Faith versus feelings

Sense evidence, which includes sight, feeling and hearing, is one of the greatest hindrances to divine healing. Some sick people can get healed when believers pray for them but they quickly lose their healing because they base their healing on feelings instead of on the word of God. Walking by sight or listening to feelings has caused many people to doubt divine healing.
 But we need not doubt the healing power of God if we base our healing on God’s laws and principles. One of these principles is that, as far as spiritual things are concerned, faith is never feeling and feeling is never faith. In the spirit realm you will not function successfully if you walk by what your feelings and reason say. This is so because feelings are the voice of your physical body and reason is the voice of your soul. These voices of feelings and reason work effectively in the interpretation of natural life. In the supernatural life they fall short of the glory of God. The supernatural dimension of life, which is the spiritual realm, is operated by a principle called faith. And faith is the evidence of things unseen based on the truth of God’s word.
The conflict between faith and feelings can best be resolved by understanding the divine order of things in the realm of the spirit. Truth comes first, followed by faith and then followed by feelings. According to John 17:17 the word of God is truth and knowledge of the truth is fundamental to the belief system of a believer. Faith, which comes by hearing the word of truth, has the Word of God as its basis. Thus, faith based on God’s word only is the right kind of faith to which feelings are supposed to follow along. They mess up things when they are allowed to lead.
Some wise child of God illustrated this divine order in a splendid way using some parts of a train. He likened truth to the engine of the train. Faith, he likened to the fuel that drives the train. As for feelings, he likened them to the coach that is drawn along by the engine. There are important things to take note of in this illustration.
Each piece is in its rightful place. And it must be so if the train is to function efficiently. The engine is the most important part of the locomotive. If it is faulty, the train will not move. This is so regardless of how much fuel we use or how excellently made is the coach. The fuel, though not more important than the engine, is important. The engine will not move without fuel. The coach is just a trailer that follows wherever the head goes.
Spiritually speaking, the truth of God’s word has the power to lead us in the will and ways of God. However, we must be joined to the power of truth by faith. And when we walk by faith obeying the truth of God’s word feelings follow along in the right way. In other words, neither trust your feelings enough to lead you if you are a spiritual person nor give them any special attention if they are contrary to the truth of God’s word.
By why is this so? Should I ignore pain in my body and say it is not there or be untruthful about its existence in my physical body? No, do not ignore your feelings or lie about them. Just say the truth of what God says about your condition. In the spirit realm, observance of divine order is important. If you confess your feelings which are negative you give the devil the right to wreak havoc in your life. The devil cannot readily read your mind unless he first influences it. Your confession is the final determinant of whether you defeat the devil or you be defeated by him. Remember, if you are truly born again the devil cannot touch your spirit. It is your soul and your body which are vulnerable. If he gets a place there he can then influence your spiritual health. Confessing the truth of God’s word and walking by faith effectively keeps the devil out of bounds.
When you are sick and prayer of faith is made for you according to truth of God’s word, believe that you will recover as God says in His word. Be ready to fight the fight of faith, though, because feelings will tell you that you are not healed and you will die. Never confess those feelings, keep on confessing recovery and it will manifest in your physical body eventually.
– Mairos Mubvumbi is the founding pastor of Hope In Christ Ministries. You can send your prayer request to him on 0772889766 or mairos78@yahoo.co.uk