The Art of Becoming

“He walked with Jesus, but not in faith.”

Judas Iscariot stood in the presence of the Son of God.
He heard divine truth, witnessed miracles, and shared meals with the Savior.
But John 6:64–71 tells us plainly—he did not believe.

This is no small detail. This is the warning.

“But there are some of you who do not believe.” … For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.”
—John 6:64

The Unshielded Soul

Warren Wiersbe notes, “Judas was an unbeliever, so he did not have a shield of faith to use to ward off Satan’s attacks.”
This brings Ephesians 6:16 into sharp relief:

“Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.”

Judas had no shield.
So when the enemy came for him—he didn’t just falter.
He fell.

Faith Is a Shield, Not Just a Start

We often talk about faith as the beginning of the Christian life. But Scripture also presents it as a daily defense. Without it, we leave ourselves open—unguarded.
And the enemy only needs one unlatched door.

• An unguarded thought
• An unchecked doubt
• An unresolved wound
• An unwilling surrender

These are not harmless. They’re wide-open gates.

Faith extinguishes the darts of:

• Accusation – “You’re too far gone.”
• Fear – “What if God doesn’t come through?”
• Deception – “Did God really say?”
• False security – “I’m near Jesus. That’s enough.”
• Misplaced trust – “I can fix this myself.”

Judas was near Christ—but never anchored in Him.

Proximity Without Belief Is Not Protection

You can sit in church.
Serve in ministry.
Read the Bible.
But if you do not trust Him, you are not shielded by Him.

That’s what happened to Judas.
Close enough to kiss the face of Jesus, yet still possessed by the enemy.

Let that sink in.

A Call to Wakefulness

This isn’t just a theological concept—it’s a spiritual battlefield strategy.

“Don’t just walk near Jesus. Walk in faith.”
Active. Surrendered. Truth-rooted faith.

Because when the day of evil comes, it is not our nearness to Christ that defends us—it is our faith in Him.

Prayer

Lord, I don’t want to merely walk beside You—I want to be found in You. Let my faith not be passive, but burning. May it shield me from the enemy’s lies, and anchor me in Your truth. You alone are my defense. Amen.

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