Overcoming the Spirit of Fear

I’ve heard tell that some American Indian tribes when they came upon white men, were more apt to destroy them if they sensed the white men were afraid of them. Why? Because they knew that what one fears, one will seek to either control or to destroy. So the white men that showed the most fear would eventually become their biggest threat to survival.

Many religious people are led by a spirit of fear. Their decisions and actions are made from a place of fear and self-preservation.

But the word of God tells us, that when we receive His spirit, it is not a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind. (2Timothy 1:7)

If you are operating from under a spirit of fear, you are fast headed for deception if you are not already there.

The Pharisees ruled the people from a spirit of fear- a fear of being dethroned and put on the same level as a common man if they were not obeyed. They ruled the people with fear. They brought the peoples consciences under the bondage of their own traditions and ideas through a spirit of fear- fear that if they did not obey,  they would be thrown out of the Synagogues and be an outcast in society. They would be disowned by everyone that was dear to them as well, because, their loved ones operated under the same spirit of fear.

Jesus Christ was forced to go “outside the gate” because he would not allow His conscience to be brought into subjection of the religious Pharisees of His time. He knew that he did “always those things that pleased the Father.” He did not have to answer to those who had usurped the authority of God. (John 8:29, Hebrews 13:12)

Therefore, Christ leads the people away from a spirit of fear, and into a spirit of mercy and LOVE. The Bible says:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

In order for us to be effective workers in the kingdom of God, we must cast out fear; We must be made “perfect in love.” But that is much easier said than done. As soon as you attempt to seek the Father’s grace, to identify the places in your heart that are being led by fear rather than love, the things you fear will surface, and fear is a nasty spirit to contend with. Fear spirits are well guarded in spirits of bondage and accusations. They will unleash on you their hellish screams that you are going to perish and be lost forever. They will do all that they can to keep you under their lock and key.

But Christ has the remedy for Satan and all his hosts:

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. James 4:7 -8

When God shows you the fear that is ruling your actions, he will show you what to do about it and it will be basically- go into the fear and conquer it. Do exactly what you are so afraid of doing. When we know that God is leading us in a certain direction, no matter how much we fear we must submit to God. Submit to His will and all the while draw nigh to God. And the promise is, the devil will flee from you. Do you know what happens? The devil shows himself to be afraid. He is the one so FULL of fear.

Remember the story of the three Hebrew boys that would not worship the idol the king had commanded them to? With boldness they submitted themselves to God- in the face of being thrown into a fiery furnace. I would say that is facing a HUGE fear.

You see the King began to tremble under their boldness, because immediately he had the fiery furnace turned up and ordered his strongest men to bind them and throw them in. The king showed his fear by his actions. And when he saw them walking around in the death chamber, alive and well and the Son of God with them, he trembled and the devil fled. The king made a new decree- that those who would not show respect to the God of these Hebrew men, would be destroyed. (Daniel 3)

Fear is a devilish spirit that must be conquered. It is something that MUST be overcome. The reason being, there is no fear in love and God is love. If we are going to be a proper representative of God in this world, we need to be able to operate from a spirit of love and trust, not fear and unbelief:

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelations 21: 7-8

No man, or human organization on earth has the right to usurp the Spirit and leading of Jesus Christ in your conscience. Do not allow anyone to bring your conscience into the bondage of anything but the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And if it has been brought captive under a spirit of fear, it is time to rise up and do battle. Defeat it in the name of Jesus Christ!