Solomon tells us that “a happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing” (Proverbs 17:22, AMP ). God undoubtedly has a sense of humor; we need only look at some of the animals He created (it’s hard not to smile at the sight of a hippo, a monkey, or a puppy). Or think of some of the married couples you know: don’t you think God was smiling at the wedding as He looked ahead to the interaction of the wildly different personalities that will be living together?
From chapter 3 of Believing God, Moore offers 5 faith statements that help us learn to raise the shield of faith. Her rationale is that the shield is the first line of defense — if the shield stops the “fiery darts of the enemy,” then the armor (and what’s inside the armor) is protected. Because the enemy’s attack is most often directed at our faith — “Did God really say that?” “You think He’ll do that for you?” — these 5 statements give us specific tools to respond to those seeds of doubts.
Here are the statements:
1. God is who He says He is.
2. God can do what He says He can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Christ.
5. God’s Word is alive and active in me.
These are great all by themselves; I love that Moore adds motion to this, describing a process she uses to make it physical: raise your arm as if holding up a shield, and declare each statement as you count them off on your fingers. For those who might think this foolish, Moore says:
“Beloved, I was once the most bound-up, defeated believer you’ve ever met, and now I’m a walking miracle experiencing the power of God. With all due respect, how’s life going for you?”
Education majors know the value of kinesthetic learning, and what Moore suggests is what many of us learned in Sunday school as we marched in the infantry, rode in the cavalry, and pretended to be in the Lord’s army. For me, Moore’s 5 faith statements provides a nice substitute for the declarations I learned to count off on one hand: the 5 acts of worship (singing, praying, preaching, giving, and communion) and the 5 steps of salvation (hear, believe, confess, repent, be baptized). These sets of 5 were designed to teach denominational doctrine; Moore’s 5 are designed to build me spiritually.
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Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.