2nd Kings 13:14). Both David and Elisha were men of YAHWEH. Why, then, did YAHWEH—who had worked mighty acts and miracles through these men—not heal them? Only YAHWEH can answer that. But YAHWEH will heal them both—will raise them up in the soon-coming resurrection. YAHSHUA said that at that time, men shall “see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of YAHWEH…” (Luke 13:28).

The Apostle Paul was another man whom YAHWEH used mightily. Through Paul, YAHWEH healed many people: “And Elohim did great works of power through the hands of Paul, so as even handkerchiefs or rags from his body to be brought onto those sick, and the diseases to be released from them, and the evil spirits to go out from them” (Acts 19:11-12). Yet, when Paul himself was sick, YAHWEH didn’t heal him. Why? Paul himself gives us the answer:

“And by the super abundance of the revelations, that I not be made arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, that he might buffet me, that I not be made haughty. Beyond this I entreated our Master three times, that it depart from me. And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will rather gladly boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Messiah may rest upon me” (2nd Cor 12:7-9).

Paul had asked YAHWEH on three occasions to heal him, but YAHWEH had refused, knowing that his infirmities would keep him humble. Paul therefore said, “I am pleased in weaknesses…for when I am physically weak, then I am spiritually strong” (verse 10).

Sometimes YAHWEH heals people instantly. Sometimes He delays their healing until the resurrection. In some instances, He heals a person in this life after a certain delay. When Miriam, the sister of Moses, rebelled and was smitten with leprosy, Moses prayed to YAHWEH, “And Moses cried to YAHWEH, saying, O Elohim, I beg you, please heal her” (Num 12:13).

But YAHWEH didn’t grant Moses his request. “And YAHWEH said to Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? She shall be shut out seven days at the outside of the camp, and afterward she shall be brought in. And Miriam was shut out at the outside of the camp seven days,” (verses 14-16). One week later, Miriam was healed by Yahweh and brought back into the camp.

Three Important Ingredients

There are three vital ingredients necessary in healing: 1) faith, 2) obedience and 3) patience. When a person prays for healing, he must believe, obey YAHWEH and then, because YAHWEH has not promised when He will heal, he must patiently wait for YAHWEH’s intervention.

It is only “through faith and long-suffering (that we shall) inherit the promises” (Heb 6:12). And we must sometimes exercise a lot of patience waiting for YAHWEH to act when He knows the time is best.

After all, the people in Hebrews’ long list of biblical heroes patiently trusted in YAHWEH and “…died by way of faith, not having received the [fulfillment of the] promises” (Heb 11:13). We must have faith like these people.

Faith is of prime importance to anyone who would truly worship YAHWEH. “Without faith it is impossible to please YAHWEH” (Heb 11:6). How, then, does one get more of the kind of faith everyone needs?

How to Obtain Saving Faith

The apostles knew they needed more of the understanding and peace that true faith in YAHWEH could give them, and realizing this, they implored YAHSHUA, “Give us more faith” (Luke 17:5). We, too, need to ask for the power to overcome our doubts and faithlessness, as one man did, “And at once the father of the boy cried out while mourning and said, I believe my Master. Help the lack of my faith” (Mark 9:24).

No one of himself has the kind of faith necessary to be saved. This saving power can come only from YAHWEH and YAHSHUA Messiah, “looking to the Author and perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2). YAHSHUA Messiah is the source of living faith, “Knowing that a man is not justified by works of (Levitical) Law, but that it is through faith in YAHSHUA Messiah, we also believed into Messiah YAHSHUA, that we may be justified by faith in Messiah and not by works of (Levitical) law” (Gal 2:16). Paul goes on to say, “And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of YAHWEH, the One loving me and giving His life on my behalf” (verse 20).

Notice the source of the faith necessary for justification, character development, and salvation: “For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this is not of yourselves; it is the gift of YAHWEH” (Eph 2:8).

Faith is one of the fruits of YAHWEH’s Holy Spirit and is imparted to us by the indwelling of that Spirit (Gal 5:22, 1st Cor 12:9). We need to ask YAHWEH for more of His Holy Spirit, which He is more than willing to give us (Luke 11:13). YAHSHUA Messiah through the inexhaustible “supply of the Spirit” (Phil 1:19), can give us the faith we need to trust and obey Him at all times.

Also, we need to remember that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Elohim” (Rom 10:17). Hearing and studying YAHWEH’s Word will increase our faith.

Our Spiritual Radar

Faith is an important component of the armor of Elohim. “Be alert, putting on “the breastplate of faith and love” (1st Thess 5:8). “Above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Eph 6:16).

If we, as disciple soldiers, ever lay aside our breastplate and shield of faith, then we will be unable to ward off all the frantic thrusts of Satan in his efforts to destroy us. Faith is like a compass. It is like the radar used on ships or planes. Paul commanded the young disciple warrior Timothy that “you might war the good warfare by them, having faith and a good conscience, those who have rejected this charge have lost their faith” (1st Tim 1:18-19).

Without this spiritual power to direct us, we will all suffer “shipwreck” sooner or later. According to the Word of YAHWEH, our faith can be overthrown if we are not alert and vigilant (2nd Tim 2:18). A disciple must believe in YAHWEH and believe what His Word says. He needs to realize that his own faith is not sufficient to save him—he needs to have the very faith of the Son of YAHWEH added to his limited human strength. Faith—a gift of YAHWEH—comes as a result of YAHWEH’s grace, prayer and Bible study. A disciple must be sure to base his faith on the foundation of YAHWEH and His Word. If he does this, his faith will forever remain unshakable!