DOUBT, SATAN'S GOAL IN THE LIFE OF A BELIEVER

It is normal for one to doubt the authenticity of an information, or business proposals, it is also possible for one to doubt the genuity of one’s intentions; the act of doubting often times have become a vital instrument for reinvestigating matters or issues that is not clear to us. This we do by asking questions (or doubts) about persons, propositions, or objects hoping that at the end, we may find substantiated facts.

a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction. 

Doubt therefore has been deemed a valuable element philosophically and epistemologically in honest, rational inquiry. It helps us to avoid reaching hasty conclusions or making commitments to unreliable and untrustworthy sources. Doubt is simply a suspension of judgment until sufficient inquiry is made and adequate evidence presented concerning a matter under considerations. Doubt therefore connotes a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction. 

In light of this, doubt could be considered not an enemy of faith. This seems to be the attitude of the Bereans in Acts 17:11 "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so". Questioning or doubting inspires us to search further and deeper in an understanding.

With only rare exceptions, however, doubt in the Scriptures is seen as a negative attitude or action because it is directed toward God by man. The word connotes the idea of weakness in faith or unbelief.

From the typological understanding of Isaiah 14, we discover that doubt actually began in heaven in the heart of Lucifer. Here the object of doubt (and rejection) was the sovereignty and majesty of God, For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Isaiah 14:13-14 KJV. Satan in his heart doubted God's sovereignty and majesty by thinking that he could take the place of God; he believed actually that he can be like God. Such beliefs is a prove of his unbelief on the truth of the personality of God and the fact that no one can take His place.

Doubt on the other hand was conceived on earth and given birth in the garden when the serpent cast doubt on God's character and goodness, Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:1-5 KJV.  

Here, the object of doubt is the authenticity of Gods words to Adam and Eve. Satan intended to make them question the genuity of Gods words to them, they were more eager to confirm God's word by eating the forbidden fruit rather than obeying God. Tragically they submitted to Satan's deceptive plan and plunged humankind into the fall (vv. 6-19).

In both instances doubt is clearly an aspect of sin; it is directed toward God and is characterized by rebellion and disobedience.

In the Gospels the word "doubt" consistently carries with it a negative aspect, and the object of doubt again is always the Lord in some sense. Peter doubted Christ's ability to keep him from drowning; And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Matthew 14:31 KJV. Here doubt is small or weak faith. Peter became doubtful as to the Lord's reliability and power to sustain him. I was talking with a Clerk lately and She said. "if I pray to God about an issue in my family and I seem not to get a solution, I will invite my pastor to intervene"

My reply was, will you also inquire of the Lord if he actually wanted you to bring in a third party to that issue. Often times doubt is seen in us when we are impatient with God; when we fail to believe that He whom we have committed our lives to is more than able, we will only be showing Him how much we are unable to trust Him.

The Pharisees doubted Christ's messiahship and asked for another sign (Matt 12:38-42). If we have faith in God and do not doubt, we can move mountains and receive our request through prayer (Matt 21:21; Mark 11:23). Here doubt is the antithesis of faith. In John 14:1 Jesus encourages the disciples not to be troubled (doubting?) in their heart with regards to the future, but to believe in him, to trust him for their future needs. Some of the disciples, including Thomas, doubted the reality of the resurrected Lord (Luke 24:38; John 20:27). Here doubt is not outright denial or unbelief, but an attitude or feeling of uncertainty. Thomas is not severely rebuked, but neither is his skepticism commended. "Stop doubting and believe" is the word of the Lord to his disciple.

Abraham, as a positive example, is said not to have wavered" through unbelief [doubt] regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith" (Rom 4:20). Doubt here is equivalent to unbelief.

James 1:6-8 tells us a doubting man is an unstable or divided man who lacks sufficient faith to lay hold of the promises of God. The doubting one sins against the Lord because he has questioned the character, goodness, and faithfulness of God. Unlike the God who does not change (v. 17), the doubting person is "like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind" (v. 6). Such an individual "should not think he will receive anything from the Lord" (v. 7).

A different use of the word "doubt" is found in both Romans 14:23 and Jude 22. In the Romans passage doubt is related to one's conscience. Doubt or uncertainty over a questionable action or a "gray area" of the Christian life (here it is eating idol-meat) is condemned because the action does not arise out of faith toward God. At this point the latter part of verse 23 is most instructive: "everything that does not come from faith is sin."

Jude 22 raises the issue of evangelistic apologetics toward the serious doubter who denies Jesus Christ as the only sovereign Lord (v. 4). Here doubt is a settled denial and rejection of both the person (Jesus Christ) and propositions affirmed about him (he is sovereign and Lord). Doubt of this nature is blatant unbelief involving the mind, will, and emotions.

Doubt in Scripture can be seen to be characteristic of both believers and unbelievers. In believers it is usually a weakness of faith, a wavering in the face of God's promises.

Consider the case if Jesus Christ in Matt. 4:3;

If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread  

Looking at the above temptation, one may think that the devil was being nice and caring to Jesus, seeing that He just finished a very long fast and was in a great need of food, It was idle that He find something to eat. Mr. Satan's "kind" gesture could have being considered most appropriate at this time since he proffered a suggestion of an easy way to have food available for Jesus to eat. But more to this gesture of kindness, it is important to note that it seems that Mr. Satan was not actually concerned about Jesus's hunger state but His sonship with the father.

The Clause, If thou be as used by Satan could mean If you are, it is a request for clarity or a demand for one to prove something about himself, e.g. if you can cook Egwusi soup, make this 2cups of Egwusi. The issue here as we note is not that you cannot cook but that your ability to cook is being questioned hence you need to make 2cups of egwusi before we can prove that you can actually cook.

Mr. Satan's interest was not on Jesus's need of food but on His personality as the Son of God...he wanted Jesus to doubt His sonship and prove that he is actually the Son of God by turning stones into bread; if Jesus responded to Satan's trick and turned the stones to bread, he would not have done that because he had need to eat but because he needed to prove that He is the Son of God. That would have been a way of telling God that He did not trust Him enough when He said to Him, you are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. When a believer doubts, it connotes his inability to trust God completely without wavering.

In the unbeliever doubt is virtually synonymous with unbelief. Scripture, as would be expected, does not look at doubt philosophically or epistemologically. Doubt is viewed practically and spiritually as it relates to our trust in the Lord. For this reason, doubt is not deemed as valuable or commendable.

May the Lord help us to develop faith that cannot be wavered in Him. Amen