You Have Not Been Given a Spirit of Fear
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7
We are living in a nation that is filled with anxiety. When people are anxious, it is usually because they don’t know what is going to happen, and there’s a sense of uncertainty. In fact, anxiety is usually understood as fear without an obvious cause.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus admonished us not to worry about tomorrow and not to lay up treasures upon this earth. It’s a question of trust. If God will take care of the birds of the sky and the lilies of the field, how much more will He care for us? So we are encouraged to seek first the Kingdom of God.
A Fear Object is Always Both Potent and Present
In contrast to anxiety, fear always has an object. People fear something known. We may fear heights, fire, small spaces, air travel, or things that threaten us. In order for a fear object to be legitimate it must have two attributes: It must be potent as well as present. For instance, I have a healthy fear of snakes. As I sit here writing this, however, I don’t sense that fear at all. The reason, of course, is that there are no snakes present. But if you were to open my study door and throw one toward my feet, my fear index would go from 0 to 10 immediately. That snake would be both present and potent! Suppose, though, that you threw a dead snake toward my feet. Well, provided I was sure it was dead, I wouldn’t feel any fear. Even though it would be present, it would not be potent. To resolve the fear in your life, you must remove the fear object’s presence or its potency.
No Fear of Man or Death
Fear is a powerful controller, compelling us to do what is irresponsible or destructive. Two common fear objects in our lives are and and death, but we are told biblically not to fear either.
In Matthew 10:28, we read: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Man is not a legitimate fear object for a Christian. Too many times we let people intimidate us to the point of losing self-control. The spirit of God no longer controls us, no do we exercise self-control; we allow an unhealthy fear, instead of faith, to control our lives.
Suppose a secretary is intimidated by her boss. She works in fear of him all day because he is both present and potent to her. But what power does the boss have over the secretary? I suppose he could fire her. But could she overcome that power? Yes, she could quit or be willing to quit. By not allowing her boss to hold the job over her head she would free herself from his intimidation. I am not suggesting that you revel against your boss: I am pointing out that the New Testament teaches we can lie a responsible life without fearing intimidation from others.
Peter puts it this way: “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to five an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:13-15).
Even death is not a legitimate fear object. Hebrews 9:27 says, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Death is imminent, but God has removed its potency. It no longer has any power over us. As 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 says, “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The person who has been freed from the fear of death is free to live today.
The One Legitimate and Ultimate Fear
There is however, a legitimate and ultimate fear in our lives, and that is God. That’s because He is both omnipresent and omnipotent. But the fear of God can expel all other fears. “Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary” (Isaiah 8:12-14).
When we, with reverence and awe, make God our ultimate fear object and sanctify Christ as the Lord of our lives, we will experience the freedom that Christ purchased for us on the cross. We need to understand that the fear of God does not involve punishment. I don’t fear God because someday He will punish me—God the Father already punished His Son for my sins. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). I reverentially fear God as the Lord of all the universe and Lord of my life, and I humbly bow before Him. To fear God is to ascribe to Him those attributes that become the basis for my sanctuary, my place of safety in this lifetime.
We Don’t Have to Fear Satan
Fear that has no object is usually referred to as a panic attack or an anxiety disorder. In my experiences, when people have an overwhelming sense of fear and dread with no discernible reason, the cause is Satan, man’s third fear object.
I have often been asked by people why I am not afraid in my line of ministry. I tell them, “There is not a verse in the the Bible where we are told to fear Satan.” His strategy is to roar like a hungry lion, seeking someone to devour. But why does the lion roar? The roar is to paralyze his prey in fear.
It has been my privilege to see hundreds of people freed from the fear of Satan. It is far more present that we would ever care to realize. Psalm 118:5-6 says, “In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Dear Heavenly Father, I acknowledge You as the only legitimate fear object in my life. You are omnipotent and omnipresent. Because of Your love and the finished work of Christ, I no longer fear punishment. I sanctify You as the Lord of my life and claim the spirit of power, love and a sound mind that comes from Your presence in my life. I renounce Satan as a fear object in my life, and I renounce all his lies that would hold me in fear. Show me how I have allowed the fear of man and the fear of death to control my life. I now commit myself to You and worship only You as my loving heavenly Father, that I may be guided by faith and not by fear. I ask this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Note: This post is a segment from Dr. Neil T. Anderson’s devotional, Who I Am in Christ.
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.