Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. ~ 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NLT)

Let’s talk about protecting faith, not just your personal beliefs, but the kind of enduring, biblical faith that can resist evil and advance good in a world that often muddies the two.

This kind of faith doesn’t hide. It stands. It doesn’t just defend; it moves forward in grace and truth. The kind of faith we’re called to protect is built on more than emotion or circumstance. It’s founded on the Divine Formula we discussed last time: Belief + Action = Faith (in the Lord).

This formula isn’t abstract. It’s deeply and profoundly practical. You either believe God without doubt and act accordingly, or you don’t. And how we handle that equation determines whether we’re protecting our faith or passively watching it rot, and recall that everyone has faith, whether they believe it or not – see last week’s devotion.

One of the biggest challenges in solving the Divine Formula is addressing cultural misconceptions. There are many. However, one of the most dangerous ideas that has crept into Christian circles is the belief: “Fake it until you make it.”

At first, it sounds harmless, helpful. It implies we can pretend our way through fear, doubt, or insecurity until we arrive at something genuine. However, for those who belong to Christ, pretending is not the way forward. The biblical call is not to fake it, but to “faith it.”

Faith doesn’t grow in camouflage. It matures through conversation (prayer with God and others), proclamation (speaking verbally and non-verbally with our words), and obedience (application), even when the outcome is unknown or uncomfortable. Pretending only produces exhaustion and burnout. But believing and acting God’s way produce transformation for the good (True faith).

I understand, because I was one who went from “faking it” to “faithing it” in my leadership journey. In my life, I now refer to this as my leadership wake-up call.

For a long time in my leadership journey, especially in the early stages, I bought into the “fake it until you make it” attitude. I believed that confidence, charisma, and sheer passion could get me through any situation. And to be honest, for a time, it seemed to work.

However, that belief was challenged when I stepped into one of the most demanding roles of my life: Air Force First Sergeant. This wasn’t just another job. It was a position that demanded more than energy and personality. The stakes were higher. Many people were depending on me not for hype, but for truth, clarity, and integrity. And that’s when it hit me: Faking it never works long-term. I had reached the edge of what emotion and performance could provide. I found myself humbled, facing the realization that passion, charm, and personal preferences alone were not enough. I needed something stronger, something rooted, not in subjective reality, but in objective truth.

It was there that God shifted my mindset. As a Christian, I had to reject the lie I had embraced. No more faking. Instead, I would walk by faith, believing what God says and acting on it even when I didn’t feel capable. I began making decisions not based on appearances, but on what is true. I found strength not in pretending to be something, but in trusting the One who already is everything.

That was the turning point—from pretending to genuinely believing and acting on it. With that shift, integrity, clarity, and authentic leadership emerged, guided by core values, principles, and skills. It became a process of prioritizing objectivity first, then subjectivity, rather than the other way around.     

Once we resolve the divine formula, we now have the Shield of Faith, as described in the Bible, to help us resist and advance through life’s mountain of problems. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:16: “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

Faith is both a defense (protecting) and a device to help us move forward (advancing). It resists the lies, distortions, and doubts hurled by the enemy, and it expands the mission of God’s Kingdom through bold, obedient action. Look at David and Goliath. He didn’t just block Goliath’s threats. He ran toward them, with a sling in hand and faith in his heart. He acted on belief, and in doing so, God’s truth triumphed in every area of life.

Let’s move from fake to faith this week with a few simple but powerful steps: First, protect: Identify one false belief you’ve embraced. Replace it with objective truth. Write it down. Tell someone. Second, Proclaim: Speak the truth with gentleness and clarity in a conversation this week. Finally, proceed: Do something simply because you trust God, not because it’s easy, safe, or popular.

You don’t need to “fake it” any longer, you just need to “faith it”! When you do, you’ll truly understand what it means to resist and advance life “in the Lord” using the Shield of Faith. 

As always: Stay Strong. Shine Bright. Suit Up!

Pastor Drake