Part 3: Great Faith Series

“Weapons of Spiritual Warfare Series, Part III: Great Faith”

This morning is part three of our 3-fold series on the weapons of spiritual warfare.

Allow me to introduce spiritual warfare weapon number 3: Great Faith. Not just faith: Great Faith.

All the other spiritual weapons are null and void without faith.

All of us here today have a degree of faith, and by that faith, we pray to the One true God, we come to church to worship Him, we believe in His Son Jesus Christ, we’re empowered by His Holy Spirit – Each to a degree, depending on your faith… But how many of us have what Jesus would consider to be Great Faith? Well, what is great faith?

Only a few times in the New Testament do we see Jesus commending people for their great faith.

One was a Centurion who had helped build the temple with his own hands. He was home one day when one of his servants fell ill and lay paralyzed and near death in bed. Because he was a compassionate leader, he stayed there at his servant’s side that he might comfort him, and sent messengers ahead to find Jesus.

That tells me at some point along the road he must have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, because Jesus is the first person he turned to: not the doctors, and that alone took faith. When his messengers found Jesus, they told Him about their friend, who lay paralyzed in bed and pleaded with Him on behalf of their master, to come and heal him. So Jesus sent word back saying, “I’ll go there and heal the man. Tell him I’m on my way.”

When the centurion heard that the Messiah: Jesus his Christ was actually on the road to his house, he was overwhelmed and humbled. And seeing the state of his own unrighteousness, he said, “I’m not worthy to have Jesus in my house.” So he sent his servants to intercept Jesus on the way up and tell Him, “I’m not worthy to have you in my house. Just say the word, wherever you are, and my servant will be healed.”

When his messengers repeated this message to Jesus, the Bible says He was amazed and said,

“I haven’t seen such great faith in all of Israel.” And that very day, the centurion’s servant was healed: restored to new life by the power of Jesus Christ without ever seeing His face, because his master interceded with great faith. Intercession and prayer makes a difference! (Matt 8:10)

Jesus had a ministry of miracles, which certainly amazed thousands of people, but how many of those people would amaze Him? Not many. What was it about those people that amazed Jesus so much? It was Great Faith. Let’s take a look at what faith is today…

Heb 11:1-2, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” Great Faith is another ancient weapon, which the men and women before Christ’s time were commended for: having, using, obtaining Great Faith.

Faith is being certain of God’s Word without having to depend upon our natural senses to believe…

Great faith means I don’t have to see, or feel, or hear, or smell or taste something in the natural to know there is something powerful at work on my behalf in the spiritual.

Great faith is the power to demolish spiritual strongholds by being absolutely and positively sure that what we hope for will come to pass by believing in the power Jesus Christ.

It means, I keep praying, even when I cannot see the answer coming.

It means I continue to believe, even when everything else is contrary to my convictions.

When the world around me says, “It can’t happen and it won’t happen,” Great Faith says, “Never the less, it will happen.”

Great Faith means trusting in God’s Word and God’s promises, even when circumstances appear in the natural, to be out of control…

Believing the promises of God: “I will protect you”, “I’ve planned good things for you”, and “all things work together for the good of those who are called according to my purpose.”Do you believe?

That’s not just something God threw into the Bible to encourage people who are down and out. That’s a promise to stand on!

There’s a little cartoon that shows a boy kneeling by his bed at night for prayer.

As he kneels there, he says, “Dear God, Uncle Jim still doesn’t have a job; Sister still doesn’t have a date for the prom; Grandma is still feeling sick – and I’m tired of praying for this family and not getting any results.” A lot of us, when we get tired and weary, loose faith and forget God means what He says. But the promises of God are yea and amen! Amen?