“For by grace you have been saved through faith.”
Ephesians 2:8 NKJV

Our faith is dependent on God’s grace—we cannot grow in faith without it. And it is by His grace that we are called to partner with God in faith to overcome the enemy and build His Kingdom here on earth. Too many believers forget that they have an enemy to fight, and they try to bargain with God or hope that they are righteous enough for Him to answer their prayers. But no one is righteous enough, only by His grace can we stand in faith.

How do we build our faith? Romans 10:17 NKJV says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Hearing the Word plants His thoughts, desires, character, and ways in our hearts. As we sow and meditate on His Word, our faith grows stronger.

We walk out our faith with our words. Our words are powerful—they hold the power of life and death. In Matthew 4:1-11 NIV the enemy tempted Jesus in the desert, and three times Jesus answered him, “It is written…” He resisted the devil by speaking the Word of God. He had sown the Word deep in His heart, so that, on the day of temptation, He could stand in faith and resist the enemy.

Take care to guard against unbelief because it can hinder your faith. In Mark 9:14-29, a father brought his son to Jesus for healing. Jesus told the father to believe, and he said, Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! He had faith and unbelief at the same time, but his unbelief was hindering his faith.

We are not called to be passive believers, but to stand in faith against the enemy! 2 Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” Respond in faith for He has given you all things!