"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." — Hebrews 11:6
If You Were Satan, What Would You Do?
Last Friday we conducted a survey with one question: If you were Satan, what would you do to destroy the Church or the Christians?
There were no wrong answers, and the answers were sharp. Give them a feeling of unfulfillment. Spread false stories. Promote pride and discord. Raise up a world leader to persecute and oppress the worship of God. Sow division, hate, and unforgiveness among the members. Make them prideful. Instill lies in people's minds. Slowly attack their trauma and make them relive it, to remove their joy. Cause arguments and jealousy. Attack the church leaders, because when they fall, many people are affected. Block the members from coming to church. Spread fake news. Tempt the people of the church.
All of those are true. But not one of them matched the strategy I would use.
If I were the enemy, the first thing I would attack is your faith.
Why? Because our salvation is based on faith. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith. So if I wanted to destroy you, I would go straight to the foundation — the very place you started.
And there is a second reason. "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is the one thing that pleases God. So if I were the enemy, I would block the only thing that pleases the Father. I would break your faith.
That is why faith is so precious, brothers and sisters. And notice the promise inside that verse: He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Even in the storms — especially in the storms, when you cannot see God because the problem is so heavy — if you keep seeking Him, you will be rewarded.
So this morning I feel like a lawyer in a courtroom, presenting the case for why faith is the enemy's first target. (Practice for next week — the title of our next message is "The Courtroom of Heaven.")
What Is Faith?
"Now faith is the assurance — the confirmation, the title deed — of the things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see. Faith perceives as real fact what is not revealed to the senses" (Hebrews 11:1, Amplified).
Look at that phrase: title deed. When you buy a piece of land, what proves it is yours? The title. So faith is holding the title to something you are still hoping for. The land may not yet be transferred to your name — but in your heart, you already hold the deed.
And it is the proof of things we do not see. We believe there is a God. We believe Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that through His precious blood we were cleansed and forgiven of all our sins and iniquities, and that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. That is faith. Doesn't that lift your heart — knowing we will not be punished for everything we have done, because of what Jesus did at the cross of Calvary?
Perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses. You have not seen it. You have not heard it. You have not tasted it. But you already know it is coming — so you do not throw away the raincoat.
But faith must be exercised. Start with small things. You have a cough — pray for healing. Then when cancer comes, there is no difference. It is the same sickness to God. Pinagaling ako ng Panginoon sa ubo ko — walang dahilan para hindi niya ako pagalingin sa cancer. Practice on the small things, so that when the mountain comes, you can move it.
We also understand by faith. "By faith we understand that the worlds during the successive ages were framed, fashioned, put in order and equipped for their intended purpose by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible" (Hebrews 11:3).
Everything we see was created out of nothing — just by the word of God. He said let there be light, and from that moment until now the creation keeps expanding. In our own Milky Way galaxy alone there are billions of stars — and there are billions of galaxies. Can you imagine how big our God is? And if our Father is that rich, will He withhold from us? Remember what we studied on Father's Day — we have a good, good Father.
Two Times Jesus Was Amazed
Here is something not in your notes. Do you know there are only two times in the Bible when Jesus was amazed?
The first: He was amazed at people's lack of faith. In Mark 6:1–6, Jesus had already been casting out demons, raising Jairus's daughter, healing the bleeding woman. Then He returned to Nazareth, His hometown, where He grew up as a carpenter. They had heard the reports of His miracles — and still they said, "Isn't this Joseph's son? The carpenter? Isn't that Mary's boy, James's brother?" And He could not do many miracles there, because He was amazed at their unbelief. In the very place where He announced the beginning of His ministry, they tried to throw Him off a cliff.
The second: He was amazed at one person's great faith. We will come to that man in a moment.
So there are only two ways to amaze Jesus — by our unbelief, or by our great faith. Which one do you want Him to notice in you?
Be careful here, because there is death and life in the tongue. You pray in faith, and then two minutes later you say, "Saan tayo mangungutang?" — and you have contradicted your own prayer. Whatever comes out of your mouth comes from your heart. If your heart is full of faith, what comes out is faith: I do not know how, but God will make a way.
That is something I had to learn. Other pastors taught me this, I believed it, and I practiced it little by little — until you reach the point where you are genuinely at peace. Whether He answers my prayer or not, I am at peace, because if He does not, I know He has a better plan.
The Centurion — Amazing Faith
Now the man who amazed Jesus. "He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: 'Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof... But say the word, and my servant will be healed'" (Luke 7:6b–7).
He was a Roman officer, not a Jew — and by custom a Jew entering a Gentile's house was considered unclean. So he said: do not even come. Just say the word.
And listen to his reasoning: "For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it" (Luke 7:8–10). Then: "When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, 'I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.' Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well."
This Roman understood authority. Lord, You do not need to be physically present — just say the word, and it is done. And it was done. May our faith be like his.
Where Does Faith Come From?
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ" (Romans 10:17).
Faith comes from hearing the word about Christ. In those days there was no New Testament yet — but they heard the stories. That is exactly how the centurion got his faith: he had heard that Jesus was healing people.
For us it is the same, except we can read the stories ourselves. And God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If Jesus did it then, He will do it now. And our God shows no favoritism — He is not impressed by status. What He looks at is our faith. May He look at us and be amazed.
Faith Needs to Be Released
Now, how does faith actually operate? It has to be released.
The setting of this next passage is the fig tree. Jesus was hungry, found no fruit on it, and cursed it. The next day Peter saw it withered — and Jesus answered: "Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours" (Mark 11:22–24).
Notice: if anyone. Are we included in anyone? Yes. And notice the two parts — believe in your heart, and then say it. That is releasing your faith.
Let me tell you what this has looked like in my own life.
The raincoat. When we lost everything — the cars sold, the house sold — someone said to sell the raincoat too. I said no. Huwag mong ibenta yung kapote na yan. Magkakakotse pa ako. How? I did not know. But I released my faith, and God heard it.
The Caltex job. When I moved from PNB to Caltex, a colleague asked what position I was given. I said, accounting clerk — and then I said, but in two years I will be a supervisor there. I was competing with Ateneo and La Salle graduates; I was only from JLC. In two years, in a multinational company, I became a supervisor. Praise the Lord. I released my faith.
Cagayan. In December 1993, Normie and I were just talking at home and she asked whether we would ever transfer to Cagayan — the bigger oil depot. Out of the blue I said, by August, I will be assigned to Cagayan. On August 31, my boss called: "Marc, go to Cagayan, there is a problem there." And from the moment I transferred, I never left.
The mountain in that verse is not literal. It means: however big the request, however big the problem, God is able to handle it and give it. That is why He used a mountain as the symbol.
If you take this message to heart, your life will change — because it changed ours. I only heard it taught, believed it, and practiced it. So practice it too. Small faith on small things, until it grows.
Now let us look at four people who released their faith.
1. The Blind Man at Jericho
"As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, 'Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.' He called out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!'" (Luke 18:35–39).
He was persistent. The crowd tried to silence him and he only got louder.
"Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Lord, I want to see,' he replied. Jesus said to him, 'Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.' Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God" (Luke 18:40–43).
Now let Jesus ask you that question this morning: What do you want me to do for you? Finish the sentence with your faith. Lord, heal me. Lord, help me. Lord, help me find the person You have for me. Lord, let the land in Nueva Ecija be sold. Anything, as long as it is not sinful. Nothing is impossible for God.
2. The Bleeding Woman
"Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, 'If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.' Jesus turned and saw her. 'Take heart, daughter,' he said, 'your faith has healed you.' And the woman was healed at that moment" (Matthew 9:20–22; see also Luke 8:42–48).
Twelve years of bleeding. All her money spent on doctors. She must have been physically weak — and the crowd around Jesus was thick. But she pushed through, maybe even crawling, just to reach the edge of His garment. That is persistence. That is belief.
Do we chase after the Lord like that? Or do we pray prayers that just float upward — bahala na kung makarating — with no expectation at all? When you pray, wait for the answer. That is expectation. That is faith. Even faith as small as a mustard seed is what God is looking for.
3. The Two Blind Men
"As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, 'Have mercy on us, Son of David!' When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, 'Do you believe that I am able to do this?' 'Yes, Lord,' they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, 'According to your faith let it be done to you'; and their sight was restored" (Matthew 9:27–30).
Do you believe that I am able to do this? That is the whole question. According to your faith. Just believe, brothers and sisters.
4. The Syrophoenician Woman
"Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter" (Mark 7:24–26).
And Jesus answered: "First let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs" (Mark 7:27).
Why would Jesus say that? Because His ministry at that time was to the Jews first, and this woman was not a Jew. And note carefully — the word is not the wild street dog. It is the household dog, like our Casper: part of the family, but not seated at the table; if something falls, he gets it.
Still — if someone said that to you while you were begging for your child, would you not be insulted? But she was not wounded. "'Lord,' she replied, 'even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.' Then he told her, 'For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.' She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone" (Mark 7:28–30).
She took the insult and turned it back into faith. And she was persistent, and she cried out for mercy.
See how merciful our Lord is — even though His ministry at that moment was not yet for the Gentiles, there was an exception, because He saw her faith. His mercy is new every morning. So if you feel unworthy to ask because you have sinned, hear the good news: every morning His mercy is new, and when you ask forgiveness it is as if you had not sinned. If you sin daily, there is forgiveness daily — and daily His mercy is upon you.
That is why our constant confession should be: okay lang yan. God will provide. God will provide. Have faith in God, and release it.
Ask in the Name of Jesus
And we should ask in the name of Jesus. "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:13–14).
We were given authority to use the name of Jesus — and yet how rarely we use it. Sayang. At that name every knee will bow.
Look at what the apostles did with it. "Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg... When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, 'Look at us!'" (Acts 3:2–4).
"So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, 'Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.' Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping and praising God" (Acts 3:5–8).
We imitate what the disciples did — that is what Acts 2:42 is about. So when we ask, let us use the name of Jesus. Lord, in Jesus' name, heal this. They even drove out demons with that name. So do not be afraid of the enemy: In the name of Jesus, I rebuke you. Use the name the Lord gave us to use.
We Must Live by Faith
"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, 'In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay'... but 'my righteous one will live by faith'" (Hebrews 10:35–38).
How is the Christian to live? By faith. So keep your confidence — it will be richly rewarded.
Remember, the battle is already won. The problem is that we do not use what God has given us. The procedures are all written down. Read it, study it, apply it — panalo ka na. But if you never use it, nothing changes.
So if I were the enemy, this is exactly where I would attack: your faith. Because without it your prayers feel unanswered, your requests feel unmet, and discouragement sets in. You have to believe in your heart, and you have to release it. Faith means that even before you see it, it is already happening. You already hold the title. Even before your senses confirm it, it is a fact.
Challenge
This week, let Jesus ask you the question He asked the blind man: "What do you want me to do for you?"
Answer it out loud. Name the one thing. Then release it — believe it in your heart and speak it with your mouth, in the name of Jesus. And then guard your tongue for the rest of the week, so you do not un-say what you just prayed.
Start small if you need to. Pray over the cough before you pray over the cancer. Practice on the little things until faith becomes the way you live.
And when you pray, wait for the answer. Expectation is part of faith. May the Lord look at us this week and be amazed — not at our unbelief, but at our great faith.
The righteous shall live by faith — so believe it, and release it.
