There is Nothing to FEAR, Except Fear itself. . .
The Lord God Will Remove ANY and ALL Fear From Our Troubled Lives
What is it that We are Afriad of?
Recently we have mentioned some topics in the realm of spiritual belief, that deals with certain aspects of faith that some people find difficult to discuss or even entertain in their thought process. Some theologians stay clear of these subjects altogether merely because of their controversial nature. Other preachers will even use some of these topics as a tactic to instill a certain respect for the laws of God or promote a regard for proper conduct, in contrast to the consequences of not adhering to the same (and likewise not necessarily the best approach using such "fear tactics").
However, to the well-informed believer and educated disciple of Christ this would not apply, because there is no reason for fear anyway! Especially in reference to the coming inevitable trials and tribulations of this world (what some commonly refer to as the "End Times", which they are NOT). There is likewise no reason to fear the devil (Satan) or his fallen angels, nor the existence and attributes of spiritual evil in the world, how it affects us, the truth about death, the purpose of hell, the ultimate judgment or the forthcoming wrath of God as a result.
Fear IS NOT Founded in the Lord
Although these are all very serious matters for those that disbelieve in God or the "unsaved" people in the world to be concerned with, especially in regard to their mortal being and the outcome of their eternal souls (John 3:36); for true believers these topics should not be a matter for concern. That is why we have accepted the Lord's "free gift" of our salvation, in order that we should be "saved" and not perish (John 3:16-17), receiving everlasting life and being spared of these things.
However, many people ("saved" believers) still turn their heads when these topics are brought up and choose not to acknowledge them as integral parts of our faith and belief system. Otherwise, they are just as important as the facts that brought us to our salvation and the promise of eternal glory to come with our Lord God. The old adage "ignorance is bliss", was never meant to apply to spiritual faith because in this case, ignorance can lead to damnation and eternal death for many lost souls.
How can we properly defend ourselves in the battles of "spiritual warfare", if we do not fully understand all the aspects of our beliefs and the tactics used by the adversary of our Lord God? In the case of our core beliefs; the more we know, the more adequately we can be protected by the "Armor of God", thus being able to better defend ourselves and shelter our loved ones.
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What the "Word of God" says about FEAR
Now let's first look at what the Holy Scripture says about fear. God gives us free will to make our own choices and decisions, either for the good or to our own error. He does give us clear examples of the consequences of our actions and does not let us forget why He is God.
"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind." (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV)
"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28 KJV)
We are to fear the Lord God out of great reverential awe towards Him, not because we are terrified of something He might do to us because of our wrong doings. To "fear" God means to give Him the utmost respect, to look upon Him with love, to trust in Him and have an eagerness to follow His will for our lives. This helps to keep us from being tempted by sin or acting in an evil nature otherwise.
"Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king." (1 Peter 2:17 KJV)
"Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD evil is avoided." (Proverbs 16:6 NIV) *For a "saved" believer, through our love and faith in Jesus Christ, our sins are atoned for; the Holy Spirit then convicts us with respectful submission ("fear") to God, which keeps us turned from sin. This empowers us to fulfill our lives and fully serve the Lord.
God loves us all very much and it is not His general intention that we should suffer death for our sins. Though He may test our faith from time to time and give us trials to overcome, or even punish us in this world for our wrong doings, this does not mean that we are no longer loved by Him or cannot return to His favor. He does these things sometimes for our own good and benefit in the long term, just as any loving father would discipline his own children.
"And Moses said unto the people, FEAR NOT: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not." (Exodus 20:20 KJV)
GOD IS A LOVING AND MERCIFUL FATHER AND HE HAS ALWAYS AFFORDED PROTECTION TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL TO HIM:
"After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, FEAR NOT, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." (Genesis 15:1 KJV)
GOD EXTENDS HIS SPIRITUAL COVERING TO THE FAMILIES OF THOSE HE HAS A COVENANT WITH. OUR FAITH IN GOD, OUR DEVOTION AND PRAYERS TO HIM, CAN ALSO BE EXTENDED TO PROTECT OTHERS:
"And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? FEAR NOT; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is." (Genesis 21:17 KJV)
"And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: FEAR NOT, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake." (Genesis 26:24 KJV)
"Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; FEAR NOT, neither be discouraged." (Deuteronomy 1:21 KJV)
THE LORD WILL GO BEFORE US, WHEN WE CONFRONT OUR MUTUAL ENEMIES:
"And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, FEAR NOT, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them." (Deuteronomy 20:3 KJV)
"Be strong and of a good courage, FEAR NOT, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV)
THE LORD WILL ALSO DEAL WITH HIS ADVERSARIES (Satan and the "Fallen Ones") ON OUR BEHALF:
"And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; FEAR NOT the gods of the Amorites..." (Judges 6:10 KJV)
"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia [ an evil principality or powerful "fallen" angel ] withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael [ the archangel ], one of the chief princes [ a heavenly principality ], came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia." (Daniel 10:13 KJV)
THE LORD WILL EVEN SEND HIS ARMY OF ANGELS INTO BATTLE FOR US WHERE NECESSARY:
"...but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come." (Joshua 5:14 KJV)
"Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: FEAR NOT, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you... As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated." (2 Chronicles 20:17,22 KJV)
MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE LORD GOD LOVES US AND WILL BLESS OUR LIVES BECAUSE OF OUR DEVOTION TO HIM:
"And now, my daughter, FEAR NOT; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman." (Ruth 3:11 KJV)
"FEAR NOT, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things." (Joel 2:21 KJV)
And the Lord God so loved the world, that he sent his incarnation in the flesh, Jesus Christ, not to condemn us but to establish the New Covenant for our salvation (John 3:16-17):
"And the angel said unto them, FEAR NOT: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." (Luke 2:10 KJV)
"FEAR NOT, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32 KJV)
"...FEAR NOT; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen." (Revelation 1:17-18 KJV)
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FEAR is NOT Necessary - It is ONLY By Our Own Choosing
Back to the title and the first part of this topic, that statement is very profound in what it implies. "There is nothing to fear, except fear itself." (Franklin D. Roosevelt's first inaugural address-1933) His exact address reads as follows:
"So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."
Do we truly grasp what this means? Fear is only a state of emotion. Our emotions are controlled by our thoughts (our mind). Our attitude (the state of our thinking) is the only thing we are capable of directly controlling ourselves. So, who is in control of our fears? If we are in control of our own thoughts, then wouldn't it make better sense to NOT be afraid (especially if unwarranted)? Therefore being a "saved" believer in Jesus Christ, we have no reason what-so-ever to fear life's tribulations, the devil, evil powers, death, hell, judgment, or the wrath of God.
We are strengthened and fortified by our faith in the Lord and are spared these fates that will be levied on the rest of the world. Likewise, this is all the more reason why we need to have utter compassion for the "unsaved", because we actually understand what they can and will suffer as a result of NOT knowing these same things. That is why Jesus told us that we should above most things, to "love one another" (John 13:34-25) and as His disciples, we should likewise "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19-20) and "teach them everything" that He has taught us.
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJ)
The grace that God extends to us is monumental in proportions. It is not just for our salvation alone! Grace is what allows the power of the Holy Spirit to freely move through us and work in every aspect of our lives for our benefit and protection, "...for God gives the Spirit without limit." (John 3:34 NIV)
"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:11-13 NIV)
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ATTITUDE = a Little Thing that makes a Big Difference
"One of the few things in life that we have total control over is our Attitude, yet, most people worry more about the things they have no control over." (Jim Rohn)
"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." (Charles Dickens)
"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens." (John Homer Miller)
"Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevitably bring about right results." (James Allen)
"Remember, happiness doesn't depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think." (Dale Carnegie)
"...Life is 10% what happens to us, and 90% how we react to it." (Charles Swindoll)
"If your attitude toward the world is excellent, you will receive excellent results." (John Maxwell)
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"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2 KJV)
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the ATTITUDE of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV)
"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your ATTITUDE should be the same as that of Christ Jesus..." (Philippians 2:4-5 -NIV)
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"God is sufficient to give you the desire to change, but the choice to act upon that desire is yours." (John Maxwell)
But our lack of faith or poor attitudes WILL work against us. It is inevitable by default and our own undoing. This is not the Lord's choosing, we do it to ourselves. That is why we, as earnest believers, need to maintain our faith and strength in the Lord.
Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD's command. So the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this is your ATTITUDE and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son." (1 Kings 11:10-12 NIV)
We need to hold our ground and stand firm on the scriptures, to not fault or hesitate either. IT IS the "Living Holy Word of God" and He has given us this "sword" to use in our own defense for a reason. Just like any real sword, it is a weapon against the enemy and can also deflect his attacks. But, it is also a very sharp and two-edged device and just like any weapon, we must train with it often. It can be used to bestow knighthood and bless champions or we can be accidentally cut by it when improperly used.
"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and ATTITUDES of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV)
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Become Spiritually Equipped
The ARMOR of GOD
From what we have discussed so far, we can then understand why our "attitudes" and our state of mind play such an important role in how well we can utlilize the tools that the Lord has provided for us. Those tools are figuratively refered to as the "Armor of God". They are elements given to us freely through the grace of God that was afforded to us upon on our salvation and conversion into the Body of Christ.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full ARMOR of GOD, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." (Ephesians 6:10-11 KJV)
"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the ARMOUR of LIGHT. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying." (Romans 13:11-13 KJV)
Having removed any mental challenge to receiving the full grace of the Lord, the Holy Spirit can empower us to overcome any challenge by first removing the fear element, and then by equipping us with the armor to withstand any attacks from the enemy (thus the term "Spiritual Warfare"). We are literally in an "invisible" battleground on the spiritual front lines.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12 NIV)
Just remember, God is always there for us:
"(For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them." (Deuteronomy 4:31 KJV)
"And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them." (Isaiah 42:16 KJV)
So therefore, we should be ready at any given time, at a moment's notice. For the Lord God has done His part in supplying everything we need to confront our fears and fend off the enemy.
"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." (Ephesians 6:13-18 NIV)
So once again, "There is NOTHING to FEAR, except Fear itself!" Heed these words and just remember, YOU serve the most mighty and powerful Lord God, the creator of all things in Heaven and the Earth. There is none other like Him and no one better to have on your side!
"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4 KJV)
"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54:17 KJV)
"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31 KJV)
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Come as You Are and Seek Christ NOW! - He Loves You Unconditionally
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"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 KJV)
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