Fighting A Spirit Of Fear:

Why Are You So Fearful?

By Bud Hancock

The Coronavirus that was unleashed on the world several months ago has become one of the most contentious events I’ve seen in my lifetime. One would normally expect to see the unbelievers of the world live in fear, and they certainly do, but a Christian should not act as a non-Christian does, ever. We are not to be imitators of the world, conforming to the things they do; rather we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, (Romans 12:1-2) KJV)

Our God has said much in His word about fear, and the word fear, or words similar in meaning, appear in the Bible more than 800 times. With so much said about it,, fear seems to be a very big deal, and God’s instructions and commandments regarding it are not to be taken lightly.

Life Without Fear

WHAT?!! You mean to say there is actually a way that we can live without fear? You bet I do. If it were not in God’s word. I would not dare to say such a thing, but it is in there. Go back to the paragraph where I quote the words in 1 John 4:18, where the Apostle John clearly states: “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 KJV). The word ‘perfect’ used here is the Greek word ‘teleios’, (Strong’s 5046) pronounced tel’-i-os, and it means complete (in growth), or in other words, mature.

So, how does one get to that ‘mature love stage’ where faith works in every instance to cast out fear? It is certainly not an overnight process, but rather one that requires a knowledge of God’s word, allowing His word to transform us into the image of Jesus, our role model. That is what being ‘Christlike’, or ‘Christian’, truly means. This is achieved only by a dedicated walk with God on a day to day basis, allowing Him to prove Himself in every situation, by relying on Him and depending on His Word. The Apostle Paul, instructing Timothy, his ‘son in the faith’, said, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV). Paul knew that a disciplined study of God and His word will equip a man or woman to face anything that Satan can throw at us and make us victorious. His own life was living proof of that. Paul lived without fear and though he was imprisoned, stoned, whipped multiple times and snake-bitten, no matter what came his way, he walked in complete peace and absolute victory.

God only desires what is best for His children. He knows that, if we live Godly, we will face persecution (2 Timothy 3:12 KJV), but we do not need to fear the persecution, just as we should not fear anything that we face in this life. He instructs us to “Fear Not” because He knows that with fear comes the accompanying torment, and that torment can cause us to make very poor choices.

As stated at the beginning of this article, we are seeing the spirit of fear take its toll on our daily lives, which is bad enough, but it is also wreaking havoc on our spiritual walk with God. We have witnessed the unconstitutional order to close our places of worship, all in the name of ‘keeping us safe’ from a microscopic virus. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying this virus in not a serious event, I know it can be very serious, even deadly to many people with compromised immune systems. But, let me ask you a question. “Do you believe that there is one God”? James, the half-brother of Jesus said, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”(James 2:19 KJV). So, if you answered ‘yes’, wonderful, but we all know that the devils Jams mentions will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God. Living victoriously requires more than just believing that God IS. It requires taking a stand on the words that God has spoken, living in the faith that demands action corresponding with the faith.

Read Psalm 91, and begin to actually believe it. Once it gets into your spirit, you will be able to stare death in the face and quote God’s word, “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee”,

No matter what enemies might come against you, trying to destroy you, they all must bow their knees to the Name of Jesus, as Paul taught the believers at Philippi: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;” (Philippians 2:8-10 KJV).