“Why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31
Every believer struggles with doubt along the way toward eternity. To claim not to wrestle at some point with doubt is to be dishonest with your own heart. Followers of Jesus contend with doubt at varying moments and for different reasons. Sometimes it can be really intense. Other times it is a casual thought that gnaws.
We are famously told of a time when Peter doubted. The disciples were alone in a boat and Jesus came to them walking on the water in the middle of the night. Peter began supernaturally walking on the water toward Jesus. But the wind frightened him and he began to sink, crying out to Jesus to save him. Jesus grabbed him and then said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Then together they got into the boat.
The point of this is to show that Jesus truly is the Son of God. He is who he says he is, so trust him. What then should we do when doubt creeps up?
First, be honest with yourself. Do not brush over it and pretend it is not there. It is there for a reason. Is the doubt a spiritual battle or are you self-deceived? Do you have real, saving faith (do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God who gives eternal life to repentant sinners desperate for grace) or does doubt follow you because what you actually have is an emotional faith (Jesus makes you feel better), or a psychological faith (you’re doing what’s required to get to Jesus), or a fallacious faith (your Jesus is not the biblical Jesus)?
Upon examining yourself (2 Corinthians 13:5), and true saving faith is aligned with Scripture, you can thus approach the doubt as a form of spiritual warfare.
Here are ways for the believer to then fight doubt:
1. Confess your weakness. When Peter cried out for help, Jesus first reached out before reproving him. Jesus will help you when you turn to him. Ask him to save you and calm the winds of your doubt. He will. He will then correct your thoughts and will encourage your faith.
2. Put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Use everything in your God-given arsenal to fight the doubt. God’s armor will equip you to overcome it and win the battle. The armor does not weigh you down. It actually helps keep you standing and fights for you.
3. Remember that God is forever faithful to his promises. God always keeps his word. The root cause of your doubt needs cut out and replace by what God says. There is a specific promise of God in his Word that will replace your doubt. Ask him to help you find it, or ask a trusted brother or sister to help you.