Doubt is the door-way to unbelief.” When I
heard the Holy Spirit speak those words, I began to ponder the
danger of doubt. I began to see doubt as more than just a mindset
that prevents us from casting the proverbial mountain into the sea.
I began to see doubt as a spiritual disease whose goal is to cripple
our Christian lives. I dub this disease doubtaholism.
Doubt is a cousin of fear and suspicion that blocks faith and
discernment. To doubt is to lack confidence in the Word of God.
Doubt is failing to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Just like
alcohol, doubt is a depressant. It damages our heart, lowers our
resistance to infection, and leaves us impotent. Just like
alcoholism, chronic doubt impairs our learning ability, disorients
us, and causes mental confusion.
In Deuteronomy 28:66, we learn that doubt is part of the curse of
the law: “Your life shall hang in doubt before you; day and night
you shall be worried, and have no assurance of your life.” But Jesus
came to redeem us from the curse of the law. The good news is while
alcohol withdrawal can causes tremors and convulsions, withdrawing
from doubt causes freedom and liberty.
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Whether you are a full-blown fretting doubtaholic or merely sip from
the cup of cautious hesitation, it’s important to recognize the
symptoms of this spiritual state. So let’s take a closer look at
doubt as the doorway to unbelief, its symptoms, and the remedy for
dealing with doubtaholism. It’s time we see this sinister spirit for
what it is and silence its nagging voice so we can walk in peace,
faith – and victory.
Doubt is the doorway to unbelief because the skeptic must first
question the Source of information before he is finally unwilling to
accept the truth. If doubt is dangerous, then unbelief can be
deadly. At the very least it can cripple your prayer life. Ponder
this: If it only takes faith the size of a grain of mustard seed to
move a mountain, then how much doubt does it take to cancel out a
prayer? Jesus said, “Only believe.”
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Like any disease, doubtaholism manifests in progressive stages. The
early symptoms are confusion and inaction. Left unchecked, we move
on to fear and anxiety. Finally, we move on to instability,
double-mindedness and backtracking that leave us unable to receive
the wisdom of God. James, the apostle of practical faith, encourages
believers to ask the Lord for direction as needed – in faith, with
no wavering, hesitating or doubting. “For the one who wavers
(hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is
blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind. For truly, let not
such a person imagine he will receive anything [he asks for] from
the Lord, [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating,
dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain
about everything [he thinks, feels, decides] (James 1:6-8 AMP).
Does this sound like a person who is walking in victory? But there
is hope for those James described in his epistle. There is
deliverance from doubtaholism. It begins, continues and ends with
the Word of God. God’s Word makes thousands of promises to those who
believe. Let’s examine a 12-step program designed for doubtaholics.
1. Admit your problem: The first step to recovering
from doubtaholism is to see this debilitating disease for what it
really is: sin. Without faith it is impossible to please God
(Hebrews 11:6).
2. Confess your fault: Healing and deliverance
begins with confessing the fault. Once you truly repent, then your
effective, fervent prayers will make an impact (James 5:16).
3. Rely on God: Believe that the Lord is faithful
and just to forgive you of your sin and cleanse you from all
unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
4. Examine your heart: Search your heart to
determine what allowed the doubt and unbelief to enter in the first
place (2 Corinthians 13:5).
5. Decide to trust in the Lord: True repentance
will bring lasting change as you decide once and for all to trust in
the Lord with all your heart instead of trying to figure everything
out on your own (Proverbs 3:5).
6. Renew your mind: Renew your mind with Scriptures
about trust in the Lord and read passages that demonstrate God’s
faithfulness to His servants over the ages (Romans 12:2).
7. Build your faith: Faith comes by hearing the
Word of God. Don’t just read your Bible. Speak the Scriptures out of
your mouth day and night. Then you will have good success (Joshua
1:8).
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8. Be a doer of the Word: When we hear the Word and
do it, it brings stability to our lives. Jesus said whoever hears
His sayings and does them is a wise man (Matthew 7:24).
9. Pray in tongues: You can build yourself up in
your most holy faith by praying in tongues. Allowing the Holy Ghost
to pray through you will edify your spirit and ensure perfect
prayers are being released on your behalf (Jude 1:20).
10. Fight the good fight: Since the battle is in
the mind, keeping yourself from returning to the cup of doubt will
require you to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). Faith
speaks what the Word says even when circumstances defy it.
11. Reject fear: God has not given us a spirit of
fear. Fear is the antithesis of faith. When you feel fear begin to
grip you, remember that God has given you a spirit of power, love
and a sound mind and perfect love casts out fear (2 Timothy 1:7; 1
John 4:18).
12. Resist the devil: Now that you’ve submitted
yourself to God, resist that old doubtful devil whenever he rears
his ugly head and he will flee from you (James 4:7). When doubt
comes, say “I resist you doubt. I choose rather to believe the Word
of God.” And tell the devil, “It is written…”
If doubt is the doorway to unbelief, then faith is the doorway to
God’s promises. Choose the ever living water of faith over the
tumbler of doubt and receive everything God has planned for your
life – no doubt about it!.
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