THE SPIRIT OF FAITH

2 Corinthians 4:13 (KJV) “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.”

Joshua and Caleb are powerful examples of what it means to have a spirit of faith. The Word tells us in Numbers 14:24 that Caleb had a different spirit. He believed what God said in spite of what he saw and in spite of what the majority was saying. The majority was in unbelief, but Joshua and Caleb said what God said: “If God is for us, we are well able” (Numbers 13:30). In other words, we have God’s Word on this, so let’s go get what He has already given us.

A spirit of faith believes God in daunting circumstances. When everything looks bad, you still believe what God said. You too can have a spirit of faith.

The apostle Paul took this principle directly from Psalm 116:10, which says, “I believed, therefore have I spoken.” You could also say that a spirit of faith comes from someone who boldly declares, “It is written.” Do you know someone who did that? Jesus did. He had a spirit of faith, and when the devil tempted Him, He responded by saying, “It is written” (Matthew 4).

You cannot say what is written if you do not know what is written. A spirit of faith knows what is written and knows how to boldly declare it.

There also comes a point when faith must be put into the past tense: “I believed.” Mark 11:24 tells us to believe when we pray, which means there must be a definite moment when you believed. When it comes to receiving what the Lord has already provided for you, you should be able to go back to a time and place where you believed you received it.

People often say, “I am believing,” but what are you believing? And what are you basing your believing on? It can only be Bible faith when it is grounded in a Scripture.

When you believe something, you make a confession of faith—a declaration of what you believe in your heart. It is always this way. When you believed that Jesus was raised from the dead, you confessed it and were born again. Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34).

Mark 11:23 tells us that when we believe what we say, it will come to pass. Believing and saying go hand in hand. You do not have believing without saying. You can have saying without believing, but that will not produce or activate the power of God.

This is the spirit of faith: we believe, and therefore we speak.