Overcoming Fear
www.alighthouse.com/fear.htm
Fear binds multitudes of Christians today. Here is how to overcome it. Fear is a spirit. We see that from the Word of God. 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. Paul gave this Scripture to Timothy right in the midst of telling him to stir up his spiritual gifts, to testify for Jesus Christ, and to share with Paul in the sufferings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Satan doesn't want you to use your spiritual gifts. He doesn't want you to talk about Jesus, and he wants you to be afraid of the suffering that you may or may not experience if you do talk about Jesus. Looking around at many Christians, it seems that Satan has succeeded to stop many from moving forward by means of this one evil power alone. It is estimated that 80% of Christians today are oppressed by a spirit of fear. This can and must be reversed. But Proverbs 11:9 says, "Through knowledge the righteous will be delivered". We need the genuine knowledge of God to be delivered from the Spirit of Fear. Fear stops people not only in the areas of witnessing and using spiritual gifts. The fear of rejection has hindered people from beginning wonderful relationships. The fear of failure has held many back from beginning wonderful enterprises. The fear of death paralyzes and torments many. There are many other kinds of fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but unfortunately, many Christians have received a spirit of fear at some time in their life. They received what the devil was handing out to them. Many times, they received it before they became Christians, and they have not known God well enough to get rid of it since that time. One thing is clear, no Christian received a spirit of fear from God. In fact, the Bible tells us in 1 John 4:18 that "perfect love casts out fear". The more of the divine love of God that we receive into our lives, the less scope there is for fear to get a grip. A man was once robbing a bank. In the midst of it, a woman comes up to him and tells him to put the gun down, and give himself up. What gave this woman such tremendous courage? She was the man's mother, and her love for the son overcame that sense of fear. Fear tends to attract evil upon us, just as faith tends to attract the goodness and blessings of God. Fear is a substance of things we hope won't happen, its almost like a conviction that they will happen. Fear is faith in reverse. But it is faith in the devil, whether we know it or not. God wants Christians to be free of such fear. There is a fear which is good and clean, which is the fear of the Lord. Many blessings are associated with the healthy fear of the Lord. We are not talking about that kind of fear here. Neither are we talking about the natural healthy fear which would affect us if for example we were to contemplate jumping off a cliff or walking into heavy speeding traffic. We are talking about tormenting fear. This fear is strictly of the devil. The Remedy There area number of effective remedies for fear. Someone said, "Do the thing you fear most, and the death of fear is certain." This is good advice when it comes to things like public speaking, if we are afraid of that, or talking to strangers about Jesus. In no case should we bow to fear. But this kind of advice is not enough. What we actually need is the actual consciousness that God is within us, and around us, and over us. And we need to know who God is. God is greater than the devil. There is no comparison. Jesus said, "I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20). If we are aware of the presence of Jesus with us, we really can't be swallowed up or dominated by fear. Fear cannot control us. Ultimately, it must be driven out, in all its forms. We've seen before the Scripture that "perfect love drives out fear". But where does this perfect love come from? One thing to be sure of - it doesn't come from ourselves. This perfect love comes from the Lord. God is love and the Spirit of God drives out the spirit of fear. Daily make more room for God in your life. Make room for Him through much prayer, through more meditation on the Word, through verbally praising the Lord with your mouth and with your music. This is the way King David, a man who faced many dangerous battles, looked at it. "The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1) Because David was conscious of the Lord's presence with him, and because he knew God, David did not walk in fear. To have the full consciousness of the presence of the Lord with us in these days, I believe that we must be baptized in the Holy Spirit and speak with other tongues on a daily basis. Scriptures To Defeat Fear...... Scriptures you can declare and think about to help you to defeat the spirit of fear. Meditate on these Sciptures deeply. Say them, mutter them, think about them deeply, ponder them, declare them in the first person. They are weapons to defeat that evil demon of fear which is stopping you from doing the will of our Father in heaven. 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. 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Genesis 26:24 I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. Psalm 91 1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. Numbers 21:34 Do not fear him, for I have delivered him [your enemy] into your hand. Deuteronomy 1:21 Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged. Deuteronomy 3:22 You must not fear them [spiritual or natural enemies], for the LORD your God Himself fights for you. Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:8 And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed." Joshua 10:8 And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you." Judges 6:10 Also I said to you, "I am the LORD your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites (the ruling principles and idols of the world hostile to God), in whose land you dwell." But you have not obeyed My voice. 2 Kings 6:16 So he [Elisha] answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us (angels of God) are more than those who are with them." 1 Chronicles 22:13 Then you will prosper, if you take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments with which the LORD charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed. 1 Chronicles 28:20 And David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God--my God--will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. 2 Chronicles 20:17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you." Psalm 27:3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident. Psalm 37:4 The Angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Psalm 46:2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Psalm 56:4 In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? Psalm 118:6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you." Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:13 For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, "Fear not, I will help you. Isaiah 41:14 "Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you," says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 43:1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine." Isaiah 43:5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west; Isaiah 44:8 Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one."' Isaiah 51:7 "Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults. Isaiah 54:4 "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. Isaiah 54:14 In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you. Daniel 12:2 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. Daniel 10:19 And he said, "O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!" So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me." Joel 2:21 Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things! Zephaniah 3:16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. Haggai 2:5 "According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!' Zechariah 8:13 And it shall come to pass That just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.' Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Mark 4:40 But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? Luke 12:4 "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. Luke 12:7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12:32 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." Hebrews 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Hebrews 13:6 So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" Revelation 2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Fear binds multitudes of Christians today. Here is how to overcome it. Fear is a spirit. We see that from the Word of God. 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. Paul gave this Scripture to Timothy right in the midst of telling him to stir up his spiritual gifts, to testify for Jesus Christ, and to share with Paul in the sufferings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Satan doesn't want you to use your spiritual gifts. He doesn't want you to talk about Jesus, and he wants you to be afraid of the suffering that you may or may not experience if you do talk about Jesus. Looking around at many Christians, it seems that Satan has succeeded to stop many from moving forward by means of this one evil power alone. It is estimated that 80% of Christians today are oppressed by a spirit of fear. This can and must be reversed. But Proverbs 11:9 says, "Through knowledge the righteous will be delivered". We need the genuine knowledge of God to be delivered from the Spirit of Fear. Fear stops people not only in the areas of witnessing and using spiritual gifts. The fear of rejection has hindered people from beginning wonderful relationships. The fear of failure has held many back from beginning wonderful enterprises. The fear of death paralyzes and torments many. There are many other kinds of fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but unfortunately, many Christians have received a spirit of fear at some time in their life. They received what the devil was handing out to them. Many times, they received it before they became Christians, and they have not known God well enough to get rid of it since that time. One thing is clear, no Christian received a spirit of fear from God. In fact, the Bible tells us in 1 John 4:18 that "perfect love casts out fear". The more of the divine love of God that we receive into our lives, the less scope there is for fear to get a grip. A man was once robbing a bank. In the midst of it, a woman comes up to him and tells him to put the gun down, and give himself up. What gave this woman such tremendous courage? She was the man's mother, and her love for the son overcame that sense of fear. Fear tends to attract evil upon us, just as faith tends to attract the goodness and blessings of God. Fear is a substance of things we hope won't happen, its almost like a conviction that they will happen. Fear is faith in reverse. But it is faith in the devil, whether we know it or not. God wants Christians to be free of such fear. There is a fear which is good and clean, which is the fear of the Lord. Many blessings are associated with the healthy fear of the Lord. We are not talking about that kind of fear here. Neither are we talking about the natural healthy fear which would affect us if for example we were to contemplate jumping off a cliff or walking into heavy speeding traffic. We are talking about tormenting fear. This fear is strictly of the devil. The Remedy There area number of effective remedies for fear. Someone said, "Do the thing you fear most, and the death of fear is certain." This is good advice when it comes to things like public speaking, if we are afraid of that, or talking to strangers about Jesus. In no case should we bow to fear. But this kind of advice is not enough. What we actually need is the actual consciousness that God is within us, and around us, and over us. And we need to know who God is. God is greater than the devil. There is no comparison. Jesus said, "I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20). If we are aware of the presence of Jesus with us, we really can't be swallowed up or dominated by fear. Fear cannot control us. Ultimately, it must be driven out, in all its forms. We've seen before the Scripture that "perfect love drives out fear". But where does this perfect love come from? One thing to be sure of - it doesn't come from ourselves. This perfect love comes from the Lord. God is love and the Spirit of God drives out the spirit of fear. Daily make more room for God in your life. Make room for Him through much prayer, through more meditation on the Word, through verbally praising the Lord with your mouth and with your music. This is the way King David, a man who faced many dangerous battles, looked at it. "The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1) Because David was conscious of the Lord's presence with him, and because he knew God, David did not walk in fear. To have the full consciousness of the presence of the Lord with us in these days, I believe that we must be baptized in the Holy Spirit and speak with other tongues on a daily basis. Scriptures To Defeat Fear...... Scriptures you can declare and think about to help you to defeat the spirit of fear. Meditate on these Sciptures deeply. Say them, mutter them, think about them deeply, ponder them, declare them in the first person. They are weapons to defeat that evil demon of fear which is stopping you from doing the will of our Father in heaven. 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. 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Genesis 26:24 I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. Psalm 91 1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. Numbers 21:34 Do not fear him, for I have delivered him [your enemy] into your hand. Deuteronomy 1:21 Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged. Deuteronomy 3:22 You must not fear them [spiritual or natural enemies], for the LORD your God Himself fights for you. Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:8 And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed." Joshua 10:8 And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you." Judges 6:10 Also I said to you, "I am the LORD your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites (the ruling principles and idols of the world hostile to God), in whose land you dwell." But you have not obeyed My voice. 2 Kings 6:16 So he [Elisha] answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us (angels of God) are more than those who are with them." 1 Chronicles 22:13 Then you will prosper, if you take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments with which the LORD charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed. 1 Chronicles 28:20 And David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God--my God--will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. 2 Chronicles 20:17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you." Psalm 27:3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident. Psalm 37:4 The Angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Psalm 46:2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Psalm 56:4 In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? Psalm 118:6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you." Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:13 For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, "Fear not, I will help you. Isaiah 41:14 "Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you," says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 43:1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine." Isaiah 43:5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west; Isaiah 44:8 Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one."' Isaiah 51:7 "Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults. Isaiah 54:4 "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. Isaiah 54:14 In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you. Daniel 12:2 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. Daniel 10:19 And he said, "O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!" So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me." Joel 2:21 Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things! Zephaniah 3:16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. Haggai 2:5 "According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!' Zechariah 8:13 And it shall come to pass That just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.' Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Mark 4:40 But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? Luke 12:4 "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. Luke 12:7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12:32 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." Hebrews 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Hebrews 13:6 So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" Revelation 2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
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