One of the modern deceptions is the emphasis on soulish faith. Soulish faith can lead to demonic assistance and to the pride of Satan.

Let us point out some differences between true Bible faith, and soulish faith.

True Bible faith can operate only in the context of a consecrated Christian discipleship. Soulish faith, positive thinking, imaging, verbal confession, call it what you will, can be practiced by those who are not living as faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus. In fact, soulish faith can be exercised by non-Christians or even by worshipers of demons.

True Bible faith praises God and presents its request to God. Then it waits and trusts God to answer. Soulish faith pronounces its desire and then demands an immediate answer.

True Bible faith always will accept a change or a denial of what is being requested. True Bible faith always says, "Not my will but Yours be done." Soulish faith regards saying "Not my will but Yours be done" as weakness and lack of positive faith. Soulish faith regards any hindrance to the answer to its specific request as being from Satan.

True Bible faith looks to the Lord and follows His timing, watching for the doors that God opens. True Bible faith waits on the Lord (sometimes for many years) for the answer to come in God's time and God's way. Soulish faith finds a promise in the Scriptures and demands its fulfillment now. Soulish faith is blind to God and knows nothing of God's timing.

True Bible faith seeks worthy objectives. Soulish faith often seeks selfish objectives.

True Bible faith recognizes we must be willing to suffer and remain in "prison" until God is ready to give us the desire of our heart. Soulish faith rejects all suffering and all "prisons" as being of Satan.

The heart of redemption is our participation in the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ. God has many "prisons" that bring about the death of our adamic nature and press us into the resurrection of Christ.

The Lord's supreme goal is that we be crucified with Christ and live henceforth as part of His resurrection Life.

The means God uses to slay our adamic personality are a cross, a grief to us. Sometimes we are required to walk before God for many years before the desires of our heart are granted us.

The person who chooses to remain "alive" in his or her adamic nature will refuse to accept the pains and pressures to which God subjects us. Many times the Lord uses Satan to harass us, as in the case of Paul's "thorn," and sometimes the Lord uses people to hurt us. The believer who rejects God's way of the cross, and then seeks power from God, is a member of the False Prophet. He is part of the spirit of religious seduction that will support the Antichrist world system of the last days.

To be continued.