Doubt of God's love is the root of sin. Satan's iniquity likely began in his lack of faith in God's love for him, and that doubt led to pride, self-exaltation, rebellion, and violence. Doubting God's love, goodness, or promises amounts to claiming to know better than He does, which is the attitude behind Satan's fall. Jesus affirms in John 17:23 that God loves each of us as much as He loves Christ, and the faith He looks for in Luke 18:8 is belief in that love. Enduring to the end requires the unwavering trust in God's love that Christ Himself had (I John 4:17). Persistent fear and worry may signal that faith in that love still needs to grow, since perfect love casts out fear (I John 4:18). Doubt also surfaces in trials, when God seems unconcerned, and in waiting for His timing, when desires go unmet. Yet trials are never random. God uses them to build character, and delay or refusal protects and prepares us. Israel's forgetfulness of God's past deliverances produced weak faith and disobedience. The remedy is to look for God's hand in our lives, remember His interventions, and ask Him for power to endure rather than merely to escape. We can trust God because He shows great love and can be trusted (Exodus 34:6). Satan did not believe this and fell, and we must not repeat his mistake.

Doubting God's love is the root sin behind all other sin. Satan's original iniquity was faithlessness: he did not trust how much God loved him, and pride, lust for power, vanity, violence, and rebellion all flowed from that unbelief. In Eden he used the same tactic, planting doubt about God's love and the reliability of His Word (Genesis 3:1-5), and he convinced Adam and Eve that God could not be trusted. Belief in God's existence is not enough, since even demons believe that (James 2:19); what matters is trusting His love. Jesus' prayer in John 17:23 shows that God loves each called believer just as much as He loves Christ, no more and no less, and it takes faith to accept this. Christ's question in Luke 18:8, whether He will find faith on the earth when He returns, concerns whether His people will believe in God's love and trust Him whatever the physical evidence shows. Those who doubt that love grow cold (Matthew 24:12), cut themselves off from the Source of love (I John 4:19), and fail to endure, as many did when the Worldwide Church of God collapsed. Those who hold to faith in His love endure and are saved (Matthew 24:13). Trials are themselves acts of love meant to perfect believers, and trusting this, as Christ did, gives confidence, courage, and hope.

Doubt is a lack of confidence in God's power and will to do what He says, a distrust of His Word and goodness. It is the same as calling His Word dubious, problematic, or questionable, which amounts to calling God a liar and destroys the relationship with Him. The problem lies not in God or His promises but in the person who doubts, so doubts must be dealt with before persecution and severe trials test faith. Romans 14:23 shows that whatever is not of faith is sin, and Hebrews 11:6 teaches that without faith it is impossible to please God. Peter walking on the water shows the remedy. He began in faith, but when he looked at the wind and waves he became afraid and sank. Jesus rebuked him for little faith, not no faith, since Peter still cried out to Him. Faith grows strong when the eyes stay on Jesus rather than on threatening circumstances. Storms are allowed so that failing faith is driven to Christ, as with Jonah and Asaph in Psalm 73, whose faltering faith was restored when he went into God's sanctuary and considered the end of the wicked. The answer to doubt is to stop looking at the waves and look to God, who sees us through every circumstance. Faith walks by what God has said rather than by outward appearances, as Enoch and Noah did, and Noah's faith was shown in obedience. Hebrews 10 urges believers not to throw away their confidence but to endure steadfastly. In unclear matters, doubt is resolved by Scripture's principles: do not become a slave to sin or to anything, seek what builds up others, and choose what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy.

In our journey with God, we often grapple with moments of doubt, as seen in the profound examples of faith and testing throughout Scripture. The serpent's deception in Genesis 3:4-5 sowed seeds of uncertainty in Eve, leading her and Adam to question God's words, thus eroding their confidence in His care and causing them to hide from Him in fear of His response to their disobedience. This stark shift from trust to doubt illustrates the devastating impact of allowing external influences to undermine our assurance in God's promises. Yet, God Himself is not immune to moments of uncertainty regarding His people's loyalty. In Genesis 22:12, after testing Abraham with the command to sacrifice Isaac, God declares, "Now I know that you fear God," indicating that prior to this act of obedience, there was room for doubt about Abraham's commitment under extreme circumstances. This test resolved any questions God may have had, affirming Abraham's steadfast faith and resulting in the confirmation of divine promises and blessings. These accounts remind us that doubt can challenge even the strongest relationships with God, but through testing and obedience, confidence is restored. We are encouraged to boldly seek Him, maintaining faith and assurance in His unwavering faithfulness, so that we do not fall into the fear and separation experienced by Adam and Eve, but rather stand firm as Abraham did, trusting in His divine plan.