When we come to understand just how intensely God’s love for us burns in His heart, the lies of the enemy are burned away by that very love! When I fear, I remind myself of God’s love for me and that lie is burned away and peace returns to my soul. When I am anxious, I do the same. When I am hurting, I do the same. God’s love transcends our human weakness and leaves us at peace even in the midst of a storm or in the midst of suffering or pain. This raises the questions “What is fear and why do I still experience it as a believer?”
What is fear? a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. 1
What causes fear? We are still human and still refer to our old ways of thinking from time to time. Following is a brief list of why I personally fall into fear from time to time:
• Past experiences
• Upbringing
• Physical harm
• Emotional harm
• Personality type
• Unrealistic view of life/vain imagination
• Impending danger
• Physical pain
• Phobias
What is the remedy for fear? Following are some tips from God’s Word regarding how to deal with fear:
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
1 John 4:18 NASB
We must constantly remind ourselves of God’s great abiding, enduring love for us in spite of the lies of the enemy!
We must remember that we are at war and that this war is for our thoughts and is fought on the spiritual battlefields of our minds.
[2Co 10:3-6 NASB] 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 [We are] destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and [we are] taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
We must remember that our God wastes nothing. Go to the worst case scenario - death - and even there, God is with us and we are with Him.
[Rom 8:28 NASB] 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose.
Let us believe and receive God’s love for us today and put an end to fear…as often as necessary!
Dennis Jernigan