03/28/2026
Overcoming Fear
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer.
Psalm xix. 14
My sermon this morning is entitled: “Overcoming Fear”.The world we live in affords us so many opportunities to experience fear and anxiety, but there can be no mistaking that God does not intend for us to live a life of fear.
God’s Word is filled with promises, that we can overcome any fear, and that we do not need to let it affect us. In fact, the words do not fear or fear not is mentioned 365 times in the Bible. Paul tells Timothy, who was going through a tough time as a young Pastor: (2 Timothy 1:7), For God has not given us a spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
This verse tells us that God has not given us a spirit of fear! We can know then, that if we have fear, it is not what God wants for us. He did not give it to us. So we know that when we feel fear, we know it isn’t from God. We have to realize that God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but He did give us a different spirit. He gave us His Spirit, The Holy Spirit, (the great comforter).
Paul again tells Timothy, (2 Timothy 1:14 14) That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. And also tells the Ephesians (3:16 16), that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.
God’s Spirit lives in, and abides in you. Not just near you, but right inside of you! Everywhere you go, and in everything you do, God’s Spirit is with you. Since God’s Spirit is in us, we are not to be afraid. The Spirit that He has given us is not cowardly or timid, is not lacking in love, and is not confused and unstable. It is a Spirit of power, love and a sound mind.
No matter what we are going through, or how weak our human spirit feels, we have power (already), on the inside of us. When we feel like we cannot get along with another person, or when we don’t like someone, much less love them, we have love on the inside of us. When we feel life is too much, that there are too many decisions to be made, and we feel like we are losing our minds, we must remember we have a sound mind right on the inside of us! We don’t have to be afraid, because God has given us His Spirit to combat anything that would make us afraid.
We may not always feel like His Spirit is there doing His job, but that isn’t because of anything God has, or hasn’t done. We have to nurture and grow in Christ so we can recognize and receive that gift in our lives. We can’t live our lives always being worldly or carnal minded, and expect to fully and completely, receive that gift.
As Paul told the Corinthians in his first letter: (1 Corinthians 3:1-3, 3:1-3), And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
What he is saying is that even though they are believers, Paul could only give them the milk of God’s word, meaning the basic elementary things, and could not give them the meat, the deeper and even more useful things of God because they were still carnally or worldly minded. They were still following after the flesh rather than following after the spirit.
If we want to allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in our lives as effectively as He can, we must seek after spiritual things. We must take time to read and study God’s word, to pray, and to have fellowship with our Lord.
When we do these things we are stirring up the gift that God has given to us, as Paul instructed Timothy to do in his second letter. (2 Timothy 1:6). Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. He says as we stir up the gift, the fear will decrease and we will see that power, love, and sound mind, increase in our day to day life.
So begin to stir up the gift that God has given you to help you conquer any fear that is trying to have a hold in your life, and remember fear's allies are sin and Satan. Paul has this to say about Satan in his second letter to the Corinthians: (2nd Corinthians 2:11) “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
If you know your enemy, you know how to defeat him. We must all be positive thinkers regarding Satan: Positive that he does indeed, exist. Positive that he wants to defeat us and keep us from heaven. Positive that evil is lurking in many corners of the world. Most importantly, we must also be positive that our Lord and Saviour is stronger than any enemy we may encounter.
As we read in 1st John 4:4“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”St. Paul puts it this way in his letter to the Philippians: Philippians 4:7-8
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
In other words we need to fix our thoughts on Jesus for he is always true, as he told us: I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
The next time you are gripped by fear remember what we talked about today, and remember the words of the Psalmist:
Psalms 56:3 "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
To the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty, dominion and power.; both now and ever. Amen
