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Overcoming Fear

             
As we begin our study,  I want to say that every need of the Christian is answered in what Jesus has done.  As we study and learn Christ, we know the truth and are made free. Our victory is both learning and seeing Jesus. (John 8:32).

Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. (Luke 21:26)

Fear always comes by looking at, thinking on or doing wrong things. When we look at something that is wrong, or even look at something in the wrong way, the problem takes up our eye sight and the Lord’s ability is forgotten. When the children of Israel looked at the giants, they forgot the power of God. Our eyes can also deceive us.

Thinking about wrong things allows our problems, and not the promises of God, to rule our minds.  We are to cast down imaginations through the power of God and also to meditate upon and speak the scriptures pertaining to our situation.    

(II Corinthians 10:5) This is called renewing the mind. (Rom 12:2) It is possible to be scared to death when there is physically nothing wrong. Fear is a dangerous and powerful force but the Word of God is more powerful.

               
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3) 
                                                 

Doing things that are wrong also brings fear. Going against God’s Word causes us to come under the power of Satan.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Romans 6:16) 

 

              Where Did Fear Come From?

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​And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. (Gen 3:10 )

As we read Genesis chapter three, we see that Satan managed, through temptation, to get Eve, then Adam, to do what he wanted. Disobedience always produces fear because sin brings us under the authority of Satan. We can see that fear is a product of the fall; because, before sin there was no fear. Even after the pronouncement of the consequences of sin, we see our loving, merciful Father making clothing to cover Adam and Eve. They had left Him and were just beginning to experience the fruits of disobedience.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (II Timothy 1:7)

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)

The next verse we will look at proves that Jesus would deliver us from fear, and that fear is an enemy of God’s children. The only fear we are to have is the fear of the Lord, which is healthy and pure. The fear of God produces good results and causes us to turn loose of the things that are destroying our lives. Adam and Eve listened to Satan. What good came to them?   
           
And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,  as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.”

​(Luke 1:67-75)
           
Wow! What a proclamation. Put yourself in this scene. Old Zacharias had been unable to speak for over ten months because he didn’t believe God’s angel. He was told he would be dumb because of unbelief. Unbelief always makes us dumb and keeps us back from what belongs to us. This man, after all this time of silence, had plenty of time to think on the Lord. Even after his initial unbelief, he was, through mercy, allowed to see by the Holy Ghost what his son would do, and what Jesus was going to redeem us from. Jesus delivers us from the power of the devil. that we may serve God without fear.           
Let’s look at other scriptures that prove the same thing.                   
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Heb 2: 14-15)

                                                   
Jesus put on flesh to take upon Himself all that we were in bondage to, and to destroy the works (or power) of the devil. Through the fall, Satan stole the authority over the earth that God gave Adam. (II Corinthians 4:4) God gave authority to mankind (Genesis 1:28) and through man, God would rule.

​Adam was God’s representative and he was called the son of God. (Luke 3:38) God rules this earth through His son and He is the first born of many brethren. (Romans 8:29) We, through faith, and by faith in what Jesus is to us, and what he has done for us, also rule in life by one, Christ Jesus. (John 1:12, Romans 5:17) We can see through these passages that God’s will is for us to serve Him without fear.  Now we will look at, what I call, the exchange. This exchange, is Jesus’ suffering for us on, and even before, the cross.

                                 
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

                                     
It is how Jesus suffered, or paid a price, in His body. This is a power encounter, or a place we can put our faith, that will produce results. An example is when Jesus said that He had nowhere to lay His head. We can think on Him who created all things having nothing and entering into our suffering. Out of that place, we exercise our faith to have our needs met. Where the pain of the whip met His back, the pain of our sickness was paid for. These are examples where an exchange was made; His power for our weakness. Let’s look at where the price was paid for fear. 

                                      
Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. (Hebrews 5: 7-9)

                                           
The exchange was made when Jesus allowed fear to come upon Him and He was heard in that He feared.  He was made perfect, and made Himself the perfect intercessor, and a perfect substitute. When we are tempted to be afraid, we need to exercise our faith. He took our place in fear. The chastisement of our peace, or torture of our peace was upon Him. (Isaiah 53:5) We have been made free from fear because fear hath torment. May the Lord Jesus Christ help us to take hold of His sacrifice for our benefit. A sure way to please the Lord is to believe what He has freely given. (Hebrews 11:6) Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

​​​(Rom 10:17)   
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Let us pray. Father, we come to you in the name of Jesus and we thank you for this great salvation. Lord, we are in agreement with you and believe, according to your Word, that you have given us power over fear. Now, Satan, in the name of Jesus we resist you, and the fears that you try to control us with. We bind you in Jesus’ name and command you to loose your hold of fear off of God’s property. We exercise the authority given to us through Jesus Christ and His victory over death; and we, too, reign with Jesus now on the earth. Amen.                                                               


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