What is faith?

What is faith?

  • Reading time:10 mins read

What is faith for believers?

Faith is a central concept in the Christian life, both in understanding salvation and in daily perseverance. In Scripture, faith is presented not as a simple act of believing, but as a certainty and trust in God, which affects the way believers live and face the world. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, describes what faith is to him and compares it to a shield that extinguishes “all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16), highlighting the importance of faith as protection against temptations and spiritual attacks.

Faith: Certainty and Confidence

Hebrews 11:1 provides a clear definition of what faith is from a biblical perspective: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This verse highlights two essential aspects of faith: first, the certainty concerning God's promises for the future; second, the conviction concerning invisible realities that, although not perceived by the senses, are certain for those who trust in God.

What is biblical faith, then? It is certainly not blind belief or mere assumption. It is not based on an irrational desire for things to go well, but on the God's faithfulnessThroughout Scripture, God has consistently kept His promises, giving believers confidence that He will also keep His promises for the future. This confidence extends beyond visible circumstances and is based on God’s unchanging nature, giving believers the ability to hope with certainty in what God has promised, even if those promises are not realized in their present life.

Trust in God's Faithfulness

What is faith in essence? It is complete trust in God's faithfulness. The Bible shows us countless examples of men and women who trusted in God and His promises, despite not seeing the immediate results of that faith. In Hebrews 11, there are people like Abraham, who trusted that God would fulfill His promise to make him a great nation, even though he died without seeing his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky (Hebrews 11:8-12). This kind of faith is not blind faith, but faith that is faithful. reasoned and based on the history of God's faithfulness.

Hebrews 11:13 explains it clearly: “All these died in faith, not having received what was promised, but having seen it afar off and believing it.” This shows what faith is: it is the certainty that what God has promised will be fulfilled, even if it is not always seen in the present. Trust in God is built by looking at how He has been faithful in the past and, on that basis, we expect the fulfillment of His future promises.

Saving Faith: More than Intellectual Knowledge

What is saving faith? It is important to distinguish between the faith that grants us salvation and a simple intellectual knowledge of the facts of the gospel. James 2:19 points out that even demons believe that God is one, and yet that belief does not save them. Biblical faith is not just a recognition of facts, but a transformative trust that affects the heart and life of the believer.

Jesus explained that true faith is manifested in a life that reflects that trust in God. It is not enough to know the gospel or to agree with its truth. So what is saving faith? Saving faith is faith that leads to an internal transformation. This is the faith that the apostle Paul refers to in Romans 10:9-10 when he says that if a person “confesses with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead, he will be saved.” Saving faith involves a complete surrender and trust in Christ as Savior and Lord, leading to a new life in Him.

Faith as a Shield in Spiritual Warfare

In Ephesians 6:16, Paul uses the metaphor of a shield to describe what faith is and how it protects the believer in spiritual warfare. This shield is essential, not only because it blocks the attacks of the evil one, but because it allows the believer to face life with confidence and trust in God. The flaming arrows of the evil one, which may be temptations, doubts, or afflictions, are extinguished by faith. This means that when believers trust in God’s promises, they are able to withstand spiritual attacks and stand firm in their faith.

However, this faith is not passive. It requires believers to grow in their relationship with God and in their knowledge of His Word. Romans 10:17 reminds us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The more time believers spend in the Scriptures, the stronger their faith will be, and the more protected they will be in their spiritual life.

Faith in the Midst of Suffering

One of the most profound aspects of biblical faith is its ability to sustain the believer in times of suffering. Faith does not guarantee a life free of hardship, but rather provides a certainty that God is present and acting even in the midst of pain. The example of Job is paradigmatic in this regard. Job, in the midst of his suffering, was able to say: “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15). This type of faith demonstrates that trust in God does not depend on external circumstances, but on the assurance that God is sovereign and faithful, even when we do not fully understand his purposes.

True faith recognizes that God is in control, and that although suffering, anxiety, depression and adversity are a part of life, believers can trust that God is working for their good. Romans 8:28 states, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” This conviction is what sustains believers through trials.

What we must remember

Now that we understand what faith is, we realize that it is much more than a superficial belief or mere intellectual knowledge. It is a profound certainty in God's faithfulness, a transforming trust that affects every aspect of the believer's life.

Faith is both the shield that protects in spiritual warfare and the anchor that sustains in the midst of suffering. This faith is not blind, but is based on the history of God's faithfulness and the confidence that He will fulfill His promises. For those who have this genuine faith, life is transformed and strengthened by a living and active relationship with God, based on trust in His Word and in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

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