Everyone, at some time or another, is afraid of something. Mark Twain said, "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear." Some struggle with little, everyday worries, others with overwhelming catastrophic fantasies and excruciating anxiety, or an undefined fear of evil. Christians are not immune to fear, although many of us might be ashamed to admit it, since it is the opposite of faith. But, we are not alone. Even the disciples themselves, who were actually with the Lord physically, had to be reminded by Him more than once, not to be afraid or worried (Matthew 6:25,31; 14:27; 28:10; Luke 5:10; 12:4,6,7,32). We need to be reminded, too. Whether it is simply our fallen human nature, past pain from our subconscious mind, satanic attack, or a combination of these, all fear can be overcome. Jesus said "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27, NKJV). He would not have instructed us not to allow it, without giving us the power to reject it. It is a choice. Through Him, we are no longer helpless victims of fear. He has given us the power to choose not to be afraid.
Fear is a lie from hell, and the only way to conquer it is with the Truth from Heaven. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6 NIV) No one really overcomes fear except through Him, either. Through Christ, we can be victorious over all fear. If we could even begin to comprehend the true depth of the power He has given us through His Holy Spirit, we would truly know that we have no reason to fear anything, ever.
"The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" is the only offensive weapon listed in the armor God equips us with (Ephesians 6:17). When we saturate our minds and our hearts with the living word of God and meditate on His truth, no evil can stand against us. The very power of God fights the battle for us, slashing through the fearful thoughts and replacing them with truth and peace. When we focus on the Lord and His unchanging word, we are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2 NKJV) and know that "we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16 NKJV). "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).
With God as our fortress, our defenses become so strong and secure that there is no longer any way for the enemy to come near us. We can rest assured that we are safe always when God is our shelter and refuge of protection (Psalm 91).
The next time fear's sinister hiss whispers to your mind, silence it with God's word. Choose to listen to His voice alone. Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16 NIV). Challenge the dark lies of the enemy with the shining sword of the Spirit, wielding it fearlessly in the name of Jesus. Remember that although the battle rages on, He has already won the war for us. His victory is ours, now and forever.
"For I, the Lord your God will hold your hand, saying to you, fear not, I will help you" (Isaiah 41:13 NKJV)
"This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:4,5 NIV)
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, Will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6,7 NIV)
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For you are with me" (Psalm 23:4 NKJV)
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