"The entrance of thy words giveth light (Psalm 119:130)."
Dealing With Fear
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." {Isaiah 41:10 NIV}
"For we live by faith, not by sight" {2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV}
In order for you to benefit from this article, it is necessary to first get saved.
First: Giving in to fear is a choice. A very bad choice.
Fear never does any good. Fear always makes things worse.
Second: Giving in to fear is a sin. This results in a spiritual foothold which enables demons to torment your emotions. Anxiety and depression are common consequences.
Relevant Scriptures follow.
" . . . do not be frightened " {1 Peter 3:14 NIV}
"Be anxious for nothing . . ." {Philippians 4:6 NASB}
" . . . fear involves torment." {1 John 4:18 NKJV}
"Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad." {Proverbs 12:25 NKJV}
Creating fear in your life, along with corresponding negative emotions, is a prime demonic objective.
Third: Giving in to fear is dangerous. More dangerous than any possible circumstance.
Be afraid of giving in to fear.
You are not safe when you give in to fear.
Everything in this life is manageable by trusting God, obeying God and walking wisely.
When you give in to fear, you are not trusting God, you cannot walk wisely, and you will, inevitably, suffer needlessly.
The suffering will result, directly, as a result of your emotions. It will result as a consequence of bad decisions. And it will result in additional people problems because others will view you as vulnerable.
Fear is a choice. A very bad choice.
Fourth: Recite Scripture when you face challenges.
Examples:
- "Be anxious for nothing . . ." {Philippians 4:6 NASB}
- "Trust in Him at all times . . ." {Psalm 62:8 NASB}
- "Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." {John 14:27 NIV}
Recite Scripture, out loud, so the demon can hear. And apply the Scripture to your thought life.
Fifth: Use affirmations based on Scripture. These are also used when challenges arise. They are especially effective.
Examples:
"Be anxious for nothing . . ." {Philippians 4:6 NASB}
Affirmation: I choose to be anxious for nothing.
"Trust in Him at all times . . ." {Psalm 62:8 NASB}
Affirmation: Lord, I trust You with this.
"Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." {John 14:27 NIV}
Affirmations:
- I will not be afraid.
- I will not be offended.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might." {Ephesians 6:10 NASB}
Affirmation: I am 'strong in the Lord.'
Reciting Scripture, and using affirmations based on Scripture, avails you of supernatural power (Hebrews 4:12).
Repeat the affirmations as needed. Be sure you are trusting God from your heart.
Sixth: Don't dwell on problems unnecessarily. Any problem you focus on becomes a bigger issue; that is, the spiritual foothold is strengthened.
". . . whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right . . . think about these things." {Philippians 4:8 NASB}
Think about something else.
Seventh: Assertiveness, when called for, is important.
"Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]" {John 14:27 AMPC}
Two steps are required. These are used when challenges come up:
- Trust God.
- Act like you trust God.
Practice doing this. This gets easier with practice.
This will become easier over time.
Choose to not be afraid of anybody or anything.
Trust Him, every day, with every circumstance of your life.
Your faith will be tested from time to time. Don't fail these tests.
If you do fail a test, be sure that you will get another chance to re-take the test. Not recommended.
Eighth: A practical example follows.
I had good success, working in a jail ministry, by driving this point home. These men, once they were released, could succeed if they continued to pray, continued to read their Bible daily, continued to try and did not give up their faith—despite the stark reality of their circumstances.
Poverty, unemployment and family rejection are no impediments to trusting God. Nothing is.
I remember once that I had only one client who had returned to the jail I was working at. He would not read his Bible and was determined to get rich selling drugs. He was an intelligent and capable man, but he still failed to succeed.
Ninth: "Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." {Psalm 55:22 NASB}
Practice turning your challenges over to God, trusting Him and waiting for Him to make it clear what to do.
You might want to review the series entitled How to Cast a Burden. Another link is provided at the end of this article.
Tenth: seek out wise counsel and emotional support from others.
"Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory." {Proverb 11:14 NASB}
It is difficult to avoid worrying when you don't know what to do. Seek out wise counsel. Others may see things more clearly since they have different life experiences and are not emotionally impacted.
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." {Galatians 6:2 ESV}
It is also important to have other people to share your feelings with when you experience emotional challenges.
Eleventh: "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered." {Proverbs 28:26 NKJV}
Demons will, at times, create disturbing emotions and disconcerting ideas. Their objective is to create emotional distress and, if possible, get you to do something stupid.
Don't give in to fear. Walk wisely.
Twelfth: Trust & obey. Trust God and obey God.
These things go together, and both are required to succeed. Also, remember, only God can protect you from everything.
Thirteenth: Don't turn to idolatry:
"You shall have no other gods before Me." {Exodus 20:3-5 NASB}
"Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf." {Proverbs 11:28 NIV}
Trust ONLY in God.
Be thankful for money and other blessings God has given you, but don't allow them to captivate your heart. Otherwise, you're guilty of the sin of idolatry. And you will suffer negative consequences, in some way, sooner or later.
The last thing you need is, for example, an injury to teach you to stay away from idolatry.
Getting involved in ministry is a great way to avoid idolatry.
Tithing is also very important.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." {Matthew 6:21 NKJV}
Fourteenth: Teaching courage is a part of good parenting.
Parents can teach their children to be courageous with their peers when these teaching opportunities arise. It will greatly improve the quality of their lives.
Fifteenth: a famous quote to remember:
“. . . the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” {President Franklin D. Roosevelt}
This is true for all of us.
Finally: The following are also recommended:
- Dealing With Worry.
- How to Cast a burden.
- Declarations to Strengthen You.
- When Satan Gets a Foothold.
- Stopping Spiritual Attacks.
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