“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Isaiah 43:1-3.
NIV
According to Merriam-Webster, fear is described as an “unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.” Fear can also mean profound reverence and awe, especially toward God. Isn’t it just like the English language to offer seemingly contrasting definitions of the same word? Let us look at the first definition for a bit; we’ve all experienced this type of fear. In fact, in Psychology, fear is seen as a vital response to physical and emotional danger. In other words, fear allows us to protect ourselves from danger or the threat of danger. Though we all experience fear occasionally, when it becomes persistent it can prevent us from living the lives we are meant to or becoming what God created us to be and fulfilling our purpose.
Understanding what it is and how it operates is important in overcoming fear. Fear is a weapon of the devil used to disrupt and destroy our lives. It influences bad decisions and prevents us from making good ones. It robs us of joy and peace of mind. It exacerbates our anxieties and multiplies our doubts. Oftentimes fear begins with a simple thought, “as he thinketh in his heart, so is he,” Proverbs 23:7 What starts out as a simple thought can become life-altering and before you know it, fear has convinced you that you are not good enough or that thing you’re hoping for will never work out, the situation you are in will never turn around. Then you are left feeling hopeless and bereft because fear has paralyzed you. You become frustrated because you know you are not doing what you’re meant to do because of fear. You become stuck in an unhealthy pattern because fear sometimes feels more familiar and less ‘dangerous’ than the alternative.
How can we possibly escape this trap?
FAITH – “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1.
You will need that deep and complete confidence in God’s word “that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose,” Romans 8:28. Armed with this confidence, fear has no hold over you because the truth about fear is that it only has as much power over you as you allow it.
Through faith, we can begin to overcome our fears by seeing ourselves in Christ. We are created in his image (Genesis 1:27) so whatever he is, so are we. He is strong, courageous, capable and a conqueror and – in him – so are we. He boldly commands us in Isaiah 43: 1-3 “Do not fear…” and follows up this command with a number of assurances and promises, “I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine…When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.” This is a reminder that we are his, he loves us, watches over, and protects us, he strengthens us through our trials, he is for us. So how can we allow fear to trample us knowing that no matter what, he is always looking out for us?
If fear is holding you back from something, know that you have the power through Christ to overcome. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” Philippians 4:13.
Prayer
Father, I come against the spirit of fear and against every plan and every trap that the enemy has set to cause me to stumble or. In the name of Jesus, I declare that every altar erected by the enemy in my life MUST come down. Fear will not overtake me, for I am a child of the Most High God. I declare that every stronghold and every chain in my life is broken. Father, I declare freedom from fear by the blood of Jesus. Amen.
