Nena Arias | July 29, 2019
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” (2 Timothy 1:7)Who does not want to live free of fear? We must admit that there is much in this world that causes us fear and that’s no way to live.
Just like love is the supreme experience of all that is positive, and liberating, fear and anxiety are at the top of the list of all that is negative and enslaving. Love frees us—fear paralyzes us and renders us ineffective. The basis of all that God does for us is his perfect, abundant, rich and pure love. God is love and perfect love casts out all fear. I John 4:18 says. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
On the other hand, the modus operandi of the evil one, Satan, is impregnated and driven by fear and intimidation. Fear is an extremely powerful force that at times influences how we make decisions. Faith comes from complete and absolute trust in the living God. Therefore, fear manifests itself in the absence of faith. It is then obvious to say, we must look to become knowledgeable on how to live free of fear at all cost. Otherwise, it will rob us, enslave us and ultimately destroy us.
The Bible speaks much about fear and how to overcome it. In 2 Timothy 1:7, we are told if we are experiencing fear, we should recognize immediately that it does not come from God. Satan is the author of fear. God helps us to combat fear by rejecting it and instead accept the power, love and the sound mind he gives to overcome the spirit of fear.
Fear is driven by lies from the enemy of our soul and by our lack of knowledge of God’s Word to resist and allow God’s understanding of all things to guide our every thought. We open the door to fear when the enemy’s lies are stronger in our mind than the truth of God. When we believe that Jesus broke the curse and chain of sin and death for us, we free ourselves from the chains of fear. “…he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:14-15) The strongest fear people have is the fear of death. If you truly believe and receive that Jesus defeated the devil and took the keys back of death, hell and the grave, there is no fear that can conquer you in any way, shape or form. You will believe that even when this physical body dies, you will continue to live on for all eternity, then there is no reason to fear death, why should you be afraid of anything?
We are told in Matthew 10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” The only one we should ever fear is God! And what does the Lord require of us to live fearlessly? Micah 6:8 answers that question for us, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)