Hebrews 11:1
Faith is an interesting concept. Unfortunately, it often gets thrown around in conversations but is hardly ever understood or explained. Yet this verse in Hebrews 11 is a perfect representation of what faith is and does in our lives.
Faith is what keeps us going through doubt and hard times. Faith arises when we put our trust in God and God’s character. It is what assures us of what we know to be true but have not seen yet. This verse reminds me of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. He says, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
This is the very essence of faith. As we go through hardships, faith allows us to look at the things which we don’t see and know that they are worth the present suffering. Faith is knowing that the things which we don’t see are eternal while the things that we do see are only temporary for this world. There’s a reason why part of the armor of God is the shield of faith. In Ephesians 6:16, it says, “In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
As we build up our faith, it becomes able to extinguish Satan’s arrows. How does this work? When we set our eyes upon that which we cannot see and that which is eternal, the attacks which Satan faces us with in the present lose their punch. We can look at Satan and say, “This doesn’t faze me because I know how this story ends.” Since we know that God wins in the end and we have faith in that, the devil’s schemes fail. This is why James says in James 1:2-4, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
As we go through trials and hardships in this life, our faith builds because we begin to realize the reality of the grand scheme of things. We realize that through all things, God has got our back and He is fighting for us every step of the way. We realize that the battles that we face every day aren’t ours and that at the end of time, God will win once and for all and we will live together with Him in glory for eternity.
King James Version (KJV)
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
New International Version (NIV)
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
New American Bible (NASB)
“Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
The Living Bible (TLB)
“What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.”