5 Ways You Must Test Your Faith

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down” — 2 Corinthians 13:5-10

Why test your faith?

How do you know the strength of your faith? The simple answer is that you must test it. The King James Version of the Bible uses the word “prove” instead of test. When you test or prove something, you are evaluating its quality, strength, and durability.

You are asking: Is it good, and will it last? For example, car manufacturers test vehicles under extreme conditions to see how they perform in harsh weather and to ensure they can protect passengers during a crash.

In ancient times, armorers (weapon makers) would test the swords and shields they made. They wanted to verify their strength and durability before a soldier took them into battle.

By testing a sword under stress during peacetime, the soldier could have complete confidence in its strength when facing an enemy. They tested the weapon so they would know it was strong enough, rather than just guessing or hoping it would hold up.

Similarly, schools run fire and weather drills when there is no actual danger. They do this so everyone knows exactly what to do when disaster strikes.

This is like a football player’s shirt that read:

“Championships are won when the stands are empty.”

On the practice field, players discover their weaknesses and fix them before the big game. They run plays over and over until they become habits. The legendary Alabama football coach, Bear Bryant, once said:

“If a man is a quitter, I’d rather find out in practice than in a game. I ask for all a player has so I’ll know later what I can expect.”

Bryant tested his players during practice to see what they were made of and to build their strength.

The strength of our faith is far more important than any sport or physical weapon. Our faith needs to support us daily, keep us focused during both good times and bad, and preserve us until the end of our lives.

Just like testing a sword, we must test and strengthen our faith when things are peaceful. This preparation ensures that our faith will remain unbroken when adversity (hard times) inevitably arrives.

Test 1: Are you obedient to the faith?

The first question is simple: are you obeying God? Have you come to the Father through Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins?

To submit to the rule of Christ, you must:

• Believe the message of the gospel.
• Turn away from unholy living and thinking (repentance).
• Acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
• Be baptized to be cleansed of sin and adopted as His child (Romans 10:6-15; Galatians 3:26-27).

If you are not yet a child of God, taking this step is your first priority.

Once you become a child of God, are you daily obeying His Word? Are you truly living a changed life?

Your life should conform to the teachings you committed to, making you a servant of righteousness (Romans 6:17-19). You should set your mind on things above and put to death earthly desires like sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed (Colossians 3:1-5). Clothe yourself with holiness, show love and compassion to others, and let the Word of God fill your words, lifestyle, and worship (Colossians 3:12-17).

Test 2: Are you living in faith?

When my children were learning to swim, I would have them stand on the edge of the pool or dock and jump into the water toward me. I promised them I would catch them and pull them to safety.

While I knew they loved and obeyed me, they also had to trust me. They had to believe that I would protect them and keep them safe. Similarly, it is not enough to just love and obey God; we must also trust Him completely with our lives.

We must live courageous lives, knowing that when we step from this life into death, God will be there to welcome us (2 Corinthians 5:6-10). Every day, we must choose to trust God with all of our concerns. Otherwise, we will live a weak, anxious life.

Consider the apostle Paul’s encouragement in Philippians 4:4-7:

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

If we want to rejoice in dark times and experience peace, we must hand everything over to God. We must trust that He hears us and will act with perfect wisdom.

Unfortunately, many Christians struggle with weak faith because they refuse to let go. They pray, but then they keep worrying. They have no peace because they do not truly trust that God will answer.

Are you trusting God with everything? If you lack joy and peace, it is usually a sign that you are still trying to control things yourself.

Test 3: Is your faith growing?

Anything that starts out exciting can eventually become a boring routine. While our spiritual birth should lead to constant growth, our faith will stagnate (stop growing and become stale) if we do not care for it.

The writer of Hebrews warned believers who should have been teachers by now, but instead needed to be taught the basic principles of the faith again. Later, he urged those who had survived major trials to endure and not shrink back toward destruction.

In Revelation, Jesus gave a vivid warning to the lukewarm church of Laodicea, saying He would spit them out because they had become stagnant. When it comes to faith, if you are not actively growing, you are slowly dying.

Paul told the Corinthians to be transformed so that they look more like Jesus every day:

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” — 2 Corinthians 3:18

This lifelong transformation starts in the mind (Romans 12:1-2) and must grow day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). As a child of God, you should see your faith strengthening, your love for others deepening, and your desire to serve God growing year after year.

Ask yourself:

• How does your prayer life and Bible study compare to this time last year?
• How has your service to God improved?
• Do you still struggle with the exact same habits, or have you gained victory and self-control?

Test 4: Is your faith evident to others?

Your faith should not be the best-kept secret in your life. It should be crystal clear to those around you that you are a follower of Christ.

Paul told the young preacher Timothy that his progress should be obvious to everyone (1 Timothy 4:11-16). Timothy was to be an example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.

Likewise, the Thessalonians imitated Christ so well that their faith and example became famous far beyond their home city. Peter also urged Christians to live honorable lives so that even their critics would glorify God because of their good deeds.

Do you live with Christian boldness and joy? Would your neighbors, coworkers, or classmates say, without hesitation, that you are a believer?

Even those who dislike your beliefs should see that you live consistently with what you claim to believe. If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Test 5: Do you share your faith with others?

If you believe the gospel is true and has the power to transform lives, you should not hesitate to share it. Paul instructed Timothy to teach reliable people who would then teach others.

Jesus’ main mission was to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), and that must be our mission too. God does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9).

If you never share your faith, it might mean you do not value it as much as you think. If you fear rejection or persecution, remember that you are in good company. Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets all suffered for sharing God’s truth (Matthew 5:11-12). If the gospel is the only path to salvation, we should feel a loving urgency to tell others about Jesus.

While there are other ways to examine yourself, these five tests will give you a clear picture of where your faith stands and where you need to grow.