02/10/2022
There are many places in the Bible that encourage us not to be afraid. Fear paralyzes us, preventing us from living the abundant and miraculous life God wants for us. Fear manifests in many ways, including bashfulness, insecurity, timidity, feelings of intimidation, nervousness, anxiety, and a paralyzing incapacity. Satan’s agenda is to use fear to manipulate and control us, corrupt our perception and thinking processes, and keep us trapped in his deceptions so we cannot live in the power of God. He wants us to succumb to lies and intimidating statements like the following:
God can’t use me!
I am not spiritual enough.
I am too shy and afraid to step out in faith.
My sinful past has disqualified me from being used by God in a mighty way.
God can only use people who have a large television ministry.
God won’t answer my prayers.
God’s Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). The Greek word translated “fear” in this verse is phobos, meaning “fear, dread, terror” or “that which strikes terror.” It is the word from which we derive the English term phobia—an irrational fear of something or someone. Some people are afraid of spiders, and this is called arachnophobia. Others are afraid of closed spaces, and this is called claustrophobia. In every instance of a phobia, there is an irrational belief that distorts reality. The truth is, in certain cases, a spider or a closed space might harm a person, but overall, the likelihood is very low. Yet when someone has a phobia, they believe something that doesn’t really have the potency or probability of affecting them negatively will do just that.
The Bible says that there is no fear in love. We cannot be in fear and faith at the same time because faith works by love. (See Galatians 5:6.) If you are going to live a miraculous life, you must conquer fear. Two thousand years ago, Jesus triumphed over fear on the cross, and we must appropriate His victory today in our lives. Phobos fear is based on a lie because it is contrary to the Word of God. Fear is motivated by what we think, see, or hear. Faith is motivated by what God says!
False Evidence
When we fear, we accept “evidence” that appears real but is false. And by operating in fear, we are placing our belief and expectation in something destructive.
Let me be clear: there are natural fears. For example, if someone jumps out of the bushes and runs toward you with a knife, it is natural to be alarmed, leading to a “fight or flight” response of self-preservation. I am not saying that we won’t ever find ourselves in a genuinely difficult or even dangerous situation. Such circumstances can occur, and they are real. However, even then, God’s love and faith can replace our fear with trust in His presence, power, and protection.
But there are also many unnatural fears, even if they have some basis in reality, such as a fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of abandonment, or fear of exposure. It is critical that we recognize the difference between natural and unnatural fears. It is also important to note that remaining in a state of fear is unnatural. We should never continue in any negative state for a prolonged period of time because it can have a damaging effect on us spiritually, emotionally, mentally, or physically. We were not created for fear and worry!
Just as with phobias in the natural world, every area of bo***ge in a believer’s life is connected to a lie they have believed—about God, themselves, or their circumstances. Once the lie is broken, the bo***ge is released. The devil wants to keep many people trapped in fear because if they continue to believe lies about themselves or others, they will remain in a place of stagnation or become further weakened in their faith. Jesus calls us beyond the place of fear into the place of faith, where we are empowered to live supernaturally.
For you have not received the spirit of bo***ge again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15)
For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
The Greek word translated “fear” in 2 Timothy 1:7 is also the term for “timidity” or “cowardice.” It is clear that fear can quench the manifestation of the supernatural. To see the power of God demonstrated in your life, you cannot be timid. You must be willing to take risks. There are certain spiritual blessings and manifestations that you will never experience until you take a risk. What you desire is beyond the threshold of fear. Often, people will pray for a certain experience or manifestation from God, but they want to remain in their comfort zone, which can include any place of spiritual stagnation. We have to move out of our comfort zone.
You and I were designed to be full of faith! We are meant to live in a continual state of expectation about what God will do next. We are meant to live in anticipation of good things happening in our lives. The nature of our born-again spirit is faith and power, not fear and paralysis.
