Over the past couple years it finally sunk in to my heart that Fear is not merely a feeling. God's Word tells me Fear is a spirit. And Stress, Anxiety, Worry, Dread, Fear of Failure, Fear of the future, Drivenness, Perfection, Performance, Fear of Man, Fear of Sickness, Fear of Death—and on and on—[all the things I've struggled with at various times] are all "minions" who serve under the Spirit of Fear. They whisper to my mind in order to steal my peace, kill my joy, and destroy my life.
I also realized that I do not have to "Be afraid of Fear!" God has given us authority and power to overcome the spiritual enemies in our lives. It's up to me to stand against them and guard my heart.
I can't believe the difference in my heart since I started this journey to defeat the spiritual enemies of Fear and Anxiety. Here are things that God has been teaching me:
OVERCOMING THE SPIRIT OF FEAR
Fear is a spirit.
“For my God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, (The Spirit) and of love, (The Father) and of a sound mind.”(The Word - Jesus) 2 Timothy 1:7
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12
Fear is a mean spirit - it wants to steal, kill and destroy.
(Fear wants to steal my peace, kill my joy, destroy my life)
“The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. John 10:10
Fear has torment.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has torment, and he that fears has not been made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18
Fear torments me through thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
Fear tempts me (through thoughts, feelings, emotions) to believe his lies and not trust that my Father has told me the truth.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.” Prov 3:5,6
"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matt 6:34
I can choose either Fear or faith in God. Both fear and faith project into the future.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Heb 11:1
Faith leads to the future God has planned for me
Fear leads to the destruction of my future.
What does it mean to "choose faith?" Who or what do I have faith in? While thinking about that I wondered "if I had enough faith." I realized that I certainly do not "have faith in my own faith!" So now instead, I ask myself: Do I believe JESUS has enough faith to overcome this enemy of Fear? The answer to that of course is an emphatic yes! And iGod showed me that it is 'my belief that Jesus can defeat the enemy' that God counts as faith.
Will I allow Fear to control my life?
I have a choice. I can choose to align my thoughts with fear, or I can choose to trust God and grow my faith. Trust is intertwined with faith.
How can I choose faith over fear?
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Roman 10:17
I must hear the truth of God’s word over and over again —get it down on the inside & it becomes part of who I am.
Since my enemy, Fear, is a spirit — how can I defeat him?
When confronting the enemy, Jesus spoke out loud, “It is written . . . .”Therefore I need to speak to Fear, not just in my head. I must open my mouth to cast down lies and speak truth instead.
Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 2 Cor 10:5
“But the Counselor, which is the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in my name—He will teach you all things, and remind you of everything that I have told you.” JOHN 14:26
Faith will always defeat fear because faith is a work of the
Holy Spirit. He leads me into God’s truth and causes me to
have faith.
The spiritual battlefield is my mind so I must be alert. If I sense a spirit of Fear—or any of his minions—whispering to my heart, I am alert to stand against them. I cast down those imaginations:
First, I tell God I'm choosing to change my mind about listening to the Enemy and aligning my thoughts with him in any way.(That's actually repenting - Repent is the Greek word Metanoia which means to change your mind.)
Second, I choose to recognize that I am perfectly loved in spite of my wrong thoughts. And I'm completely forgiven of everything - past, present, and future—because of what Jesus has done for me. I accept His forgiveness and remind myself that there is "therefore no no condemnation for me because I am in Christ Jesus."
Third, I commit myself to aligning my thoughts with God's thoughts and I reject and renounce any thought that does not line up with God's Word. I speak His Truth out loud.
These are truths that were solidified in my heart over the past few years through teaching God provided for me through Be In Health Ministries and Joseph Prince's teaching, messages, and books on Grace, the Father's love for us, the power of right believing, living free from Fear, etc. [Note: some of his sermons are free on youtube. There is an online English speaking service each week, as well as a Joseph Prince Ministry app, and lots of books and great devotionals available.
Now that I know the truth about Fear, it's time for me to focus on what I would like instead.
I would like PEACE.
For me, the absence of Fear and its torment in my life is PEACE.
The more I understand my Father's love for me, the more at peace I am.
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