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INTRODUCTION

We often assume that believing is simply a mental agreement, a choice of the will, or a positive attitude. But Scripture makes a far more radical claim: faith itself is impossible without the Spirit of God.

“Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Not even believing. Not even praying rightly. Not even obeying. This reality demands that we dig deeper into the spiritual forces at work: the Spirit of Faith (which is actually the Holy Spirit Himself) and the spirit of unbelief—a demonic resistance to truth and trust, rooted in the spirit of antichrist.

TWO SPIRITS: FAITH VS UNBELIEF

THE SPIRIT OF FAITH IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

When Paul writes:

“We, having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I have spoken’, we also believe and therefore speak.” (2 Corinthians 4:13),

he isn’t referring to human courage or personality. He is speaking of the Holy Spirit who enables belief and empowers speech. This “spirit of faith” is the active presence of God within a believer, forming the very capacity to believe.

Compare with:

“The fruit of the spirit [small ‘s’ aka the branch abiding in the vine] is… faith.” (Galatians 5:22)

We do not produce faith by striving—it is supernatural fruit, growing from communion with the Spirit.

THE SPIRIT OF UNBELIEF IS THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST

Unbelief is not just human weakness—it is the outworking of demonic activity. It is a spirit that speaks, accuses, and mocks the promises of God. It is the same spirit that tempted Eve in Eden and mocked Jesus on the cross.

Psalm 42 describes this warfare of the soul:

“Why are you cast down, O my soul?… While they say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (Psalm 42:3,5)

The voice of unbelief is not neutral—it is the voice of the accuser, the ruler of this world, the spirit at work in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 6). It says, Look at your circumstances—God has left you.

But faith says, Though I walk through the valley, He is with me.

Unbelief thrives where lies are believed. Faith thrives where truth is received.

“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13)

Faith is always based on truth; unbelief is always rooted in lies.

THE DIFFERENT SPIRIT IN CALEB AND JOSHUA

In Numbers 14:24, God says of Caleb:

“But My servant Caleb, because he had a different spirit with him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land.” (Numbers 14:24)

Matthew Henry comments:

“He had another spirit with him—not only courage and resolution, but the Spirit of grace, which God put into him.”

Rashi likewise notes that Caleb resisted the sway of the ten spies—implying a power at work beyond the human.

God can only fill the cups that present themselves to Him.

Caleb and Joshua are Old Testament foreshadows of New Covenant believers, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The “different spirit” is a preview of what all believers would receive at Pentecost: the indwelling Spirit who births faith, courage, and obedience.

FAITH IS FORMED THROUGH SPIRITUAL HABITATION

Faith grows not by effort but by presence—by sitting with Him, eating of Him, drinking Him in:

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word [rhema] of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

This rhema (spoken word) is not merely Scripture read with the eyes, but Scripture spoken by the Spirit into the soul.

We are constantly feeding. Either we eat from the bread of heaven—the Presence of God—or from the troughs of the world.

Jesus declared:

“Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you have no life in you.” (John 6:53)

Faith, then, is not the prerequisite for this communion—it is its result.

Jesus had the faith of God because He walked in perfect communion with the Father. He heard, obeyed, and trusted because of intimacy. We become like the one we spend time with. Spend time with Jesus, and you will learn His faith. After all, you cannot trust someone you do not know. Intimacy builds trust i.e. faith.

ROMANS 12:1 – A BODY FOR A BODY

“Present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable [spiritual] service.” (Romans 12:1)

Faith is not merely internal. It requires a body—a vessel to inhabit. We become the married Bride of Christ, and like every true marriage, it is a life for a life.

He gave His body for us so He could inhabit our bodies in return. And only when He does can we:

• Hear rightly
• Obey rightly
• Believe rightly

“Without Me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

and,

“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6)

Not even believe.

THE SPIRIT OF FAITH VS THE SPIRIT OF UNBELIEF

CHARACTERISTIC	SPIRIT OF FAITH (Holy Spirit)	SPIRIT OF UNBELIEF (Antichrist Spirit)
Source	The Holy Spirit via the regenerated human spirit	Satan, demons via the natural man
Action	Praise & thanksgiving	Complaining
Produces	Obedience, confidence, worship	Rebellion, fear, self-reliance
Spiritual posture	Humble, yielded, intimate	Defensive, proud, independent
Nourished by	The Bread of Heaven (Presence)	The Troughs of the World (Culture, Flesh)
Old Testament example	Caleb & Joshua	Ten Spies, Israel in the wilderness
Result	Entry into Promise	Death in the wilderness

OUTRO: PRAISE IN THE PALM — BIRTHED IN HIS PRESENCE

There is a mysterious moment in Genesis where Judah enters Tamar—whose name means “date palm”—and from this hidden union, Perez is born. Perez means breakthrough.

“And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb… and his name was called Perez.” — (Genesis 38:27–29)

This is not just an obscure genealogical moment—it is a prophetic picture. Judah means praise. Tamar, the palm tree, symbolises the righteous believer:

“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree.” — (Psalm 92:12)

In other words: Praise enters the righteous, and breakthrough is born.

And where does this breakthrough occur? In the courtroom of the Lord’s Presence.

“The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.” (Psalm 92:12-13)

Tamar was vindicated in the gates. You, too, are justified not by your striving, but by the One who sees you, hears you, and covers you in His Spirit. Praise is not the product of your feelings—it is the power of God planted in your spirit, even when life offers no visible proof. And in the tension of hiddenness, breakthrough is being formed.

This is why we are to abide in His presence.

Just like the date palm bears fruit after years of unseen growth beneath the surface, so your spirit, when saturated in His Presence, will bear the fruit of faith—the kind that pierces the veil and opens what no man can shut.

CALL TO ACTION

Step into the court of His Presence.

Bring your brokenness, your dryness, your disbelief—bring it all. Let Judah enter Tamar. Let praise fill your temple. Offer your body. Offer your voice. Offer your doubt. And watch what the Spirit of Faith will birth in you.

Go somewhere quiet today—no distractions, no masks—and just sit in silence before the Lord. Read John 15 aloud. Wait. Worship. Let the vine life begin to flow. For without Him, you can do nothing—not even believe. But with Him, all things are possible.

“I believed, and therefore I spoke.” — (2 Corinthians 4:13)

Now let faith speak through you. And let the world see the breakthrough born in the courts of the Lord.

DEVOTIONAL PRAYER

Holy Spirit,
I confess that without You, I can do nothing—not even believe.
I offer my body as a living sacrifice. Dwell in me. Breathe in me. Live Your life through me.
May I never settle for a form of faith without the fire of Your presence.
Remove from me the spirit of unbelief, and renew in me the Spirit of faith—the very breath of the risen Christ.
Amen.

MEMORY VERSE

“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. Have I been trying to believe by effort, rather than receiving faith as fruit sustained by the Spirit?
2. In what ways am I nourishing my soul—on heavenly bread or worldly troughs?
3. Do I offer my body daily for Christ to live through me?
4. Where in my life is the spirit of unbelief still resisting God’s voice?
5. How can I cultivate the Spirit of Faith more intentionally this week?

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