We all deal with fear in our lives. Fear is a universal and equal opportunity opponent. No one in the world is immune to it. It is everywhere in our culture.

We talk about fear often in casual conversation. We might not say the word “fear” every time, but we use other words like “concern”, “worry”, “afraid”, or phrases like “I could never” or “I can’t do it”. Fear is the root of what we are talking about.

We read the hundreds of self help books available to us about how to understand and cope with our fears.

We are so fascinated by fear that we like to categorize it and label it. There are literally hundreds of specific phobias we have identified and named. We have all likely heard of Arachnophobia (fear of spiders) or Claustrophobia (fear of small spaces). But there is also Cherophobia (fear of happiness), Cucurbitophobia (fear of pumpkins), Papyrophobia (fear of paper), and so many more. It seems like everything in the world has a specific phobia associated with it and there are people in the world who would identify with it.

We talk about “healthy fear” or “rational” fear. People will tell you that some fear keeps you safe or is your body’s warning system of danger.

We pay money to experience fear. We watch scary movies at the theater, we attend haunted houses at Halloween, we wait in line for hours for roller coaster rides, we jump out of planes, or we jump from bridges on bungee cords, and so much more.

I believe our approach to fear as a society is to normalize it, tame it, and make it our friend. All in all, we accept fear as a human experience and part of our lives.

But what if we didn’t? What if we refused to fear?

Let’s look at what the Bible says about fear in our lives:

“Do not fear [anything], for I am with you;
Do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you;
I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].” Isaiah 41:10 (AMP)

In this scripture God tells us not to fear ANYTHING. He then tells us that we can do that because HE is WITH US and is OUR GOD. So a huge part of overcoming fear in our lives is trusting God. We need to trust that God has our back. He is for us, he is helping us, he is with us, and will never leave us.

You may have heard before that “fear is faith contaminated.” Of course we know from scripture that faith is “the confidence that what we hope for is actually going to happen, it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1 NLT). Can you see how fear is a form of contaminated faith? In fear, we are confident that what we fear is going to happen.

The Bible is full of scriptures in both the Old Testament and the New Testament where God is telling us to not be afraid. This tells us a few things. First, since the fall of Adam fear has been a big issue for people and is still relevant today. Second, God absolutely does not want us to allow fear in our lives.

I use the word “allow” on purpose. Whether we feel like we do or not, we have the ability to choose between letting fear take over, or refusing it. I know that we have this ability because of what is commanded over and over again in the Bible: “do not be afraid” and “fear not.” This is said hundreds of times in the Bible. Let’s take a look at one important example:

“Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.” John 14: 27 (NIV)

Let’s focus on the the word “let.” Let means to allow. Jesus is commanding us here to not let or allow our heart to be troubled or be afraid. This is a commandment. It’s not a suggestion. This also implies that we have a choice. We can choose to resist fear and refuse it, or we can “let” it come in and stay.

But you might be thinking, “How can I stop fear, it just comes on me?” To answer that I think we need to differentiate the experience of physiological feelings of fear and allowing fear into your heart and mind. Let’s look back at John 14:27. Jesus says “do not let your HEART be troubled, nor let it be afraid.” Letting your heart be troubled or afraid is different than feeling the physiological symptoms of fear.

For example, imagine you are sitting in a meeting and you are suddenly called on to get up in front of everyone and talk. You weren’t expecting to be asked to do this and you didn’t prepare for it. The physiological symptoms of fear will most likely come on you. You might break out in a sweat, your heart might start to beat faster, your throat might feel dry, your legs might feel shaky, your body might tremble, your voice might crack and shake. BUT, this is not the same as allowing your heart to be troubled or afraid. Your body might be experiencing all of those things, but your body and your heart are not the same thing.

The Bible tells us that we are made up of a spirit, a soul,and a body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). I believe the Bible often uses the word heart to refer to your spirit. Your soul is made up of your mind, will, and emotions. So, feeling fear symptoms in your body is not the same as letting fear into your heart/spirit or into your soul/mind. In the example above, you have a choice to make. Your body is experiencing fear symptoms. But you have to now choose to reject/ refuse fear, or to allow the fear to infiltrate your heart/spirit and soul/mind. You don’t have control over the physiological symptoms of fear in your body, but you do have control over whether you allow or let in fear to the other parts of you.

Just as physiological symptoms of fear can come upon our bodies, fear thoughts can suddenly come into our minds. In the same way we can allow or refuse fear to come into our hearts/spirits, we have the ability to allow or refuse fear thoughts in our minds. We can refuse fear thoughts, or we can allow them to stay. We can reject them, or we can dwell on them and let them grow roots. It’s under our control. If we allow fear thoughts to stay in our mind and take root, soon that fear will be affecting our emotions and behaviors.

You might not feel that you have control over these things. So far in your life, you might have let fear run rampant over you and through you. But the Bible shows us that we have the ability to choose what we allow or let in when it comes to fear. God commands us, scripture after scripture, to not allow fear in. He knows that fear steals from us, limits us, and keeps us from the good things that He has for us. Getting control over fear, allows us to live our best life.

So, how do you begin to make these changes in your life? How do you start rejecting and refusing fear? A good place to start is learning about what God has to say about fear. Read scriptures on fear in your Bible, and see for yourself God’s command to you to not allow fear in. This will build your understanding and faith in your ability to refuse/reject fear in your life. Meditate on and confess scriptures on overcoming fear. When feelings of fear or fear thoughts come at you, refuse them. Say out loud in those moments, “I refuse to fear.” Replace fear thoughts with scriptures like:

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].” 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP)

“Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]”  John 14:27 (AMP)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.,for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

“The Lord is with me, I will not be afraid…”  Psalm 118:6 (NIV)

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)

God wants us to let go of long held and deep seated fears as well. God promises that he will help us in this. Psalm 34:4 says: “I prayed to the Lord and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears” (NLT). The Lord can help us gain freedom from fears that we have already allowed in and have grown roots. Through prayer and standing in faith, we can gain freedom from these long held fears as well.

 

Check out the following resources to help you on your journey to overcome fear, develop peace, and live in victory:
Scriptures on peace
Confessions on peace
Confessions on Victory Over My Circumstances

 

 

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