FEAR IS A SPIRIT
The instruction, “Fear not,” appears a couple of times in the bible. This might feel very unrealistic. Is it even possible to live without a single fear? We all, at some point in our lives, experience fear. The fear of failure, the fear of death, the fear of childbirth… the list is endless. The world has found a way to present fear in a milder form; it is called a phobia. Over 100 types of phobia have been said to exist. Regardless of what name it is called, the bible tells us that fear is a spirit:
“For God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, and love and of a sound mind: 2Timothy 1:7”
WHAT IS FEAR?
The Oxford dictionary defines fear as an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm.
It is not the desire of God to see us live in fear. Fear is a product of the absence of faith. Fear is one of the devil’s most powerful strategies to stop you from attaining your full potential and walking in the fullness of God’s blessings. Fear is crippling.
“And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Mark 4:40
IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIVE WITHOUT FEAR?
Yes, it is possible to overcome and live without fear. The spirit of fear cannot be avoided, but it can be overcome. This is what God wants for you. First, you have to overcome that silent voice in your head that has prevented you from stepping into God’s plan for your life. That crippling thought plagues your mind is not God’s will for you. God wants you to be bold. He wants you to walk in faith and boldness. He is able and willing to help you overcome your fears, no matter how big or small they are.
God says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you and uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10”
HOW CAN I OVERCOME THE SPIRIT OF FEAR?
- Believe in Jesus and receive him as your lord:
“But as many, as received him, they gave He the power to become sons of God, even to them that believe in his name.” John 1:12.
When you receive Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you. The Holy Spirit fills you with faith and confidence towards God and helps you face life situations. This is one of the privileges of being a child of God.
“For you did not receive a spirit that enslaves you again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship, and by him, we cry. The spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children”. Romans 8:15
- You must work in the consciousness of God’s perfect love for you:
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love”. 1 John 4:18.
Understanding God’s perfect love for us builds confidence in our hearts and a consciousness of our true identity. This will help us cultivate a sound mind and silence the voice of fear in our hearts. “If God is for us, who can be against us?”. Having a deep-seated conviction of God’s perfect, unconditional love for you reassures your heart and enables you to trust him even amid the storm.
When you playfully throw a baby up, he doesn’t panic. Instead, he trusts you to be waiting for him as he descends and catches him before hitting the ground. He is unconsciously aware that you wouldn’t allow him to hit the floor. He is not bothered that you might mistakenly miss him… such childlike love and trust. This is what walking conscious of God’s perfect love does. It gives you the confidence to sleep even in the middle of a storm.
- Always keep your gaze on Christ: Christ-centered living
Fear comes when we take off our eyes from Jesus and focus on thoughts, imaginations, and scenarios that the devil and circumstances throw at us. Like Peter, as long as he was focused on Jesus, he could walk on water without fear. But immediately he shifted his gaze to consider the happenings around him; faith left, and fear took over, and he began to sink.
The psalmist said, “I have always set the Lord; I shall not be moved because he is at my right hand.” Psalm 16:8
Putting the Lord always before you has to do with focus and consciousness. You choose to see Jesus rather than the lies of the devil. You choose to see Jesus rather than sickness, failure, addiction, death, and a failed marriage. You have to decide to live with Christ as your focus. You become what you behold.
- Surrender all your fears to God in prayer:
“Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” 1Peter 5:7 AMP
“Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.” Philippians 4:6 AMP
The place of prayer is where we are vulnerable before God. This is where you open up to God about the things you are scared about, He knows about them and wants to take care of every last one of them, but you have to hand them over to him. So don’t hold anything back. He wants to deal with every last one of your fears if only you will allow him.
- Read, study, and meditate on God’s word
The word of God fills our hearts and minds with the knowledge of the will of God and his promises concerning every area of our lives. The word of God is transformative. It is God’s strategy to help you become like him. As you meditate on the scriptures, faith is born in your heart to believe everything that God has said concerning you.
- Confess the word of God:
It is not enough to read the word of God; you have to speak the word over your life. So when the devil tells you that you will fail, you don’t go panicking and whining; you speak what the word says about you. This is how to overcome the temptation of fear. This was how Jesus overcame the devil when he was tempted; he spoke the word.
As you study your bible, write out or highlight the promises of God concerning different areas of your life, make it a habit to confess them as often as possible. As you confess the word of God over your life, you are creating your own reality.
Stop confessing fear and negativity, speak the word, and speak faith.
“So then, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Proverbs 18:21
- Hand over the reins of your life to God
Many believers still want to be in charge and in control of their lives and everything they have. You don’t have the capacity to hold it all together. Only God does. All you have was given to you by God. Why not entrust him with them. It is time to become just a caretaker and let God be the owner. Instead of worrying over your children going wayward, hand them over to God. He is their creator. Instead of having high blood pressure over your finances, hand it over to God. Don’t allow the devil to cripple you with fear and anxiety. God cares about you more than you care for yourself. Let him do his job.
Overcoming fear is not an instantaneous occurrence. It takes the deliberate and consistent engagement of these keys to see them work. Be sure of God’s help as you set out on your journey to overcome all the fears that have tormented you. Sometimes along the way, you may find yourself giving in to fear again. Don’t stay there. Come out of that situation by faith in God.
“Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” Hebrews 10:38.
God’s desire is for you to overcome fear and live by faith. You are helped by the Lord.