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The Battle between Faith and Fear - Part 1:
Fear is something many believers have struggled with most of their lives, whether they want to openly omit or realized that they can’t fight this battle alone. Certain deep sort of fear can be crippling. If you let it, it will hold you back from experiencing all that God has for you. It will come between you and your destiny. Many believers feel and think that in these chaotic, perilous and troubling times, fear is justified such as: natural disasters, economic crisis, disease, loss, the unknown future, which all give us reasons to fear. Although, we are living in turbulent times and with the devastating news updates popping up on our phones every hour, it can be easy to feel shaken by all of the chaos. And yet, the Bible assures us that it doesn’t matter what happens politically, morally, socially, or economically in the world around us because with Christ and in Christ we can live unshakeable.The battle against fear is a battle for our faith.“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” 1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV). Our faith must grow because it is only through faith in our unshakeable God, that we can possess the promises of God and step into each day with confidence to fulfill our purpose. It is only through faith in our unshakeable God that we can make what we know about Him bigger than what we don’t know about the future, bigger than any medical diagnosis or financial turmoil.Our faith grows when we believe and declare God’s Word in our lives. His Word is one of the most powerful weapons we have in our fight against fear. When we fill our minds with his Word, we can silence the lies of the enemy with the truth of God’s promises, since geater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” 1 John 4:4 (NKJV).
The Battle between Faith and Fear - Part 2:
“You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you” 2 Chronicles 20:17(NKJV).
Faith sometimes feels like combat, one day we’re draw in the direction of trusting God, and then suddenly we’re on the other side, doubting Him. The pendulum of out thinking and emotions can swing from confidence to uncertainity all too easily. But thankfully, God provides a key to stablizing out faith. Periods of doubt-inducing fear, anger or stress are normal for human beings, but as Christians, we have the Spirit’s power to bring these natural feelings under subjections to the Lord. One of the best ways to begin this process is by recalling His nature and promises. When Satan feeds us reasons to doubt, God wants us to draw from our well of scriptural truth because focusing on the Father swings our pendulum to trust. At this poing our emotions are heightened, while your sensitivity level is on high alert when your fear is greater than your faith. At this level you can’t respond well, and you will begin to question every challenge or opposition. But when your focus is on righteousness, in which the main thing is to put God’s desire first, so that you can walk in total freedom. Now, you in a zone where the other voices quiet, because your emotions become steady and self-control can now begin to set in. When you focus is on other people, fear can drive you and your heart’s desires. It can paralyze you, however, it can even feel like its even suffocating you. Many feel like they are trapped in a room with no doors. Whenever we are feel our faith faltering, the more we contemplate the difficulties we’re facing, the bigger they will seem. But, if we turn our attention to almighty God, He will be magnified and our will grow. “The fear of man brings a snare,But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. Many seek the ruler’s favor,But justice for man comes from the Lord” Proverbs 29:25-26 (NKJV).
The Battle between Faith and Fear - Part 3:
Three Key Points About Facing Fears:
“For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was” 2 Timothy 3:6-9 (NKJV).
Believers are told not to fear because they can have faith. However, there are many that find it hard to know how to fight fear. Satan wants to steal the peace and abundance that Christ offers you. He wants to destroy the faith that you can have and the hope and joy that can carry you through any hardship.
1. Recognize Fear:
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” John 10:10 (NKJV).
The first step to fighting fear is to recognize when it creeps in. Sometimes, it creeps in slowly, forming a web that deeply entangles your thoughts. But other times, it comes in with a loud bang, leaving you crippled and afraid. You can begin to fight fear when you can recognize it at work.Often times, we think that fear-filled thought is the first thought that is the problem. I have found this is far from true.Many times, there is an original thought that begins far before you feel fear that leads you to the fear.
2. Take Fear-Driven Thoughts Captive:
“Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV).
Now that you have begun to recognize the thoughts that lead to fear, it’s time take those thoughts captive. But taking our thoughts captive does not mean we deny them completely. Taking out thoughts captive means that we are bringing them to the light of Christ. We are no longer letting them run rampant or have control of our minds, but surrendering them to Christ. This may sound like a lot of work and it is. Since, it takes an immense amount of discipline and self control. It takes commitment and oftentimes accountability. When you take your thoughts captive and surrender them to Christ’s direction, you will begin to see which thoughts are healthy and which are not. You will begin to see which thoughts are fear-driven and which are Godly.
The Battle between Faith and Fear - Part 4:
3. Replace Fear-Driven Thoughts with Scripture:
“For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” 1 Timothy 4:8 (NKJV).
The best way that you can replace fear-driven thoughts with faith is to learn how to memorize Scripture, which you can easily recall and repeat in your mind. The time that your mind is most vulnerable is at night. So whenever you may notice your thoughts wandering, this is the time to recognize these thoughts as unhealthy, and then take them captive and make them obedient to Christ by surrendering them and then replace them with Scripture. You must learn how to repeat the Scriptures in your mind over and over, and begin to force out the fear-filled thoughts. And slowly your mind will calm down and peace will take root, don’t forget that sometimes it is merely an act of obedience that doesn’t quite bring the feelings of peace. The highs and lows of life seem to stabilize, your hope grows and your faith is strengthen. So, when your focus is rightly on Jesus, faith in God pushes you forward. For, His confidence will rise within you and there’s clarity in what lies ahead. You are now more sensitive to the needs of others, and you can see Jesus for who He is: the One who brings life, hope, healing, and joy. That is okay though, because it is when we act in obedience in this way, that God begins to replace our fear with faith. It is when we act in obedience in this way that we train our mind and our heart where to go. We humans are more like sheep than any other creature in God’s Kingdom. The Scriptures regularly use the analogy of sheep to shepherd to describe our relationship with God. There are many reasons for that, and one of the most important is that sheep cannot protect themselves from wild animals. As with sheep, agitation and anxiety are like poison to our souls and our bodies. When we are tied up in knots, we can’t think clearly, make wise decisions, or enjoy the day or our life. Our health is destroyed by worry and fear. Sometimes fear is so powerful that our life is limited and controlled by it.