SUBTITLE: WHY WHAT USED TO WORK DOESN’T ANYMORE

AUDIO PODCAST

There was a time when merely saying, “I believe” was enough. When trust came easy, when the Word was honoured, and the Church was grounded in reverent fear and active obedience. But that day has passed. Today’s spiritual climate demands more. Not more effort, not more striving—but more depth. More reality. More rootedness in the living word.

So why does faith no longer seem to work the way it once did?

Because we’ve treated faith like an intellectual nod. A passive agreement. We’ve forgotten that faith is war.

If we don’t sweat in training, we bleed in battle.

THE THREE STAGES OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Faith isn’t static—it grows. Scripture reveals three broad phases of spiritual development:

“I write to you, little children… young men… fathers…” (1 John 2:12–14)

These three categories—children, young men, fathers—map our growth in faith:

Stage	Description	Scripture
Babes in Christ	Saved but immature. Identity is new. Prone to deception.	Hebrews 5:13
Young Men	Strong in the Word. Overcome the evil one. Battle-tested.	1 John 2:14
Fathers	Mature. Anchored. Intimate with God. Carry legacy.	1 John 2:13

Paul echoes this in:

“Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil, be infants, but in your thinking, be adults.” (1 Corinthians 14:20)

Spiritual growth isn’t optional—it’s commanded. We’re not called to remain babes forever. We’re called to rise, to mature, and to multiply. That means you and I have some growing up to do!

SOMEONE HAS TO FIGHT: FAITH IS A BATTLEFIELD

“Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” (Nehemiah 4:14)

The days of spectator faith are over. Real faith builds while it battles. The enemy doesn’t wait for your devotional time to end before launching his next assault. Nehemiah’s builders rebuilt Jerusalem’s ruins with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other.

And so must we.

GOD LEFT ENEMIES IN THE LAND ON PURPOSE

“These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan… He did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience.” (Judges 3:1–2)

God left enemies in the land so His people could learn to fight. The lesson? Promised land must be possessed—and possession requires battle. We cannot inherit victory without resistance.

Jesus didn’t reclaim every territory before He ascended. He left that to us—His Body. He gave us His Spirit, His Word, and His name—and called us to cultivate, protect, and expand.

“Let them have dominion…” (Genesis 1:26)

and,

“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)

The Church is losing the war for the soul of the nation—not because we lack worship, theology, or buildings—but because we lack warriors. Not physical ones. Spiritual ones. Intercessors. Watchmen. Truth-tellers. Lovers of righteousness.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray… then I will hear from heaven and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

The truth is: whether you realise it or not, you are either in a battle, leaving a battle, or heading into one. There is no such thing as a battle-free Christian life.

DO YOU HAVE AMMUNITION FOR YOUR WAR?

Faith isn’t vague positivity. It’s a targeted trust in the truth of God’s Word. That’s why:

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

Faith doesn’t grow by osmosis. You need the Word in you, not just around you.

We are challenged: “Write out what you believe. Write it like a confession—so you can declare it, defend it, and remember it.”

Because if you don’t know what you believe, you will believe anything.

WHAT DID YOU AGREE TO WHEN YOU BECAME A CHRISTIAN?

Now is the time to find out. Simply saying “I don’t know” doesn’t cut it anymore. Ignorance kills, and God can only justify our ignorance for so long. There comes a time when we need to grow up.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge [ignorance].” (Hosea 4:6)

Entering into a covenant comes not only with benefits; it also comes with obligations. Christianity is a covenant agreement, a life for a life.

God is leading us to maturity—and maturity means owning your response-ability. You said yes to Christ, but what did that yes mean? What did it include? What are the terms of this divine covenant? Is Christianity just fire insurance to you?

We suck at faith because we have outsourced our responsibility to pastors, parents, spouses, and yes, even to God. This is why we have immature “trust” instead of true mature “faith.”

Get into the Word. Discover what you agreed to. Know your role in the kingdom. Know what is expected of you—and what has been given to you.

WHERE IS THE MASCULINITY OF THE CHURCH?

The Church has, in many ways, lost its masculine edge. We have forgotten the warrior and father archetypes and replaced them with a one-legged walk of comfort, emotional safety, and gentle inclusion. But you can’t fight spiritual war in slippers, especially not if you’re hopping around on one leg.

We’ve prioritised making people feel welcome—while neglecting to make them battle-ready.

We’ve become overly feminine in expression: nurturing, yes—but often infantilising. Soft, but sometimes spineless. Protective, but in a way that coddles instead of calls forth courage.

Yet we need both. Like legs we need both for balance and forward momentum.

The tenderness of Christ is incomplete without the fire in His eyes. The Lamb is also the Lion. The same Jesus who said “come unto Me” also flipped tables and confronted demons.

We are not called to walk on one leg. We are called to walk in truth and grace, strength and tenderness, warfare and worship.

CALL TO ACTION

1. Write your faith declaration—What do you believe about God, Christ, salvation, healing, and authority?
2. Train spiritually—study Scripture. Pray in tongues. Fast. Get battle-ready.
3. Fight for others—like Nehemiah’s army. Fight for your children. Your friends. Your nation.
4. Stop being passive—faith is not couch-sitting trust. It’s blood-earnest obedience.
5. Take spiritual ground—reclaim your territory. In thought. In health. At home. On purpose.

PRAYER

Lord,

Awaken the warrior in me. Forgive me for comfort-driven Christianity. Teach me to train in peace so I may stand in war. Give me the courage to fight for others and the wisdom to fight the right battles. I surrender to the battle plan of heaven. Raise me to maturity so I may lead others into promise.

Amen.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. Where have I remained a spiritual child when I’m called to maturity?
2. Am I building with one hand and battling with the other—or have I dropped my sword?
3. What “enemies” has God left in my life to train me in warfare?
4. What promises am I failing to possess because I’ve avoided the fight?
5. What truth do I need to write down and declare over my life?

NEXT TIME: How to believe, how to have faith, and how to engage in the FAITH PROCESS.

Latin wisdom: Si vis pacem, para bellum—If you want peace, prepare for war.

Because without faith, Christianity collapses. Faith is the glue that holds it all together.

Stay ready.

— Hungry Hearts Collective

Like, Subscribe & Comment!