Confidence in God

A tremendous note of confidence and victory is sounded in the opening verses of Psalms 27:1-3 "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident."

The secret of David's victory throughout his life was his tremendous confidence in God. No matter what happened, whether his enemies came against him to devour his flesh, or armies arose to war against him, he was absolutely confident in the Lord. In Proverbs 3:23-26 we find another beautiful picture of confidence. "Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; For the LORD will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught."

The Bible consistently teaches that God's people need not fear. That is why I have reservations about a teaching or prophecy that imparts fear to God's people. God is saying here, "When trouble from the wicked comes, it's not your problem. If you are not wicked it's not going to strike you."

The Lord doesn't change. He is always in control. He is never flustered. He never encounters an unexpected situation or emergency. He always has the answer. Proverbs 14:26 "In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge". If you have a right attitude toward God, there is no need for worry He is our shelter and place of protection. In the Old Testament, Isaiah said: "For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength." But you would not. And you said, "No, for we will flee on horses" Therefore you shall flee! And, "We will ride on swift horses" Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!" Isaiah 30:15-16

In the New Testament, the Greek word translated confidence is a very forceful word; it is specifically related to confidence in speech. In secular Greek usage it denoted "freedom of speech" or the right to say what you think almost an exact equivalent to the liberty of speech guaranteed by the American Constitution. It implies that you do not have to be silent about what you believe. You have an absolute right to say it and no one can silence you. It is a "bill-of-rights". In the New Testament the first Scripture we'll look at deals with having confidence toward God in prayer

1 John 3:21-22
" Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight."

Notice again: the basic requirement for having your prayers answered is confidence. Don't let the devil rob you of your confidence. Exercise your prayer rights and the liberty of petitioning because Jesus purchased it for you. It is written into your constitution.

Another attack of the enemy that many Christians have difficulty in facing is condemnation. Romans 8 shows us that life in the spirit is a life of freedom and liberty, without a shadow of condemnation. You cannot enter or live the life presented in Romans 8 if you are living under condemnation. This essential requirement is stated in the opening verse of the chapter:

Romans 8:1
" There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

Condemnation is the great barrier to the liberty, joy, peace, and power of the Holy Spirit. But a right attitude of confidence will enable us to overcome this obstacle in our lives.