The Nature of Saving Faith

The Security of Christ’s Church in a Dark and Uncertain World

Now the second Sunday of the year I Cannot tell you what all this year will bring. I can't even tell you what today will bring in the amount of Snowfall that we may or may get if you watch it one hour.

We're gonna get one inch you watch another hour. We're gonna get 13 inches or whatever the case may be. I made that last part up. Don't panic. But I don't know what the future holds. I don't know what's going to happen This fall in regards of the next president of the United States.

I don't know what will or won't happen with foreign countries. Though. The Lord is not pleased to reveal these things to us. But there is something he has revealed. There is something I do know there is something So sure we could take to the bank.

In fact more sure than tomorrow's sunrise Christ is Building his church and this is happening. I was overwhelmed today Listening to your voices as we Sang these songs we sang the God thing about that.

Who are we? That God is building his church here in Central Arkansas and turning your Bibles to Ephesians 6. What is God doing in the world today he's building his church in Ephesians 6 reminds us that God is building his church in enemy occupied.

Territory and.

So.

His people must be clothed in Christ. Armor what we've learned here is in the armor of God. We have sufficient weaponry to sustain to withstand the evil of our day and specifically the text talks about the devil himself the evil one himself and the forces of evil seeking to destroy the church.

So this morning we're brought to the fourth piece of Christian armor The shield of faith and I want to preach to you this morning on the nature of saving faith. We'll we'll get to that Ephesians chapter 6 would you stand with me as we honor the reading of God's Word?

Let's take this again as a whole so you don't forget. Sometimes you can miss the force for the trees as it were. We don't want to get so focused on one verse you forget the entire context. So let's start in verse 10.

Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might put on the whole armor of God. That you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. But we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the cosmic powers.

Over this present darkness against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand The evil one and having done all to stand to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand firm.

Stand therefore having fastened on the belt of truth. Now having put on the breastplate of righteousness and his shoes for your feet having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace in all circumstances.

Take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication.

To that end keep alert with all perseverance making supplication for all the Saints and also For me that words may be given to me and opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel. For which I am an ambassador in chains that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak Father would you equip your church this morning?

We want to be Clothed in the complete and full armor of Christ. We want to take up each piece of the armor. We want to examine it appropriately and we want to put it on by faith. We want to trust Each aspect of the armor knowing that ultimately it points us to our blessed Savior.

We pray that you would protect us. That you would be our shield at this church as you were Abraham's shield we pray.

That.

The unregenerate among us this morning would hear the gospel. You'd bring them to faith in Christ by your sovereign power and mercy. We pray the church would be edified and encouraged. Lord, we're thankful that you are sovereign over the weather.

We know that this afternoon there will not be one snowflake fall to any place upon this earth that is not under the power of your sovereign authority and we know That you do this Even for the good of your church.

For you work all things According to your purposes for the good of those who trust you who have been called according your purpose. We rest in this increase our faith the Lord in Jesus name. Amen. You may be seated.

The Shield of Faith and the Evil One’s Flaming Arrows

Christ is building his church and there is an enemy a great enemy of the church and sometimes we Forget we look right here now and we can think oh, it's that political party, right or it's that leader.

That's the great enemy of the church. But this text reminds us that there is that is there's truth in that but this text reminds us behind those physical enemies of the church. There stands a greater enemy the evil one himself and the powers of darkness over this present Darkness, and so we've walked through each piece of the armor and here we come to verse 16.

Notice the language changed just a little bit instead of put on its take up in all circumstances. Take up the shield of faith. We move from now the foundational. So this is kind of groups of three. We move from the foundational pieces of armor the the belt of truth the breastplate of righteousness the shoes of readiness produced by the gospel of peace external pieces if you will and.

Now.

We have the shield of faith the helmet of salvation the sword of the Spirit. Verse 16 here functions as a command Take up the shield of faith some some translations say I believe the King James may say above all I Don't want you to think that as that.

This means the shield of faith is like the most Important armor, I don't think. That's what it's communicating.

I.

Believe that. The ESV gets the sense of it here. That is Don't forget About this arm like don't just put on the foundational pieces of armor the belt of truth the breastplate of righteousness The the prepared shoes and then forget about these other things.

You also need to remember the shield of faith or as the ESV translates it here in all circumstances now I like that. Just because it is a helpful reminder. That is there's not a circumstance in your life that you don't need the shield of faith.

When the Sun is shining when everything is going right you need the shield of faith. When dark clouds are on the horizon or you're caught in a snowstorm. Whatever the case may be You need the shield.

Ready, why.

Good times bad times all circumstances. Why? We have an enemy in all circumstances. Take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of The evil one now. I think maybe some translations might say evil, but the idea is there's the article there.

It doesn't just mean evil. It's means the devil the evil One and notice it says there in verse 16 All circumstances, but also there all the flaming darts, which I know. Flaming darts, right? That's not a great translation because Flaming dart may not sound all that intimidating to you.

But don't think in your mind about like a dartboard. Where you're throwing darts at a dartboard the Greek word is the idea of sharp projectile. So arrows, right? They are arrows and they're not just arrows.

They're arrows on fire. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming Arrows, right? This is a physical metaphor for a spiritual reality. Satan is shooting flaming arrows at the church.

This is serious.

It is the shield of faith that protects us the text says from all the flaming Arrows. Now think about that for just a moment because Satan is crafty. He doesn't just shoot one arrow right like like the guy to shoot one arrow and it's just always hitting the shield.

No, no, sometimes he shoots arrows at our hands. Sometimes he shoots arrows at our feet. Sometimes he aims his arrow at our heart. Sometimes he aims his arrows at our head and don't you dare? Turn your back on him right because he's not afraid to shoot you in the back.

Arrows are not only a serious weapon. Remember physical Analogy here for a spiritual reality. But arrows are not just a serious weapon. But if you think about arrows, they remind us that Satan doesn't have to be near you if you will to deal you a serious Injury.

He can shoot arrows close. He can also shoot arrows far away. I don't know if you know about the man named Chris Kyle. It's a Fascinating story. He is the one that the movie American sniper is about. He wrote a book.

He wants he was tragically killed not to ruin the story, but he was tragically killed. That's a different story, but he was an amazing sniper in the US Army. He once killed an enemy 21 football fields away with a sniper 2 ,100 yards one point two miles.

Or.

Almost two kilometers. McConnell couldn't even shoot a deer that far away, but Satan Can shoot at the church from even farther if you will spiritually speaking. What do I mean by that, I mean you may think everything's okay.

There's not a cloud in the sky. The church is in unity. The church is great. The marriage is great. The marriage is wonderful. The kids are great. Everything is going well, and if you are not prepared Here comes a flaming arrow the arrows of doubt the arrows of temptation to disobedience the arrows of Division.

Satan can attack from near and he can attack from far. Thus the church is to be arrayed in her full armor including here the shield of faith in all Circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one this word for shield Is the big shield of the Roman soldiers?

So you have in your mind? It's not like the little shield. It's the big one. Four feet high two feet wide it's big enough to protect the church from every arrow of Satan. It's sufficient for our battle.

In fact, John says it this way first John 5 for for everyone who has been born of God Overcomes the world and this is the victory that has overcome the world faith. Now we're going to get to an outline in just a moment.

But as I was thinking about this text something else I thought about was maybe there are some among us Who don't really see such a need for this shield of faith. So you hear these things I'm talking about and You give a nod to the importance of faith.

But as far as daily battle goes you're like this doesn't seem that important to me. Well, why is that it's because perhaps Those behind the battle those back at camp if you will don't see much use for a shield.

So maybe you think you know what? This isn't me. You guys go fight the enemy and We're just gonna hang back here while the rest of the church engages in battle. But I remind you this morning that this text Ephesians 6 10 through 20.

It's for the whole church. This is not for specific individuals within the church. You guys fight the battle you got hey. You know what next business meeting. Let's appoint a soldiers committee and Assault the soldiers committee will fight our battles for us and the rest of us will just go about our lives.

No.

This is for the entire church. There is the church militant and the church triumphant if you're in heaven. So look around real quick check your pulse. Are you in heaven? No, if you're in heaven, you're the church triumphant.

But if you're here on earth today, and I assure you you are. You are the church Militant you need this text. Let me just offer a warning if you read this text. You have zero hunger for its application.

You see no Necessity to its command you could take it or leave it. You're in a very dangerous Spiritual state maybe Satan's not shooting at you. Because you're on his side. Consider. But what we want to do in this sermon is consider The word faith for a moment.

This is after all the shield of Faith this Greek word just means Trust or believe. It's used some 600 times in the New Testament. The faith is quite an important concept of Christianity. The text says that we're to take up the shield of faith.

Sometimes faith is used to mean like the whole body of belief in Christianity. So for example, if you think about in the book of Jude, we are to to contend for the faith. And if that was what Paul meant here Then it would mean that we're to the shield would be doctrine.

Doctrine shields us what there's some truth in that, you know, but really We've already covered that in the belt of truth so Paul is not talking about doctrine by faith rather he means the faith of believers personal faith of believers, but by trusting in what Christ has done by by trusting in the promises of God by looking to God and Reminding ourselves and being reminded from one another and in his word that he is our good father by Depending on the the power of the Spirit in these ways and more as well.

Look, we disarm Satan. We the text says it this way we extinguish in all circumstances take up the shield of faith, which which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. So historians say they would dip their shields in in water sometimes.

So like when the arrow hit this the shield it would be put out it would be harmless. That's the analogy Paul is bringing to our minds the faith of the Saints extinguishes the fire of Satan but as we will see That's not because of our great faith or whatever.

It's because the object of our faith is Christ. I Think there are some themes in Ephesians That Paul has developed in in context that the church Particularly should trust when it comes to spiritual warfare.

And to help us extinguish his fiery arrows and that's just a preview for next week. We're gonna look at that more next week. But today I want to look at the nature of saving faith. You know why we want to look at saving faith.

Well, I have two reasons for that. First it is the nature of saving faith that that indeed does help us Extinguish these fiery arrows. So I'll just so just know this up front there are so many arrows of Satan that would be extinguished if we would just stop looking at ourselves and Would look to Christ and be reminded of Christ and and quit looking so much inwardly.

And we would look outwardly to the Lord Jesus in his saving work and away from self but There's a second reason for looking at the nature of saving faith. And that is any aspect of faith that goes beyond saving faith.

So I'm going to give you an example for next week. Next week we're going to contemplate That the church ought to believe in the church's success. The church is victory. I think Paul has developed this in Ephesians and we'll talk about that more why next week, but When we trust the success of the church that that God's plan is the church.

It does help us extinguish Satan's arrows. But that's not the same like while trusting believing in the church's final victory. It's not the same as trusting Christ for salvation. Of course, it's not but it still flows from the root of Saving faith.

So let me put it more theologically connect this here the substance of justifying faith and sanctifying faith is the same. The substance and their object is the same Christ. They just have different applications.

So justifying faith rests on Christ alone for forgiveness of sins and imputed righteousness. Sanctifying faith Produces an eager joy in the believer to pursue Jesus to follow him to do what he's told us.

So faith working through love that's Galatians 5 6 that's sanctifying faith. So we distinguish rightly so if you don't if you don't keep justification and sanctification Distinct you will ultimately lose the gospel.

But it's important to note that the substance of faith is Is the same biblical faith is is faith that is you don't have. Faith doesn't change into something else, right? So what I'm trying to say to get us into the outline is Understanding saving faith better.

Will help us be better prepared for more specific application of this text next week. Okay, so maybe for some of you that was boring aspect there, but it's important to have these things distinguished.

So let's get into our outline. So number one. I want to explore what saving faith is. Not so verse 16 in all circumstances take up the shield of Faith we're trying to understand here the substance of faith so that we can rightly apply Paul's command to the church.

That is this shield is made up of faith. Okay. So what is faith? That's what we're trying to talk about and understand. So we'll start by saying what faith is not number one. Saving faith is not mere factual faith.

Saving faith is not mere factual faith. Notice I said mere because saving faith is factual right and it's not the suspension of reason. It's not like well, you got it. Okay, if you really want to believe you see that wall, it's white.

Okay, it's red. That's what you got to believe. No, that would be the suspension of reason, right? We're not talking about abandoning reason. We're just saying that saving faith is more than mere facts.

How about I illustrate it with the Bible in Luke 4? 24 a demon says this to Jesus. So listen carefully this.

Huh?

What have you to do with us? Jesus of Nazareth. Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God. Now there are a lot of facts in that statement. In fact, there are more facts in that statement than some professing Christians can articulate.

This demon knows that Jesus is from Nazareth. He knows the Sovereign power Jesus has over the demonic realm. He knows that Jesus is the Holy. He says I know who you are and yet This is not saving faith.

James says even the demons know there is one God and tremble knowing the facts of the gospel is not faith to saving faith is not temporary faith. The shield of faith in our text is not made out of temporary material.

Judas had a temporary faith, but it ultimately showed itself to be a false faith in the parable of the sower. Jesus teaches of professing Christians who leave the faith either Persecution is too much for them or the cares of the world are too much for them.

Their faith is only temporary because it was never genuine so we're not talking about people who Were born again, and then became unborn again. They became saved and then they became unsaved. No, they had a temporary profession of Christ and then they fell away.

Thirdly so saving faith is not merely factual and it's not temporary. Thirdly saving faith is not circumstantial faith for this one. I want you all to see it Yourself in the scripture. So turn to John chapter 2.

This is right before. And I think not by accident obviously John chapter 2. This is right before John 3 and the encounter of Jesus and Nicodemus, but I want you to see the language yourself. So I'm just gonna read the last three verses.

In fact, I'll say this. If we were redoing, you know, the chapters and verses came later. In the Bible, so the chapters and verses aren't inspired. So if we were ever going to redo the chapters and verses I actually think chapter 3 of John should start in verse 23 of John 2.

God think it all goes together. It makes the point. This is why you need to be born again. But verse 23 John 2 now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast many Believed in his name. Many Believed in his name now if this was a typical Southern Baptist scenario, we'd be baptizing these folks.

Right, they believed in Jesus. Listen what the text says. They believed in his name. Why when they saw the signs that he was doing. Okay, but how do I know this was false belief verse 24? But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them.

Because he knew all people and he needed no one to bear witness about man for he himself knew. What was in?

Man.

You understand this word belief in our text. It's the same word for our for our Word for faith. It's just it's the same idea here. They they believed on Jesus the problem is it wasn't real belief. It wasn't saving faith.

It was a faith a circumstantial faith. It was based on Circumstances it was based on this miracle. So they're like, okay Jesus you did a miracle. Wow I believe that do some more. Hey Jesus keep on doing good things for my life.

Keep increasing my finances keep blessing me keep my belly and my bank account full. These are the things you're doing Jesus. Yeah, I'll believe in you false faith. Saving faith is not based on mere circumstance.

So that's what saving faith is. Not secondly what saving faith is so the text says I'm back in Ephesians 6 in all circumstances. Take up the shield of faith. So what is this made out of them? What is this shield of faith?

What is faith? Historically Saving faith has been understood to have three components and you there's Latin phrases and all that weird. We don't have to dig into that this morning. Not that it's not important.

What I'm going to do is I've put it into a language that we can understand right here. But what you need to know is that all three of these components are necessary for faith to be saving faith. Some of you need to hear these and you need to consider is The faith that I possess saving faith, or is it do I just have a factual faith?

Do I just have a temporary faith? Do I just have a circumstantial faith? Well, how do I know? Well one way we can know is all three components of saving faith are Necessary for it to be saving faith so you can check this yourself.

So the first is saving faith requires number one content. When Paul says take up the shield of faith. He's not saying here that what you need what the shield of faith is is just faith in faith. That's that's not what he's saying or or or worse just faith in anything.

This is what our culture says today. It doesn't matter what you believe. But what you just got to believe in something right. I believe in leprechauns. I believe in socialism, right. No, they're both fanciful by the way, both equally as fanciful.

It's not just faith in faith. It's not just faith and whatever you want it to be in its faith in Christ. All other shields of faith and whatever will crumble. So if it's faith in Christ, that means saving faith so the point requires content there are.

Saving faith is not merely factual.

However.

There are facts to be known. So when we go preach the gospel. We do not go and say believe have faith trust. Because I want to be careful here hear me out those words are meaningless. Separated from content.

You understand? When we go door-to-door, we often ask people this question. What is the gospel? Sadly a lot of people get this wrong that they say the gospel is God's love or the gospel is the Bible.

The gospel is The good news. When you say the gospel is the good news, you're not actually saying anything. You're just giving a synonym for the gospel, right? You're not actually articulating that. What I'm arguing here is if we do not know the content of the gospel.

We cannot be saved. Saving faith is more than facts. But it's it's not like you have to understand the facts. What are the facts mankind is made in the image of God through Adams? Rebellion. All mankind is now born in sin and misery and shame and we stand guilty before God.

Because of our fallenness in Adam and our own rebellion against him. Our sin has has left us in a terrible state whereby we do not desire God and left to mankind. There is nothing within ourselves that would remedy the situation.

Oh people make up ways to get to God, right? Well, I'll do these five pillars of Islam or all I'll. I'll go to Roman Catholic Mass. I'll do these things and I'll find a way to get to God. No, no, but we're just it's just idolatry.

We've rejected the true God and we've invented gods in our minds. So left ourselves nothing we would do but God. Two of the greatest words in the Bible. God sent forth his only begotten Son the Lord Jesus that we read about this morning in confession.

Truly God truly man born of the Virgin Mary. He is the last Adam the better Adam where Adam failed. He succeeded where Israel failed. He succeeded where you have failed. He succeeded. He procured righteousness.

For his people through his perfect obedience to the law of God. He fulfilled the laws demands both in his life and in his death for lawbreakers like you and I. He bore God's Righteous punishment by substituting himself in the place of sinners on the cross and then he rose again.

He resurrected from the dead in victory. Securing justification for every soul that will trust him by faith. Repenting of their sins and resting in Jesus alone as their only suitable and all-sufficient Savior Church.

That's the facts of the gospel. There's no saving faith apart from content. But that's not all. If I passed you out an exam. It said give me the facts of the gospel and you could give me the facts of the gospel that doesn't mean you're a Christian.

You could give me the facts of Islam that doesn't make you a Muslim. So secondly, not only must there be content there must be conviction now I Don't mean conviction of sin though. There isn't, you know conviction of sin.

Necessary, of course, but but what I mean here is A conviction that these facts are true. So there is the content. I know the facts there's conviction. I believe Conviction is true. Let me give you some content real quick.

There once was a little girl. She had a beautiful red hood, I guess and.

She.

Wore it one day To go visit her grandmother when she got to her grandmother's house a Wolf had actually unbeknownst to her eating her grandmother morbid. It's a child story and was sitting there and Pretended to be her grandma and little red riding hood.

She's smart little girl, but Something's off here with grandma. The wolf tells her to come a little bit closer a little bit closer and then he eats little red riding. Now if the story isn't morbid enough a lumberjack comes in and chops the wolf in half and Rescues the grandmother and little red riding hood.

What I've just given you is. With some I'm sure missed some points there. I've given you the content of little red riding hood. You don't believe that's true, right? I hope I didn't spoil that for anybody.

It's not true. It's a fairy tale. That's the content. There's no conviction that it's true. I can articulate what the facts are. But I don't believe that they're true. I can do that with Islam. I can give you the five pillars of Islam.

I don't believe it's true. I don't believe Buddhism is true or Mormonism or job. I don't believe it's true. So there's content there's conviction. It's possible to know the content of the Christian faith without having conviction.

It's true. Now here's the third one saving faith requires content and conviction and then thirdly closure. The object of saving faith is Christ it is Leaning on Christ it is resting our whole selves upon Christ now.

It is possible to know the content of the gospel and to believe that these facts are true. And yet never close with Christ. Here's one example. I'll give you verse 16 in all circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the Evil one.

So just here's my. Here's my analogy for you. Does the devil know the content of the gospel? Yes, does he believe it's true. He saw it, right? Does he go to God for mercy. Of course not he rages against him now.

I'm not saying that angels or fallen angels can be saved. I'm not saying that. I'm just using that as an analogy. That theoretically it's possible to know the facts of the gospel to believe what the preacher is saying and not going to Christ in saving faith.

Closure with Christ is turning away from dependence on self and anything else and it's willfully Listen to this willfully Trusting in King Jesus as our Savior. John Owen says this without an act of the will.

No one can believe as he ha as he ought. There is a volitional willful Choosing response to the gospel that you must make if you hear us say if you hear us say well. Salvation is a gift. It's all of grace and we talk about these big theological terms like election or predestination and what you hear us saying is you just sit over there in your corner and you're just.

You know if God zaps you. You'll be saved and he does it you won't. I Think you misunderstand. You need to understand that you will be Cast off into the lake of fire. Unless you choose Christ. This is not just believing you're a sinner.

This is not just believing Jesus is Savior. That's mental ascent. This is believing those things and then casting yourself upon Christ.

Mercy.

William Grinnell writes the person who knows the truth only Intellectually without clinging to it does not believe Savingly. And this is where I put a lot of people in the Bible Belt today. They know well.

You'd be surprised a lot of them don't know the content of the gospel. Well, let's just use this. They know the content of the gospel. They have a conviction that it's true, but they do not cling to it.

They've never had true closure with Christ's think about that for just a moment church. How terrible to go to hell with these first two aspects of faith, but having never closed with Christ. Francis Turreton describes the third aspect this closure of Saving faith like this.

He says in this aspect of faith We judge the gospel to be not only true But also good and therefore most worthy of our love and desire also the promises of grace to be most certain concerning the remission of sins and the bestowal of Salvation upon all believers and penitents and so also upon me if I shall believe and repent.

So this component of saving faith includes Abandonment of all other schemes for atonement it leaves off all works. It leaves off all other faulty avenues and it goes completely and wholly to Christ alone.

Entrusting ourselves to Christ. It's falling off the ledge and I know Jesus is gonna catch me because I'm putting it all on.

Him.

It sees the blood flowing from Calvary and Knows that it is my only plea and that Jesus is not just a good and wonderful Savior, but that he will be my Savior if I come to him and Trust him and give my life.

To him.

Content conviction closure. That is the nature of saving faith. Without this there is no shield to defend from these fiery darts. In fact There is no shield to protect you from a greater problem. Let's say this.

In.

All circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. That may make you think that the greatest enemy of mankind Is Satan but a more terrible enemy of mankind is our trying God.

Try him try Rebelling against him to the end and And see What your eternity Has in store if if you don't Have the shield of faith. Not only are you not protected from the evil one? There's nothing standing between you and God's wrath Because Christ does not stand in your place because you have not trusted.

So before moving to our last point, let me issue an invitation.

Believe.

Believe.

Will you give your life to this like like quit? Quit saying yeah. Yeah, I know I but I understand the gospel. I know it's true, but I'm gonna later later tomorrow when I get older. Maybe on my deathbed then I'll close.

Then I'll trust Christ right now. I see the bridge. I believe the bridge. I know what the bridge does. I know if I were to cross the bridge it would hold me up. But right now I got a lot of stuff to do on this side of the bridge.

Quit it. Cross the bridge. The bridge is Christ.

Believe.

Trust him. This day as they say a weak faith may hold lay hold of a strong Christ. Don't just know the facts. Don't just believe they're true. Open your hands and receive from Christ His own person full atonement for your sins and a reconciliation with God.

Faith as a Gift of God and the Ground of Boasting Excluded

All right, thirdly you can feel the plane beginning its descent. Why faith and where does it come from. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith?

Okay, I.

Wanted a shield made of adamantium. The nerds get that one. That's the. That's the stuff that you know Wolverine's claws are made out of. It's a made-up. It's made up like but I want I Want a shield of that right?

I want a tank. But instead it's like I got this little. The red and yellow tykes car, you know the little tykes car. I got faith. That's my shield.

It's so weak.

Yet we're saved by faith so that all boasting goes to God. That's the argument Ephesians 2 8 9 for by grace. You have been saved through faith and this is not of yourself. It is a gift of God so that no one may boast.

That's why faith is a gift from God. It's it's not something you muster up and decide to enact one day. Yes, faith is an act of the will in response to the gift of God. It is a gift of sovereign grace.