Battling Unbelief
In Battling Unbelief, John Piper shows how to defeat sin with superior pleasure. Piper demonstrates how to apply the promises of God found in Scripture.
Future Grace
This book is an excerpt from his larger work, Future Grace: The Purifying Power of the Promises of God. It contains the application chapters—the ones that illustrate how faith in future grace severs the root of sin and sets free the stream of love. As a result, it is an intensely practical book.
Piper addresses anxiety, pride, misplaced shame, impatience, covetousness, bitterness, despondency, and lust. In each case, he shows how unbelief is a turning away from God in order to find satisfaction in something else—an inferior pleasure.
Interestingly, Piper argues that the unbelief of pride is the deepest form of unbelief because self-determination and self-exaltation lie behind all these other sinful dispositions. Wisdom, might, and riches often become sources of pride as we fail to see that God is better. Piper combats them with precision and skill.
The Fight of Faith
I was most moved by the chapter on battling covetousness, especially in a social media age where statistics, followers, and numbers are displayed for all to see. Piper walks readers through key biblical texts, culminating in 1 Timothy 6:6: “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
I was most challenged by the chapter on battling bitterness, especially when it comes to forgiving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Piper points us to the cross, where we see that vengeance still belongs to the Lord and has been satisfied in Christ, as the punishment for sin was laid upon Him.
Battling Unbelief will sharpen your sword, empower you, and give you the courage to fight the fight of faith.
I received a promotional copy of Battling Unbelief (Amazon, save 5% off Westminster Bookstore always with code DIVEINDIGDEEP) and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.