Well, it’s another Sunday morning. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4 (ESV).
It seems a lot of people are using fear as their weapon of choice these days. Fear can cause you to hide from the truth, it can cause you to “lock up” and not move, It is by far one of the most destructive spirits that the evil one has in his arsenal. Satan is trying to use fear on all of us now in one form or the other. It causes you to question other that you would normally never consider a threat. It can even cause you to turn away from the light to stay out of its reach for fear of what might be there.
Ask yourself this question. What is fear? Webster’s dictionary says that fear is “to…expect with alarm.” Now, as Christians, we are supposed to have a sense of expectancy, but a person who is experiencing fear lays in wait for what seems to be an unavoidable catastrophe. I have a strange feeling that this is not the kind of expectancy God had in mind.
One of my favorite definitions of fear is that it is, False Evidence Appearing Real. That is more true than most people realize. Statistics have proven that a large majority of the things we fear never become reality. But, in our mind’s eye, the false fears can sometimes seem more real than anything else around us. When we are looking for the true nature of something, the best place to look is in God’s Word.
So, what is fear really? In 2 Timothy 1:7 it tells us what it is, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and self-control.” There are some points that are brought up in this scripture that we should look at. First, Fear is a spirit. Second, it is a spirit that God did not give to us. It wasn’t from God and it is a spirit, it’s becoming clearer where we got fear from now, If it is not from God then it must be from Satan. So, How do we deal with the spirit of fear? Well, This very verse gives us that tool also. See, we deal with fear by self-discipline, self-control, and love. These are to be our protection from fear.
God says that Satan only comes to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). And that is what the spirit of fear is sent out to do. Fear is, quite plainly, a spiritual attack designed, not only to steal your peace, but your destiny in Christ. As Believer’s it is our responsibility to learn how to safeguard our mind against these attacks, and reclaim what God has in store for us.
So, How do we beat it? If you don’t remember anything else from this, remember that fear is not from God but from Satan. Every time you feel fear in your life, it’s a manifestation of the kingdom of darkness. It’s the spirit Satan uses to try to rule God’s people and keep them from coming under the leadership of the true Master, Jesus Christ. So many people never fulfill the call of God on their lives simply because every time they try to go forward, the devil uses fear to stop them. Is he using fear to stop you?
Satan uses fear to keep people from enjoying life. So many people these days will not relax because of what might happen, that spirit of fear. Fear brings torment, and you surely can’t enjoy life and be tormented at the same time. I would like you to take an inventory in the fear department. What are you afraid of? Are there any areas in your life that are being silenced because of fear? Satan is always going to bring fear against us at various times. It’s one of his major weapons, it’s not a cap gun, it’s a cannon.
All of us must learn how not to “fear the fear.” The devil brings fear, but you can choose not to bow your knee to it. David said, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in You” (Psalm 56:3). When God leads you to step out in an area to do something new, or leads you to make a bigger commitment, you may (or probably will) feel fear. However, if you’re sure God told you to do it, put your trust in Him and go forward.
If you are at one of these crossroads in your life, let me encourage you to go forward. Don’t stand still in terror, but take His hand and go forward. Remember, fear torments, and God wants to deliver you from all of your fears. Always remember God would not do anything that would harm you, And always remember God loves each and every one of you and so do I.
