SIX WAYS TO FIGHT YOUR FEARS

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4 verse 6.

1. YIELD ON GOD

The Word of God tells us to be anxious about nothing; that means to have no anxiety about anything. Instead, in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, we should make our requests be made known to God. The result is that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, shall barricade our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Also, the Bible is packed with an admonishment for us not to fear. If we couldn’t stay without fear and anxiety, the scriptures wouldn’t tell us not to fear or refuse anxiety. God knows we can live without anxiety, panic attacks, and fear. That’s why He said we should not fear or be anxious. He only tells us to do what we can do

So in conquering fear and anxiety, we must have faith in God’s Word. As we express our faith in God, our heart (spirit) must be stable in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Fear is faith in the ability of all that is negative to stand against you and defeat you! Thus to conquer it, we have to have faith in the positivity: faith in God’s Word, faith in His love for us, faith in His grace, power, and ability to put us over in life!

Knowing God’s Word begins our deliverance from fear and anxiety. We can’t have faith in God’s Word if we don’t know the Word. Our faith grows with the knowledge of the Word. As faith is stirred in our spirit, fear is dispelled. So Jesus said in John 8 verse 32: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” God’s Word is the truth that delivers us from fear.

So it doesn’t matter in what area fear tries to attack us; we should refuse to fret! We should Find out the truth from God’s Word concerning the situation and keep our mind on that truth, refusing to be moved by any contrary or negative information. So you will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You—Isaiah 26 verse 3.

2. GAINING CONTROL OF YOUR Emotions

Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls. Proverbs 25:28

The Bible teaches us that our thoughts are the determining factor that controls our actions. Proverbs 23 verse 7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Romans 8 verse 6 says, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Notice that carnal-mindedness doesn’t just tend toward death — it is death!

No one can consistently perform differently than the way they think; therefore, we cannot change our actions without changing our thinking. It’s not just what we think about that needs changing; we must change our thinking process. Our emotions are linked directly to how we think.

All people have a perception, or image, of what they are like on the inside of them. This image is not necessarily based on facts but on feelings. One negative experience can distort a person’s perception of themselves for a lifetime.

For instance, some beautiful people may think of themselves as ugly or undesirable because of unkind words spoken to them as a child. Some who achieve great success still see themselves as failures, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy or a curse.

To a degree, psychology has correctly diagnosed this problem. Psychologists use terminology such as “self-esteem” or “identity” to relate these truths; however, today’s secular wisdom is inadequate to help people change their inner self-image.

First, most people shift the blame for lousy self-esteem or self-image to someone else. Blaming others for every negative thing in our lives has become popular. People often say, “I came from a dysfunctional family,” “My problems came because of my skin color,” and “It’s that woman you gave me” (Genesis 3 verse 12). Other people are not our problem! A wise man said, “When you blame others, you give up the power to change yourself.

All of us have had negative experiences. The choice is ours whether we become bitter or better due to them. For every person who can claim some dysfunctional behavior because of a traumatic experience in their life, others have had similar or worse things happen to them, yet they overcame their circumstances. Why? Because problems do not dictate failure, we have a choice.

Deuteronomy 30 verse 19 says, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” God Almighty gave us a choice. God doesn’t choose for us, and Satan can’t make it for us. We have the privilege and responsibility to choose blessing or cursing.

Placing the blame on others denies the real problem, and it will prevent finding a solution. If other people are my problem, I’m in trouble because God did not give me the ability to control others. Therefore, the devil will always send someone across my path who knows how to hit my hot button.

If the problem is within me, then there is hope because through Christ, I can change. That is freedom. Regardless of what others do, I can prosper through Christ.

After psychology tries to place the blame for your problems on someone else, they try to bolster your self-esteem by having you focus on the positive things in yourself and minimize the negative attributes. That’s not what the Bible teaches. Jesus said, “For without me ye can do nothing” (John 15 verse 5).

“Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8 verse 34). Paul said, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are” 

(1 Corinthians 1 verses 27 to 28).

The Bible teaches that there must be an end to self-esteem before true service can begin. Therefore, Christians should not try to store up their personalities’ feeble positive attributes. That is like trying to stop the bleeding from an amputated arm with a Band-Aid; it won’t work for long.

Regardless of how successful or talented we are in ourselves, we will eventually fail. If nothing else, we will get older someday and not be as productive as before. Likewise, if our self-esteem is rooted in our accomplishments, it will ultimately fail. All the security we have found in ourselves will then come crashing down.

The Christian should have Christ-esteem. Just like the Apostle Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2 verse 20).

The secret to victorious Christian living is not in self-improvement but self-denial so Christ can live through us.  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain—John 12 verse 24.

That does not mean that God wants us to have a bad self-image. It just depends upon which self we are talking about. Every born-again believer has become a new person in Christ (2 Corinthians 5 verse 17). 

(Ephesians 4 verses 22 to 24).

The old man is corrupt and, at his best, is incapable of living the Christian life. This is the self that most people try to patch up and feel good about. Give it up! We have to die to this old self-life with all its good and bad, and find a new identity in Christ.

For me, That’s about myself. I walk to live my life based on what the Word of God has said about my new life in Christ. I agree with the new picture God has for me, and I refuse to look back on my old nature. This is because I am so conscious of my new self in Christ.

The new man is exactly as Jesus is (1 Corinthians 6 verse 17)! That’s right. We are brand-new people in Christ. We have everything that Jesus has in our spirits (1 John 4 verse 17). We have a new identity in Christ. Why, then, would we want to fix up our old selves instead of just living in our new selves?

If we let the new man dominate us, we’ll walk in power and victory in every area of our lives.

How can we tell if our thoughts and emotions come from the new, born-again self or the old carnal self? God’s Word is the key. Jesus says in John 6 verse 63, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Any thought or emotion that agrees with what God’s Word says about us is from your new man. Any thought or emotion that violates God’s Word is from our old man or the devil.

We’re in the flesh if we are angry at someone (old man). Just repent and get back in the spirit (new man) where we have love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5 verse 22). If we are afraid, we’re in the flesh, “for God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, love, and a sound mind.” 

(2 Timothy 1 verse 7). Instead of going to God and asking Him to remove the fear, just step out of the flesh and into the spirit where there is no fear (1 John 4 verse18).

God earnestly desires for us to know how to love one another. But to do this, we must first understand His love for us and how He wants us to love Him in return.

In everything, God gives us an example to follow, whether in relationships, character, provision, or servanthood. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5 verse 1 to be imitators of Christ as dearly loved children. Children mimic what they see and hear others doing. When we imitate God – especially how well we love one another – we show the world that we truly belong to Him.

God loves us with unconditional, everlasting love. There’s nothing we can do to stop Him from loving us. It was evident, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5 verse 8). The Bible also tells us in first John 4 verse 19 that we love God because He first loved us. By sowing seeds of love into our lives, God is able to reap the harvest of that love through our obedience to Him.

God’s love is unique because it transcends all barriers and is based on a commitment to His Word. For hundreds of years, humanity was promised a Messiah who would arrive one day to die for man and rescue him from the hand of sin and death.

Just consider for a moment how great that love is! But, unfortunately, it’s a love that is in your hot pursuit. It’s trying to run you over! But when we catch God’s love for us, fear will stop tormenting us.

3. BE FILLED WITH HIS FULLNESS

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 3 verse 19, “I pray that you may know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” Love is the avenue to being filled with everything God offers – His grace, power, wisdom, and anointing.

The only way to receive these things is to know Christ’s love intimately. How? By reading and studying His Word daily. Fellowship with Him is the key to receiving all He has to offer.

However, we cannot comprehend God’s love with our natural minds. It just can’t be done. Therefore, revelation knowledge – supernatural understanding – is needed for us to grasp how great God’s love is.

Revelation is comprehension imparted into our spirits from the Holy Spirit and transmitted to our minds. In other words, it’s understanding that moves from the head to the heart

For example, someone told you how to get to heaven before you became born again. You knew (head knowledge) that Jesus was the only way. However, the Holy Spirit illuminated that knowledge by revealing your need for Christ (revelation knowledge). For the first time, you became aware of the sinful state. As a result of that supernatural understanding, you accepted Christ as Lord and Savior.

The same principle applies to God’s love. We can study it until we’re blue in the face or red; however, unless the Spirit of God reveals the importance of love and the greatness of God’s love for us, we will not be able to experience the fullness of God.

That’s why it’s vitally important that we ask and believe for revelation. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to speak to us through illustrations, examples, and any other way to understand how deep God’s love is.

The only way to receive revelation like that is by maintaining our relationship with the Holy Spirit. There is no other way. Spending time with God consistently and daily opens the door for Him to speak to our hearts. And not only that, but time spent with God equals more of His character deposited in us.

Think about it. The Bible tells us in Exodus 34, verses 34 to 35, that Moses had to cover his face after spending time with God. Why? Because the glory of God was all over him. It’s impossible to spend time with God and not be affected somehow. That’s when the world notices who He is and who we are.

4. GOD’S LOVE Corrects

God’s love is marked by discipline. In other words, His love for us is not measured by how much grace He pours out on us but by His correction. Paul mentioned this fact in Hebrews 12 verses five to10; let’s take a look at verse 5 in the King James Version: “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him.”

Most of us look for the side of love that helps us feel good about ourselves. However, according to Hebrews 12 verses 5 to 10, the true proof of love is in a person’s honesty. In other words, he loves you enough to tell you when you are wrong.

That doesn’t always give us warm, fuzzy feelings, but it helps us in the long run. If someone tells you he loves you and then lets you go on doing the wrong thing, he is lying. His actions would not be aligning up with his words.

5. LOVE THROUGH DISCIPLINE

Discipline shapes character. Just as a parent corrects a child to train him properly, our heavenly Father disciplines us for our good. He desires for us to live victoriously in this world and experience the magnitude of His blessings; however, that’s impossible if we are still spiritual babes, unable to handle everything He gives to us.

It’s vital that we not frown on God’s discipline. He’s not some giant god who wants to ruin all your fun. John 10 verse 10 says that Jesus came to give us abundant life. That doesn’t sound horrible to me!

God disciplines us to become more like Him in everything we do. That’s the only way the lost will come to know Him. And it also shows us how much He truly cares for us. He could just let us get in trouble and not lift a hand to help.

But God is not like that. Instead, he wants the best for us, and discipline is a way of ensuring that we get His best. That’s why Proverbs 3 verses11 to 12 says, “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”

Jesus said the same thing in Revelation 3 verse 19: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” In other words, “Don’t get upset at Me if I correct you about something. I only discipline those I love. So repent, and change your heart, mind, and direction!”

6. GOD IS IN LOVE WITH US

God is in love with us. And because of that love, He corrects us and shows us how we should go. As we spend time in His presence daily, love is deposited in our hearts and stirred up by the Holy Spirit. As a result, we are strengthened in our inner man to share God’s love with those around us.

It’s impossible to dwell in God’s presence and not be affected by it. In that place of prayer, we are equipped to meet the needs of the world around us. We can’t do anything on our own strength and in our own love.

Human love is conditional and tires easily, while God’s love is unconditional and everlasting. It ushers in the anointing of God and challenges us to operate on a higher level of spirituality. God’s love is the ultimate source of power and provision.

And with His love as the motivating factor behind all we do, nothing will be impossible for us.

Blessings,

Felix Harcourt

Interested in another great post on Fear? Check out Kick Fear to the Curb.