THE DANGER OF DOUBT
“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6 NIV
Doubt is a serious offense against the Spirit of God who stands behind His promises.
Yet it’s a common struggle—so familiar and human—that it may seem almost cruel to expect someone not to feel it. The Greek word translated “doubt” in this verse literally means “to separate oneself in a hostile spirit.” In other words, when we doubt, we are pulling away from God’s promises with resistance, even antagonism.
And yet, Scripture tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. That means doubt cannot come from God—it is a work of the enemy, seeking to isolate us from the truth of God’s Word. Our responsibility, then, is to give doubt no foothold. We are called to resist the devil so that he will flee, especially when we are confident that what we believe is true and aligned with the nature of God.
The issue isn’t whether doubt appears—it likely will. The real question is: what posture does doubt find us in? Proverbs 18:14 says, “The strong spirit of a man sustains him in times of trouble.”
That is a trustworthy and powerful promise. Praise God!
Prayer: Father, I thank You for this wisdom. I am aware of the schemes of my enemy, and I am clothed in Your full armor, ready to extinguish his fiery darts. I stand strong and unwavering in the day of trial. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
CI.
RELATED RESOURCES
• Proverbs 18:14
• Romans 8:38
• Joshua 1:5
