Have you noticed that when you feel your faith is the most secure and strongest, something comes to challenge it?
I recently spent two glorious days with Jesus in my house. Praise and worship music played continuously, and I immersed myself in His word. I felt so strong. I was a conqueror! I was on the mountain top!
Then bam. The next day, our finances took an unexpected hit. I began to worry about how to meet these new bills. Uncertainty rapidly clouded my once sunny outlook, and a little bit of fear crept in. I tumbled down my mountaintop pretty quickly.
"What will we do?" Suddenly, the confidence I had relished just 24 hours earlier was nowhere to be found. Wow. "Some strong Christian I am," I chastised myself.
But the Christian walk isn't about everything being great or having no needs. It isn't about a pain-free life. It's about learning how to become more Christ-like in those moments. It's about leaning into Him more, trusting Him more. It's about depending on ourselves less and depending on Him more.
It's during those times we grow. Priorities get straightened out; perspectives re-aligned.
Today our world is filled with fear, both rational and irrational, realistic versus exaggerated. It infiltrates every area of our lives as the media announces new doomsday messages by the hour, and many conversations we have seem to center on events currently happening to us, or what may happen to us. Fear can easily become the focus of our lives, and when it does, it reaps its desired effect. As fear grows, it pulls our hearts and minds away from God.
Fear is a powerful tool when wielded with precision and accuracy by the enemy. It leads to doubt and lack of faith and causes us to do things we wouldn’t normally do. It reveals weak areas in our lives.
Fear can be our spiritual Achilles' heel.
The things our eyes and ears focus on become the center of our lives, whether uplifting, or to our detriment.
So how do we deal with fear, even when there are real, legitimate threats to our safety and sense of security? How do we push it aside and not let it infiltrate our very souls? How can we win this battle in our minds?
Just as in any war or conflict, preparing ahead of time is key. We need to know who we are fighting against, and then how to fight.
We read in Ephesians 6, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but the rulers, authorities, the powers and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. So, we know who we are struggling against; demonic forces sent to destroy us. The devil likes to direct our attention to the things he knows will bring doubt and fear. He likes to see us become dependent on our own strength versus God's. He knows we are weak and vulnerable to further disintegration when we turn our eyes from the Lord to ourselves.
How do we fight in this battle? We need to be aware of the enemies tactics, and we need to be prepared to face the battles that come our way. Thankfully God has told us how to fight and win the war, and how to stand in the face of fear.
1. We need to put our spiritual armor on every day. God has provided a spiritual protection for us, but we must appropriate it. If we never put it on, we are vulnerable to attack and wounding.
2. We also need to read, study, and meditate on the word of God. When Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, He countered every single one of the devil's temptations with nothing but the powerful word of God. To do the same we have to know the Word.
3. Don't go into battle alone. When a soldier goes to war, he doesn't go alone. Many others are with him, but they are all fighting for the same cause. We need to find out comrades in the spiritual battles we face. We need each other for support and to pray for each other. We need to fight for-- and with-- each other for heavens purposes.
Is fear always a bad thing? Is it something we can escape from or ignore? No. Fear causes us to realize something isn't right. Maybe it's an earthly issue where safety is a concern. It leads us to find shelter or change the situation we are in. It can also be the realization that maybe our trust in God isn't where it needs to be, or perhaps He's taking us to a deeper level of trust. Either way, it leads us to examine where we are and what is going on in our lives.
When fear enters our hearts and minds, remember: God is greater. He is infinitely more powerful than any force of fear brought to us. He loves us, fights with us and for us, and will be with us through anything we face in this life.
Psalm 91: 3 ... He delivers you from the snare of the trapper...
Psalm 34:4 ...I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Genesis 50:21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children. And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Genesis 15:1 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.
Isaiah 41: 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41: 13 For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
I John 4: 18 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.
