Unless otherwise noted, all scripture is from the King James Version of the Bible.

The Unbeatable Spirit of Faith

ePub ISBN 978-1-60463-088-6

31-0537

© 1995 Eagle Mountain International Church Inc. aka Kenneth Copeland Ministries

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Kenneth Copeland Publications

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For more information about Kenneth Copeland Ministries, visit kcm.org or call 1-800-600-7395 (U.S. only) or +1-817-852-6000.

The Unbeatable Spirit of Faith

No matter how difficult a situation you may be facing today, God can turn it around!

The doctors may have told you there’s no hope. Your bank account may be empty and the creditors knocking on the door. There may be trouble in your family or on your job. Your problems may be stacked so high, you feel you can never overcome them. But don’t let the devil fool you. He has never devised a problem that faith in God can’t fix.

Nothing intimidates God. It’s just as easy for Him to heal cancer as it is for Him to heal a headache. It’s as easy for Him to buy you a new home as it is for Him to pay your rent.

Even in times like these when the whole world seems to be in trouble, God can bring you through in triumph. He can do for you what He did for the Israelites. Exodus 10:23 says when darkness covered the land of Egypt where the Israelites lived—a darkness so thick the Egyptians couldn’t see each other or move for three days—“all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”

Think about that! If you’ll dare to believe God’s Word, like the Israelites, you too can have light in the middle of a dark world. You can have protection in the midst of a dangerous world. You can live healed in a sick world. You can live prosperously in an impoverished world. You can live free in the middle of a captive world.

But you can’t do it by dragging around in an attitude of defeat. If you want to walk in constant victory, you must develop a spirit of faith and persevere in that spirit even when the devil is putting pressure on you.

People with the spirit of faith always receive the blessings of God. They may go through tests and trials but they come out supernaturally every time.

I like those odds, don’t you? I like to beat the devil every time. And, glory to God, you and I can do that if we’ll walk continually in the spirit of faith.

The Apostle Paul gives us powerful insight into how to cultivate that spirit in 2 Corinthians 4: “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.... While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (verses 13, 18).

Open the Window

The first and most fundamental fact these verses reveal about the spirit of faith is that it believes.

What does it believe? The Word of God. What’s more, faith believes God’s Word just because God said it—whether natural circumstances seem to agree or not.

That means if you want to maintain a spirit of faith in the area of healing, for example, you must start by getting your Bible and finding out what God has said about healing. Then you must choose to receive that Word as the truth. Don’t shut your heart to it by saying, “Well, that’s not the way my church teaches it,” or, “That’s not what my grandmother taught me.” Just say, “The Word says healing belongs to me and I believe it!”

Then keep putting the Word in your heart day after day until faith rises up within you and your body begins to line up with that Word.

“Well, Gloria, I tried that one time and it didn’t work for me. I guess I just don’t have as much faith as you do.”

Certainly you do! Romans 12:3 says, “...God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Since that scripture was written to born-again people, you can be sure that if you’ve made Jesus the Lord of your life, you have faith within you.

You may not be acting on it. You may not be speaking it. But it’s in there and the more you hear the Word of God, the more it will develop and grow, because “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

Why is it so important to develop your faith? Because faith is what connects you to the blessings of God. It’s the force that gives those blessings substance in your life (see Hebrews 11:1). And besides all that, faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).

It’s faith that reaches into the realm of the spirit, grasps the promises of God and brings forth a tangible, physical fulfillment of those promises. It brings spiritual blessings. It brings the car you need, or healing for your body. Faith brings action in this earth.

Romans 5:2 says we have access by faith into the grace of God. Therefore, if you want grace for the new birth, you must receive it by faith. If you want God’s grace for healing, you must receive it by faith. If you want God’s grace in your finances or any other area of your life, you must get it by faith.

I like to think of it this way: When you believe the Word of God, you open the window of your life to give God the opportunity to move there.

Oddly enough, that bothers some people. They can’t understand why God needs an opportunity. After all, He is God. Can’t He do anything He wants to?

Yes, He can. And He wants to respond to our faith.

You see, He is not like the devil. He doesn’t force Himself on you. He waits for you to give Him an opening by believing His Word.

We Believe...Therefore We Speak

That’s what Abraham did. When God told him he and Sarah were going to have a baby, Abraham just took God at His Word. In light of the circumstances, that was quite a step of faith. After all, Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 and barren.

Most people would have been overwhelmed by those problems. But not Abraham. He “believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3). Even though in the natural realm it was impossible for what God said to come to pass, Abraham believed God anyway.

That’s what the spirit of faith does. It stands in the midst of the most impossible circumstances and believes God anyway! Then it begins to speak.

It doesn’t say just anything, either. It speaks the Word of God. When cancer attacks, faith doesn’t say, “I’m dying of cancer.” Faith says, “I’m healed by the stripes of Jesus. Therefore I’ll live and not die, and declare the works of the Lord.”

You might think, Well, I’m just not comfortable with that confession business. I just like to believe God quietly.

That may be what you like, but it’s not what the Bible teaches. Second Corinthians 4:13 says, “We...believe, and therefore speak.” If you want to change your circumstances, you must have faith in two places—in your heart and in your mouth.

That’s why God changed Abram’s name to Abraham. Abraham means “father of many nations.” So every time Abraham introduced himself after his name was changed, he was actually saying, “Hello. How are you? I’m the father of many nations.” To most people that probably sounded ridiculous because at the time, Abraham was still a childless old man married to a barren old woman. I’m sure they thought Abraham was a little crazy.

But he wasn’t. He was simply following the example of God Himself “who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were” (Romans 4:17). By speaking in faith, Abraham was doing exactly what God did when He created the earth.

Read Genesis 1 and you’ll see what I mean. It tells us that in the beginning “the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep” (verse 2). Yet God didn’t look at that darkness and say, “Oh my, the earth sure is a dark place!” Had He done that, the earth would have remained a dark place.

No, God changed the natural circumstance by calling things that be not as though they were. He looked at the darkness and said, “Light, be!” and light was. God spoke out by faith what He wanted to come to pass.

All the way through the first chapter of Genesis we see God creating by speaking His Word. Over and over again it says, God said...God saw...and it was good.

That’s how we operate too, when we’re living by the spirit of faith. We say God’s Word...we see the result...and it is good!

One thing you must understand. I’m not just talking about saying God’s Word once or twice. I’m talking about consistently speaking words of faith. If you get on your knees in prayer and say, “I believe I receive my financial needs met, in Jesus’ Name,” then go to dinner with your friends and say, “I’m going bankrupt. I can’t find a job. I’m about to lose my home. I don’t know what I’m going to do,” you won’t get anywhere.

It’s what you say continually that comes to pass in your life. So if you’re believing God for finances, make it a habit to say things like this: “According to Deuteronomy 28, lack is a curse of the law. And Galatians 3:13 says Jesus has redeemed me from that curse. Therefore, I’m redeemed from the curse of lack! My needs are met according to God’s riches in glory by Christ Jesus!”

Then, every time your bills come to mind, call them paid in the Name of Jesus. Call yourself prosperous. Call yourself debt free. Be like Abraham and by the spirit of faith call things that be not as though they were.

Keep Your Eyes on the Word

Right now you may be thinking, I really want to do that. I want to walk and talk by faith. The problem is, every time I look at the mess I’m in, I get discouraged.

Then stop looking at the mess! Instead, focus your attention on the promises of God. Keep His Word in front of your eyes and in your ears until you can see it coming to pass with the eyes of your spirit.

That’s what the spirit of faith does. It looks “not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Of course, I’m not saying you should ignore your problems or close your eyes to them as if they aren’t real. They are real. But according to the Word of God, they are temporal, which means “subject to change.” And, you can be assured that if you keep looking at the Word, they will change!

Once again, we can look at Abraham’s life and see proof of that. Romans 4:18-21 says that he:

Against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Abraham did not consider his body. He didn’t focus his attention on the fact that he was 100 years old. He wasn’t looking at his wrinkled, old self saying, “Come on, old man. You can do it!” No, he knew he couldn’t bring forth a child. He’d known that for some time.

He wasn’t looking at his own ability. He was looking at God. He kept his attention on the power and promise of God until he was fully persuaded that God could and would bring it to pass.

That’s What I Call Victory!

If you want to develop the spirit of faith, that’s what you’ll do too. You won’t consider the natural impossibilities of your situation—God certainly doesn’t. Ken and I have found that out by experience!

More than 42 years ago, when Ken was praying, down in a riverbed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, God began speaking to him about preaching to nations. God said back then that Ken would have a worldwide ministry.

It was clear God had not considered our bank account. We hardly had enough money to get across town—much less go to the nations! But God didn’t expect us to fulfill that call. He intended to do it Himself with our faith. He intended to provide the power, the resources, the ability—everything! All He expected us to do was believe.

That’s all He expects you to do too. Only believe.

Isn’t that wonderfully simple?

If you’ll just believe, if you’ll just spend your time considering God’s Word instead of focusing on your own limitations, you’ll end up just like Abraham.

Exactly how did Abraham end up? Very well, I’d say.

He and Sarah not only had that baby God promised, they also lived long enough to raise him. Then, after Sarah died at 127 years old, Abraham (who was 137) remarried and had six more children. He became exactly what he and God said he was—the father of many nations.

Now that’s what I call victory!

That’s what I call the spirit of faith!

Prayer for Salvation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). I am calling on You. I pray and ask Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord over my life according to Romans 10:9-10: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” I do that now. I confess that Jesus is Lord, and I believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead.

I am now reborn! I am a Christian—a child of Almighty God! I am saved! You also said in Your Word, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: HOW MUCH MORE shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13). I’m also asking You to fill me with the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, rise up within me as I praise God. I fully expect to speak with other tongues as You give me the utterance (Acts 2:4). In Jesus’ Name. Amen!

Begin to praise God for filling you with the Holy Spirit. Speak those words and syllables you receive—not in your own language, but the language given to you by the Holy Spirit. You have to use your own voice. God will not force you to speak. Don’t be concerned with how it sounds. It is a heavenly language!

Continue with the blessing God has given you and pray in the spirit every day.

You are a born-again, Spirit-filled believer. You’ll never be the same!

Find a good church that boldly preaches God’s Word and obeys it. Become part of a church family who will love and care for you as you love and care for them.

We need to be connected to each other. It increases our strength in God. It’s God’s plan for us.

Make it a habit to watch the Believer’s Voice of Victory television broadcast and become a doer of the Word, who is blessed in his doing (James 1:22-25).

About the Author

Gloria Copeland is a noted author and minister of the gospel whose teaching ministry is known throughout the world. Believers worldwide know her through Believers’ Conventions, Victory Campaigns, magazine articles, teaching audios and videos, and the daily and Sunday Believer’s Voice of Victory television broadcast, which she hosts with her husband, Kenneth Copeland. She is known for Healing School, which she began teaching and hosting in 1979 at KCM meetings. Gloria delivers the Word of God and the keys to victorious Christian living to millions of people every year.

Gloria is author of the New York Times best-seller, God’s Master Plan for Your Life and Live Long, Finish Strong, as well as numerous other favorites, including God’s Will for You, Walk With God, God’s Will Is Prosperity, Hidden Treasures and To Know Him. She has also co-authored several books with her husband, including Family Promises, Healing Promises and the best-selling daily devotionals, From Faith to Faith and Pursuit of His Presence.

She holds an honorary doctorate from Oral Roberts University. In 1994, Gloria was voted Christian Woman of the Year, an honor conferred on women whose example demonstrates outstanding Christian leadership. Gloria is also the co-founder and vice president of Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas.

Learn more about Kenneth Copeland Ministries by visiting our website at kcm.org

Materials to Help You Receive Your Healing by Gloria Copeland

Books

* And Jesus Healed Them All

* God’s Prescription for Divine Health

* God’s Will for Your Healing

* Harvest of Health

Words That Heal (gift book with CD enclosed)

Audio Resources

Be Made Whole—Live Long, Live Healthy

God Is a Good God

God Wants You Well

Healing Confessions (CD and minibook)

Healing School

DVD Resources

Be Made Whole—Live Long, Live Healthy

Know Him As Healer

* Available in Spanish

When The LORD first spoke to Kenneth and Gloria Copeland about starting the Believer’s Voice of Victory magazine...

He said: This is your seed. Give it to everyone who ever responds to your ministry, and don’t ever allow anyone to pay for a subscription!

For more than 40 years, it has been the joy of Kenneth Copeland Ministries to bring the good news to believers. Readers enjoy teaching from ministers who write from lives of living contact with God, and testimonies from believers experiencing victory through God’s Word in their everyday lives.

Today, the BVOV magazine is mailed monthly, bringing encouragement and blessing to believers around the world. Many even use it as a ministry tool, passing it on to others who desire to know Jesus and grow in their faith!

Request your FREE subscription to the Believer’s Voice of Victory magazine today!

Go to freevictory.com to subscribe, or call us at 1-800-600-7395 (U.S. only) or +1-817-852-6000.

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Your growth in God’s WORD and victory in Jesus are at the very center of our hearts. In every way God has equipped us, we will help you deal with the issues facing you, so you can be the victorious overcomer He has planned for you to be.

The mission of Kenneth Copeland Ministries is about all of us growing and going together. Our prayer is that you will take full advantage of all The LORD has given us to share with you.

Wherever you are in the world, you can watch the Believer’s Voice of Victory broadcast on television (check your local listings), the Internet at kcm.org or on our digital Roku channel.

Our website, kcm.org, gives you access to every resource we’ve developed for your victory. And, you can find contact information for our international offices in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Ukraine and our headquarters in the United States.

Each office is staffed with devoted men and women, ready to serve and pray with you. You can contact the worldwide office nearest you for assistance, and you can call us for prayer at our U.S. number, +1-817-852-6000, 24 hours every day!

We encourage you to connect with us often and let us be part of your everyday walk of faith!

Jesus Is LORD!

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland