Are faith in self and faith in God mutually exclusive?

 To me one of the stark differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament is difference in the interaction with God.   

 
What I mean by that is in the OT it is very much about fear and quaking in your boots.  In the NT it is more about building a relationship with God.   
 
That is why I love what Job says in the passage.   

 

Job 13:15  Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.  Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.  

 

In this passage Job is referring to God.  Job has enough faith in God's sense of justice that instead of groveling in fear, Job is saying I'm willing to stand face to face with God and let him decide.  I don't believe I did anything wrong and I am going to defend myself directly to God!  I'm willing to accept God's decision either way. 
 
Wow!  That is some pretty strong faith....in two things.  Faith in self and faith in God. 

 

Wait a minute, aren't those to mutually exclusive? 
 
I don't believe they are.  We are told we are made in the image of God.  Does God seem to be lacking faith in Himself?  Doesn't seem that way to me. 

 

Therefore I would contend that God would expect us to have great faith in ourselves and to exercise that faith in self in God's service.   

 

Here is the caveat.  As long as we keep our faith subservient to God's faith.  Does that make sense?   

How Do You Know?

 How do you know when God is speaking directly to you?  Have you ever experienced it?   

The reason I ask is that I was reading Job 4 this morning.  Job's friend Eliphaz had a dream or a vision.  Here, let him describe it.   
--------------------------- 
Job 4:12-17  12 “Now a word was secretly brought to me, 
And my ear received a whisper of it. 
13 In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, 
When deep sleep falls on men, 
14 Fear came upon me, and trembling, 
Which made all my bones shake. 
15 Then a spirit passed before my face; 
The hair on my body stood up. 
16 It stood still, 
But I could not discern its appearance. 
A form was before my eyes; 
There was silence; 
Then I heard a voice saying: 
17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God? 
Can a man be more pure than his Maker?  

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That passage could be interpreted a couple of ways.   
 
Some might say it was God speaking to him in his dream.  Others such as myself might see that as Satan whispering in his ear, casting doubt and descension.     
 
Here are two things from this passage that make me think it was Satan.   
 
Eliphaz describes it as an undiscernible form.  I look to the story of Moses for this answer.  When God spoke to Moses on the mountain God covered his face so Moses couldn't see it but God did have shape and form and Moses had no question that is was God speaking to him. 
 
Secondly I would say the same exact thing.  When God has spoken to me there has never been any doubt that it was God.   
 
Make sense?