Faith: Antidote to Fear

Fear is a spirit. It is not of God. That is why it is said that there are 365 “Fear-Nots” in the Word of God- one for each day of the year.

⁷      For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

(2 Tim 1:7

There will be many opportunities to fear in life in regard to your finances, relationships, health, ministry, career etc etc. But you must realise that God has a good plan for you and does not want you to fear ( Jer 29:11). Fear undermines God’s ability and releases the ability of Satan.  When you fear, you are saying, Satan is more powerful than God. That is why we are told: “Have faith in God.” (Mark 11:23)

Without faith it is impossible to please God. Notice it did not say without prayer it is impossible to please God which means the easiest way to displease God is being afraid.(Heb11:6)

You become afraid when you forget or do not know who you are in Christ, what you have going for you or Whose you are. You need to constantly affirm what Christ has done for you regardless of what you see or feel or hear around you.

However, if you do not know Christ as your Lord and Saviour, your confidence will be shallow and on a shaky ground. You cannot enjoy the confidence and joy of a believer who knows whom he or she serves. If so go to this link and surrender your life to Him and be assured of His covering.

https://inspiration4generations.wordpress.com/2020/03/02/life-is-spiritual-by-fenny-west/

So come with me let us affirm the word of God together.

³²   “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32)

God’s Word will build you up, encourage you, stabilise you, show you your inheritance in Christ. God’s Word will shine light on your path to know what to do when other are running scared and running helter -skelter. God’s word will cause you to go boldly into the throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need. The entrance of God’s Word brings illumination, direction and solution.(Ps 119 :105,130)

Gideon was hiding from the Midianites because of a period of subjugation they had suffered in their hands. At this point God sent an angel to him to encourage him. Despite his fear and trepidation, God saw him differently. He called him a mighty man of valour. (Judges 6:12  )  You must realise that one with God is majority. If God be for you who can be against you? (Rom 8:31)In Christ you are more than a conqueror ( Rom 8:37). Therefor neither death nor life nor angels , nor principalities nor powers nor height nor depth is able to separate you from the love of Christ. ( Rom8:39)

So let the sea roar and be carried into the midst of the sea. Let there be a tumult and a cacophony, agitation a roar from the elements, keep your eyes on Jesus. Maintain your confession of who you are what you have and Whose you are.(Ps46)

Whatever the adversity is, remind yourself that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Affirm your faith always, no matter what.  ( 1 John 4:4)

⁴      For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. (1 John 5:4)

Use these scripture and personalise them in prayer:

“God is my refuse and my fortress, my ever-present help in trouble. Though the mountains be moved and carried into the midst of the seas, I shall not be moved. I know whom I serve and whom I have believed. Though there be a conflagration, quaking, tumult, great noise, I will be still and know that the Lord He is God.

“He will make my wars to cease and burn the chariots of my enemies in His fire. His Word for me today is : ‘Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted amongst your adversaries and adversities.’ (Ps46)

“God is working everything together for my good.

“My light affliction, which is just for the moment, is working for me, a far more exceeding weight of eternal glory. Therefore, I will not focus on the things which are seen but the things which are unseen, knowing that the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are unseen are eternal.” (2 Cor 4:16-17)

Declare: “He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Because I dwell in the secret place of the Most High, I abide under that shadow of the almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”

“Surely, He will save me from the fowler’s snare and the deadly pestilence. His faithfulness will be my shield and my buckler. I will not be afraid of the terror by night or the arrow that flies by day or the destruction that wastes a noonday. A thousand may fall at my side, ten thousand at my right, but the evil will not come near my dwelling.”Ps91

Affirm that God has given you His angels to protect you in all your ways:

 “Thank you , Father that you said you have given me your angles as ministering spirits for those who are heirs of salvation ( Heb 1:14). The angel of the Lord encamp around those who fear Him (Ps 34 :7). He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you in all of your ways, they will lift you up so that you do not dash your feet against a stone (Ps 91:11).  Thank you, Lord, for the protection from your angels.

Remind yourself how He used angels to rescue Peter from the prison (Acts 12:5-11) Remind yourself how He used angles to rescue the believers who were imprisoned and told them to go and preach.

( Acts 5:17-25 )

Remind yourself how he opened the eyes of Elisha’s servant to see the multitude of angels and chariots of fire surrounding them amidst the threat of their enemies. (2 Ki 6 :14-17) 

Remind yourself how He rescued the Israelites, who were sandwiched between the Red Sea and their enemies, in hot pursuit. He remains the same. This is the God you serve.

¹⁴   Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

¹⁵   And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

¹⁶   So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

¹⁷   And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

2 Kings 6:14-17

David said, yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me and thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. You prepare a table for me, in the presence of my enemies… This is what you should expect in the midst of trouble and calamity…Ps23:4

Express confidence in the God you serve. Say what God said about you and about Himself:

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

⁶              So we may boldly say: ” The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”Heb 13:5-6

Do not focus on the adverse circumstances. Focus on the power of God to save and deliver and preserve.

Have a Godly perspective like Paul. Despite the testimonies of the Holy Spirit about what he would suffer if he went to Jerusalem to preach, Paul was undaunted, unmoved, desiring to finish the work God gave him to do rather than shrink in fear.

22 And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there,
23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.
24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Thank God for His protection, provision and presence, no matter what you see or what people say. Know that you are not ordinary. You are the apple of God’s eyes.

⁹      But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

¹⁰   who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

1Pet2:9-10

” Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.

²      When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. Isa43:1-2

“Have faith in God. Mark 11:23

⁹      Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Josh 1:9

Psalms 27: An Exuberant Declaration of Faith A Psalm  of David.

¹      The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

²      When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.

³              Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.

⁵      For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

⁶      And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

See God as your light and your salvation. And see the circumstances that have risen against you, stumbling and falling before you.

See yourself hiding away high upon a rock where your enemies cannot find you or harm you.

Declare your victory before you see it. In fact see your victory in the spirit realm. Say to yourself:” Thanks be to God who always gives me perpetual victories. I am strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. I am strengthened with might in my inner being. No weapon fashioned against me shall prosper and every tongue that rises against me in judgement I condemn. When the enemy comes like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will raise a standard against him. I am far from oppression, or contamination or suppression or subjugation or dominion. The Greater One indwells me and puts me over. I have great faith in the keeping power of my God. Christ in me, my hope of glory. ( Col 1:27, 1 John 4:4)

¹³   And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.

¹⁴   The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

¹⁵   And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.

¹⁶   But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. Ex 14:13-16

Notice, God told the Israelites to go forward despite the Red Sea before them and He told Moses to stretch forth the rod in his hands over the sea. What does that tell us? Regardless of what may have confronted you, there is something you have in you that you can use to counteract it and part the Red Sea for you to walk on dry ground. If you are not sure what it is, then ask your Maker and He will show you by His Spirit.

Go forward! Fear not.