As said earlier, the importance of faith in the life of a Christian can never be overemphasized. The Christian life from the beginning to the end is based on faith. Faith is the way we come back into relationship with God through Jesus Christ and it is also the way we are to continue living till eternity. It is by faith we receive all things from God and the only way to please God.

Ironically, our faith in God through Jesus Christ is something Satan targets, fighting tooth and nail against us to make a shipwreck of so as to destroy our relationship with God and rob us of His blessings and goodness because he is an archenemy of God and believers. All the temptations, persecutions, oppositions and battles he wages against believers are channelled towards achieving this because they can affect the heart negatively and make one remove one’s faith from Jesus Christ the Author and finisher of our faith. This must not be allowed to happen. Adam and Eve fell out of their faith relationship with God and they incurred the wrath of God and was driven out of the Garden of Eden described as a place of joy, gladness, thanksgiving and voice of melody (Isaiah 51:3d) because Satan succeeded in making them lose faith in God’s love and goodness through disobedience to the commandment not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16-17; 3:1-5). The consequence of their failed faith caused ruination to all that life was originally meant to be on earth as being witnessed today.

Scripture reveals great men of faith who remained steadfast in their faith in God to the end of their lives despite the satanic afflictions, temptations, persecutions, oppositions and battles encountered. Notable among them were Joseph who suffered false accusation and imprisonment for refusing to sin and disobey God’s commandment (Genesis 39); Job, who refused to curse God as suggested by his wife after Satan killed all his children, livestock and destroyed his health in one day but held on in faith to God (Job 1;2:7-10); Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were bound and casted to the fiery furnace for vehemently refusing to bow down before the golden image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 3:13-23); Daniel was thrown into the lions den because he refused not to stop praying to the living God of Israel (Dan 6:7-24); Apostle Paul and Silas were put into the prison for their refusal to stop preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts16: 1-30). They all fought the good fight of faith and prevailed. If these people could then we have no excuse not to prevail in our faith in Jesus Christ no matter what. Therefore we are charged to “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” (1 Tim.6:12). Yet, this fight of faith like other battles is not carnal but spiritual likewise our weapons (Eph. 6:11-14).

The spiritual weapon of defence of our faith apart from those of Eph. 6: 13-16 is thanksgiving. Satanic arrows and darts thrown at faith cannot prosper in a grateful heart because God inhabits such a heart. When we thank Jesus Christ ceaselessly for all He did for the salvation of our souls, Satan is bound to flee from us because it affirms we belong to God and also affirms his defeat at the cross of Calvary. Daniel sustained his faith through thanksgiving as revealed in Daniel 6:10. Apostle Paul and Silas too sustained their faith while in prison by singing praises and thanksgiving (Acts 16:25). Abraham's faith was sustained by glorifying God always

Clinging and cleaving to God in faith through praising and thanking God in the times of difficulty and battle brought tremendous victories and peace to all who obeyed and practiced it in the time past. Gratitude to God for all He did for us through Jesus Christ’s life, sufferings, death, resurrection, victory helps to be God conscious at all times and in the time of trouble, thanksgiving keeps our focus on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith instead of on the problem. Being grateful for the victories of Jesus Christ our Lord helps one to stay in faith and rise above the negative emotions that lead to hopelessness. Gratitude lifts up burdens, uplifts us and encourages our heart.

Thanksgiving brings confidence into our spirit and a deep unshaken faith. Gratitude in the face of life storms keep the heart at rest, peace, joyful, healthy, hopeful and strong.

Learn to give thanks to God when you are troubled and you will not make a shipwreck of your faith.

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