Fear is something which most of us are familiar with. We know that it keeps us in bondage and prevents us from living in the boldness and in the confidence that could. If you can deal with fear you will live fearlessly and start walking in the freedom that God’s got for you. I have battled fear in the past and so I understand what you are going through if you’re feeling the attack of fear, now. As a child, I struggled with fear and I am thankful for my mom who taught me a song which said, “Fear, not fear, not for I am with you, says the Lord.” I would walk around singing that song continuously when I was scared as a child. As I grew up my fears changed and I was scared of losing my salvation, scared of the unknown, the future and even lack. The more confident I became in the promises of God the less I experienced fear.
Deuteronomy 20:1 New King James Version (NKJV)
“When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt…
God is with us, therefore we have nothing to fear! Don’t be scared of the challenges that you are facing. Don’t be scared of the things that are trying to counter you and prevent you from moving forward. You need to remember that God is with you! “Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt…” There is a power in remembrance. So often we get into a tight situation, a difficult situation, and we cannot see a way out and so we panic. We cannot imagine how we could possibly overcome. In situations like that, we need to remind ourselves of the many miraculous things that God has done in our lives and that are recorded throughout the Word. It would certainly encourage us!
Personally, we’ve seen God’s financial provision so many times that we would be dumb to worry when it comes to finances, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t tempted to worry. We have many opportunities to worry about provision and finances but in each tight situation we remind ourselves of God’s promises and of the many times that we have seen His supernatural provision and we say out loud, “God will work this out.” And He has not failed us. Instead of giving into fear and being paralyzed by it, reminding ourselves of God’s promises and previous testimonies enables us to operate in faith and see a breakthrough in our circumstances. If you’re in fear, you’re going to struggle to operate in faith. And whilst you’re in faith, you’re not going to be able to operate in fear. They are opposites! You also need to see that fear isn’t just something that comes over you and you can’t do anything about it. It is not an uncontrollable force. Fear is something that you can resist. Fear is something that you can control; it doesn’t have to control you. And I know right away that there are many people disagreeing with me because fear feels like a huge, mighty force that comes against you. It’s not. You’ve got authority over fear. If you’re at the place where fear feels uncontrollable it’s only because you’ve already submitted to it and allowed it to take over. The bible says that you have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, of love and a sound mind. Fear is a spirit that you need to resist. It isn’t something that you should embrace. Fear is something that you have to push up against and resist.
Deuteronomy 20:2-4 New King James Version (NKJV)
So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. 3 And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; 4 for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’
“Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid…” That an instruction and it means that you have the ability to let or let not your heart be faint. You do not have to fear the things coming up against you, whether it’s cancer, whether it’s some kind of incurable disease, whether it’s financial ruin, or whatever the case is – you do not have to allow fear to grip your heart. Fear will only make it worse! You do not have to fear because the Lord your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies and to save you. God is the answer. He’s all-powerful. He’s your father. His enabling power is available for you to help you overcome whatever you’re facing. Why would you allow fear, a tactic of the devil, to have any influence or say in your life?
We need to saturate ourselves in the Word of God and be confident in His Word that what it says is true. He is for us and not against us. When we’re confident of these things, faith will rise up in our hearts and we will be able to live fearlessly.