This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

                                                                                                                     1 John 3:23 

Stay in the Bible long enough and two things will continue to float to the surface. One is a concept that is referenced approximately 450 times in the New Testament while the other is cited around 220 times. These two spiritual realities act as foundational pillars of the Christian faith. One is believing (trusting) in Jesus Christ and the other is loving those around us. Putting these two things at the forefront of our spiritual lives will act as a simple yet powerful approach to living. In today’s passage, John reminds us that the commandment of God for all followers of Christ involves these two indispensable spiritual traits. But to fully appreciate these two characteristics, we need to correctly identify their counterparts, the things that act in opposition to these commands.

Fear And Doubt: The Enemies To Faith (Believing)

It is quite easy for us to verbally announce that our trust is in Christ alone, but our believing in Jesus must find its way into our attitudes, motives, and general outlook on life. Recognizing the importance that faith plays in our lives is just the beginning to living in spiritual victory. There are two passages of scripture that can help us with this. Consider the following:

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

                                                                                                               Hebrews 11:6 

…nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

                                                                                                                 Galatians 2:16 

The first passage instructs us that without faith, we cannot please God. It is the currency by which we see the power of God displayed in our lives. The second passage reminds us that this faith has an object. Our faith must be in Jesus Christ. Knowing whom God is and believing that Jesus has done everything necessary for us to live abundant lives here on earth as well as for us to possess eternal life, is at the core of the Christian faith.

So if faith in Jesus is so important, it is only logical that our spiritual enemy would attempt to attack that very reality in our lives. Well, he does and he does it in two ways. One of those tactics is through fear. Consider the following: 

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 

                                                                                                                        1 John 4:18 

When we are perfected in the love of Jesus, that perfect love, which comes from God, drives out fear. And just in case we are equating the fear that John is referencing to that of earthly fear (such as fear of spiders, storms, flying, and so forth), we need to realize that he is referring to fear involving judgment from God. If we claim faith in Christ and yet fear judgment, we are operating out of a spiritual dichotomy. There are a number of ways in which this can happen but the bottom line is that we need to guard ourselves against any influence that would invite fear into the fidelity of our faith.

The second tactic of the enemy to undermine our faith is the introduction of doubt. Consider the description of someone who doubts, especially in asking God for things in prayer: 

…for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

                                                                                                                 James 1:6b-8 

To doubt is to operate outside of faith. Those who doubt are described as “double-minded” (two-souled) and “unstable” in all of their ways. The one who doubts should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. These declarations illustrate the importance that faith plays in our spiritual lives. We all face times when fear and doubt creep into our lives. This is usually a byproduct of our circumstances. But for those who desire to keep the command of God to “believe in name of Jesus,” fear and doubt must be dealt with and this is sure to happen as we develop our relationship with the God who loves us and the Savior who gave Himself on our behalf. 

Hatred And Division: The Enemies Of Love

If the enemy cannot breach our faith, then he will turn to our relationships with others. One of his ugly tactics is through hatred. Consider the following Proverb: 

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions. 

                                                                        Proverbs 10:12 

First, notice the juxtaposition of hatred and love. They are conflicting ideas. One “stirs up strife” while the other “covers all transgressions.” Consider the words of Paul regarding this idea:

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

                                                                                                            Ephesians 4:31-32 

This is the template for those who claim the name of Jesus. Hatred towards others works against love and has no place in the life of a believer.

The second tactic of the enemy to work against Christian love and the power that it brings is division. Paul’s instructions on division in the church could not be any clearer:

Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you…Has Christ been divided? 

                                                                                                   1 Corinthians 1:10a,13a 

First, Christ is not divided. Mankind has found a seemingly endless number of ways to divide and the church is certainly not exempt from this phenomenon. But Paul reminds us that we are to “all agree” and that there are “no divisions” among believers. But the reality is that there are divisions in the church and this can be quite confusing to the world. Building friendships with those who are like-minded, constructing an environment of unity and encouragement, and then clearly communicating the gospel to the world will work against the possibility of seeing additional division in the church.

To believe in the name of Jesus as the means for our salvation and to love others as we do ourselves is the command that has been given to us. Simplify your spiritual life. Begin to pray about, meditate upon, and live out these two foundational principles today!