As a Christ follower, you long to become a genuine man of faith. You want to follow the example of other men of faith in the Bible. It might seem like a moving target at times or a goal that’s well beyond your reach. But it’s not.
And becoming a man of faith is worth all the effort.
Defining faith
Before we dig into what the Bible says about men of faith, it’s helpful to define what we mean by “faith.” One of the best biblical definitions of faith can be found in Hebrews 11:1. The opening verse in what has become known as the “faith chapter” tells us that “faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”
On the surface that might seem a little confusing, but a closer look helps it make more sense. Simply put, faith is trusting God enough to believe what He says, even when we’re not seeing it with our eyes. It’s defining reality by what He says is true, regardless of what our physical senses might tell us.
For example, the Bible says that salvation comes through accepting that Jesus is God’s Son and that His death on the cross paid the price for our sins. But none of us were there when Jesus died; and, even if we were, we’d still have to believe He was the Messiah. We have to accept it as truth, even though we have no physical proof. That requires faith.
Guys Who Pleased God
But here’s something else we need to remember when it comes to being a man of faith: it’s not just about believing what we can’t see. According to Hebrews 11:6, “without faith it is impossible to please God.” The writer didn’t say it’s hard to please God without faith. He said it’s impossible. Without a solid commitment to living as men of faith, we’re relegated to sitting on the bench and watching the world go by.
That makes imitating men of faith in the Bible vital to guys like us today. Thankfully, God’s Word gives us plenty of examples. Throughout the pages of Scripture, we find men of faith from a variety of backgrounds. They are all so different, but they all had one thing in common. They were genuine men of faith.
We can become men of faith by learning how they developed a heart for God. Below, I’ve highlighted ten men of faith in the Bible. Some of these spiritual heroes might be familiar from your Sunday school experiences. Others may be new. But each of them teaches us special lessons as we strive to learn what the Bible says about being a man and how to become a man of faith.
Abraham
In some ways, Abraham might be considered the original man of faith in the Bible. While others (like Noah) walked with God, Abraham is the first person said to be made righteous by his faith (Genesis 15:6). When God said to move, Abraham moved. And when God promised to give him a son in his old age, Abraham took Him at His Word. Later, New Testament writers like Paul (Romans 4:3) and James (James 2:23) identified Abraham as a great example of what it means to be a man of faith.
Joseph
If you’re looking for an example of a man of faith despite hardships, look no further than Abraham’s great grandson, Joseph. His early life was filled with injustice and tragedy. First, he was sold into slavery by his own flesh and blood (Genesis 37:12-36). Then, he was thrown into an Egyptian prison for a crime he didn’t commit (Genesis 39:1-21). Through it all, Joseph never lost his faith. He continued to trust that God had a plan for his life, and God ended up using Joseph to save multiple nations—including the Lord’s chosen people.
Moses
Men are called to be leaders, and no man of faith in the Bible demonstrated faith in leadership better than Moses. Of course, he didn’t volunteer to be a leader. In fact, he did his best to talk God out of giving him that assignment (Exodus 3–4). Then, throughout his 40-year journey with Israel, things often didn’t go smoothly for him. But Moses stands out as a man of faith because he trusted God to shape him into a leader. That’s a great lesson for guys who wonder how they can be a man of faith in the context of their leadership opportunities.
David
Many men of faith in the Bible faced challenging odds, but David’s faith led him to fight a 10-foot giant named Goliath (1 Samuel 17). He believed that the God who empowered him to kill lions and bears (vv. 33-37) could protect him against a loud-mouthed Philistine. No matter how big his enemy might have seemed, David knew God was even bigger. That’s big-time faith!
Later in his life, David also demonstrated faith in God’s forgiveness. In the wake of disastrous choices to commit adultery and to cover it up with a murder, David repented and sought God’s mercy (2 Samuel 11–12). He believed God would forgive him if he came clean about his sin—and he was right (Psalm 51).
Elijah
This was a prophet who didn’t blink in the face of stiff opposition. First, he confronted an evil king (1 Kings 17:1). Later, he stood by himself against an army of false prophets (1 Kings 18). As result of his courage, this man of faith sparked a mini-revival among a nation of people who had been physically and spiritually dry for years.
Daniel
One great way to demonstrate faith is to grow where you’re planted by God. For Daniel that meant being taken away from his homeland and living as an exile in the land of Babylon. Still, whether he was interpreting dreams as a young man (Daniel 2) or facing a den of lions as a senior adult (Daniel 6), Daniel proved to be a man of faith by making the most of his opportunities to glorify God.
Peter
Few men of faith in the Bible are more complex than Peter. One moment, he was testifying that Jesus was the Messiah, while the next he was being rebuked for obstructing God’s plans (Mark 8:27-33). The guy who walked on water (Matthew 14:22-33) also denied Jesus three times (Luke 22:54-62). But after Jesus’s resurrection, things changed dramatically for Peter. He boldly stood out as a man of faith before the religious leaders of the day—the guys who had initiated Jesus’s crucifixion—and proclaimed that he was trusting God more than any human authority (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29).
Paul
If anyone could have been dragged down by their past, it would have been the apostle Paul. After all, he jailed and killed Christians before becoming one himself. But, as a man of faith, Paul refused to let his past get in the way of what God was doing in the present. Whether it was stuff he could brag about (Philippians 3) or stuff that made him the self-proclaimed worst sinner ever (1 Timothy 1:12-15), Paul became an example of what it means to be a man of faith. As a result, few people have had a greater impact on the church through the ages.
Demetrius
This man of faith might be unfamiliar to you. That’s because he only appears for a brief moment in 3 John, one of the smallest books of the Bible. In that letter, John drew a contrast between pride and arrogance (represented by Diotrephes) and humble service (seen in Demetrius). In just a few words, the faith of Demetrius spoke volumes to men of God in his day and in our day as well (3 John 11-12).
John Mark
In the eyes of Paul, one choice had branded John Mark as a failure. He had abandoned the team on the apostle’s first missionary journey (Acts 13:13); and, despite the urging of Barnabas, Paul could not bring himself to give the young man a second chance (Acts 15:36-41). But something changed as John Mark grew in his faith. He found a powerful mentor in Peter (1 Peter 5:13), and he even wrote a Gospel account of Jesus’s life. By the end of Paul’s life, even the old apostle had to admit that John Mark had become “useful” (2 Timothy 4:11). Mark had a rough start, but God shaped him into a trustworthy man of faith.
The Ultimate Man of Faith
Jesus is the ultimate example of a man of faith. While we know that He is God’s Son, we also need to remember that He is fully human. That means that, as the writer of Hebrews pointed out, He endured everything we endure—just without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
If you ever wonder if Jesus wrestled with His faith, take a look at His prayer in Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion (Matthew 26:36-39). He was in agony, so much so that He was sweating blood (Luke 22:43). That’s an intense struggle for a man of faith.
But Jesus passed the test: “Not my will, but your will be done.” By standing steadfast, Jesus taught us how to be men of faith for His glory. His example, along with other men of faith in the Bible, remind us of what’s possible—and why it’s important to be a man of faith for our families, our friends, our churches, and our God.
Faith changes the world, but only when men of faith stand up and step out for Christ.
