Having Faith When it Looks Hopeless 

 

Hebrews 11:33 highlights individuals “who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions.”

When we look at this verse in a modern context, “conquered kingdoms” doesn’t have to mean overthrowing a physical empire with an army. Instead, it can mean breaking down deeply entrenched systems of oppression, legal segregation, and institutional hatred through spiritual conviction and peaceful endurance.

Biblical Foundations for Modern Battles

To understand how this verse functions today, it helps to pair it with other biblical truths that define how a person of faith fights modern “kingdoms”:

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that the true enemy isn’t human: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

 Proverbs 31:8-9 provides the mandate for modern justice: *”Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Modern-Day Example: Bryan Stevenson

A powerful real-world example of Hebrews 11:33 in the modern era is Bryan Stevenson, a contemporary lawyer, author, and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI).

Driven by a deeply rooted Christian faith nurtured in the AME Church of his youth, Stevenson has dedicated his life to confronting the “kingdoms” of systemic poverty, racial bias, and flaws within the American criminal justice system.

Conquered Kingdoms

Stevenson and his team have successfully overturned or reduced sentences for over 140 condemned prisoners on death row. In a literal sense, he fights against the immense, bureaucratic power of state judicial systems when they are bent on executing the innocent or the wrongly accused. His weapon isn’t a sword, but an unwavering belief that “each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done”—a concept deeply rooted in the Gospel of grace.

Administered Justice

Much like the righteous judges of the Old Testament, Stevenson works to correct systemic failure. He took a landmark case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court (Miller v. Alabama), which effectively banned mandatory life-without-parole sentences for children 17 and under. By defending children, the impoverished, and the forgotten, he actively enforces the biblical command found in Isaiah 1:17 to “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”

Shutting the Mouths of Lions

In Stevenson’s world, the “lions” are the forces of hostility, death threats, political pressure, and a culture of condemnation that demands vengeance over mercy. When standing in hostile courtrooms or facing down public anger in the Deep South, his reliance on a higher moral law has repeatedly silenced his detractors and changed the minds of cynical officials.

Gaining What Was Promised

Through decades of relentless, faith-fueled work, Stevenson has seen the fulfillment of a promise found in Galatians 6:9: *”Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”* The harvest in his life is measured in the literal lives saved from execution, families reunited, and a nationwide shift toward a more compassionate understanding of justice.