With Babylon rising, cruel bondage is a reality for many in the body of Christ. Many blood-bought believers are running what feels like an endless rat race that steals their energy—and often their dreams and visions of a better tomorrow.
I assure you there is a way of escape, a path to rest, a sure route to enter your Promised Land. But there’s a behemoth standing in between you and God’s best for your life. It’s an enemy so insidious that it’s difficult to recognize and perhaps more difficult to cast out, because its very nature is to rob the faith you need to overcome it. But nothing is too hard for God!
That enemy is called unbelief, and it’s often the result of deferred hope that makes the heart sick (Prov. 13:12). This is not a new enemy. Rather, unbelief is an ancient foe that continues to oppress modern day “believers” despite the centuries-old revelation that the just shall live by faith (Heb. 10:38).
Falling on Deaf Ears
Indeed, when the Lord made promises of deliverance to the children of Israel in Exodus, those promises fell on deaf ears. Since faith comes by hearing, the spirit of unbelief works to deafen our ears so we can’t listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to the church. And unbelief often works through oppression.
God said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!’So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery” (Exodus 6:2-9 NLT)
Is that you? Do you tune out during church because you’ve heard it all before and nothing ever changes? Have you stopped your daily devotions because you are too exhausted from work to spend time with the Lord? Does your speech sound like one who is defeated rather than one who is victorious? What types of thoughts go through your head when you lay down at night? What about when you get up in the morning? Are you discouraged by the brutality of Babylon?
The Amplified Bible translation of Exodus 6:9 says, “they refused to listen to Moses because of their impatience and anguish of spirit and because of their cruel bondage.” The Message says they were “beaten down in spirit by the harsh slave conditions.”
Babylon (the world’s system) will certainly beat you down—and enslave you—if you let it. But you don’t have to let it. You can take a stand by the choice of your will to believe God’s promises and shut out the work of unbelief. You can renew your mind and send unbelief running.
Shaking Off Unbelief
I used to have a spirit of unbelief. I was studying Kenneth Hagin’s classic materials on faith at the time, so it was somewhat ironic when a deliverance minister confronted me with the cold hard truth. Although I was studying faith, I simply was not able to apply the principles of faith with any success. I even doubted my own salvation. I was also full of fear and doubt, two other combatants to faith. Even still, I recognize unbelief trying to creep into my soul and put me in back in bondage. We all have to fight the good fight of faith—every day (1 Tim. 6:12).
I’m declaring to you right now that it’s time shake off the impatience. By faith and patience we inherit the promise of God (Heb. 6:12). It’s time to shake off the anguish of spirit. God has not given us a spirit of anguish. He’s blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places (Eph. 1:3). It’s time to shake off the bondages in our lives, whether that’s debt, religion, or some type of sin that’s hindering intimate fellowship with God.
Saints, it’s time to combat the spirit of unbelief that’s keeping us from our Promised Land. It’s time to fight the good fight of faith with fiercer determination than ever before. I’m not talking about a prosperity gospel or a name-it-claim-it theology. I’m talking about walking in the victory Christ died to give you. I’m talking about walking free from every bondage, including unbelief, that’s holding you back from your destiny. I’m talking about resisting the devil. He has to flee. Amen.
Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, includingDoubtless: Faith that Overcomes the World. You can email Jennifer at [email protected] or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.
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