Biblical Truths For Conquering Fear
Biblical Truths For Conquering Fear
Pastor Barry Kerner
While fear and anxiety often occur together, these terms are not interchangeable. Even though our responses to fear and anxiety may appear to be the same they are based on differing sets of circumstances. Fear relates to a known or understood threat, whereas anxiety follows from an unknown, expected or poorly defined threat.
Fear is an emotional response to a known or definite threat. If you’re walking down a dark street, for example, and someone points a gun at you and says, “This is a stickup,” then you’d likely experience a fear response. The danger is real, definite, and immediate. There’s a clear and present object of the fear.
Anxiety is often a response to an imprecise or unknown threat. For example, imagine you’re walking down a dark street. You may feel a little uneasy and perhaps you have a few butterflies in your stomach. These sensations are caused by anxiety that is related to the possibility that a stranger may jump out from behind a bush, or approach you in some other way and harm you. This anxiety is not the result of a known or specific threat. Rather it comes from your mind’s interpretation of the possible dangers that could immediately arise.
Fear and anxiety produce similar responses to certain dangers. Muscle tension, increased heart rate, and shortness of breath mark the most significant physical responses associated with a response to danger. These bodily changes result from an inborn fight-or-flight stress response thought to be necessary for our survival. Without this stress response, our mind wouldn’t receive the alerting danger signal and our bodies would be unable to prepare to flee or stay and battle when faced with danger.
Fear and anxiety drive us to do things we would not normally do. Our response can be either positive or negative. Is it unrealistic to think we can live without fear and anxiety. Fear and anxiety are normal human emotions designed by God to alert us to dangers so that we will take action against them. A negative response to anxiety or fear will drive us to seek safety and consolation in the things of the world. Alcohol, drugs, dysfunctional relationships may provide temporary relief by masking our distress but soon the euphoria wears off and we find ourselves facing the same fear and anxiety. Facing the same unconquered giants in our lives. But our faithful God doesn’t want us to keep coming back to a place of disorientation, hopelessness and despair. He gives us the answer to conquer those giants, cast off our bonds and to be set free. That answer—Himself! The action He wants us to take is to flee from the false security of the world and run into the open arms of Him who can calm the raging storms in our lives. “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4)
Fear will happen. We can let fear take root in us so that we give way to panic and hysteria. Are you prone to that? When we are afraid, God wants us to trust Him and not give way to fear. Learning to do that is our walk from fear to faith.
We suffer when our own imaginations often lead us down paths of fear and anxiety and we turn to the world instead of turning to God. To compound our distress, Satan himself tempts us to be afraid, for if he can get our focus on the possible bad things we may face, we won’t focus on God. We won’t be found praying to God, putting our trust in Him or experiencing the joy of the Lord which brings peace. Instead we try to alleviate our fears in sinful ways.
But God tells us not to fear. And he gives us hundreds of Bible verses and promises about conquering our fears and overcoming our anxieties. These verses are intended to give us peace in the midst of the hurricanes and raging storms of life.
But we must fight to believe God’s word and not give in to fear. I’m not saying this is easy. But God’s will is that we experience his deep rest and joy. Here are a few things to remember, Scriptures to meditate upon and promises to stand on to help us fight for God’s peace and joy.
Remember to fear not!
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (Isaiah 43:1-3)
God tells us, His children to “Fear not”. Why? Because He has redeemed us and made us His own. He has called us by name. Therefore when we go through hard things – when we pass through waters, rivers and fire, God Himself, our Savior, redeemer, fortress and strong tower will be with us, and will keep and protect us. We are sure to go through waters and flames, James calls them trials – we will go through various afflictions in this life – but God promises us that we will not be overwhelmed nor destroyed.
Remember that God is for us!
If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?…
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?…
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-32, 35, 38-39)
This is a life changer if we stand on this wonderful promise. God, the Creator of all things, the all-powerful one is FOR US. But not only that, He gave up His precious SON to purchase us! If He gave his Son for us, He is sure to meet all of our needs and to keep us safe in every situation. Therefore NOTHING – nothing now or in the future will be able to separate us from his love for us in Jesus. And because he loves us in Christ, he will meet our every need.
Remember that we are engraved on His hands, always before His face and ever on His Mind!
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. (Isaiah 49:15-16)
What mom would forget her nursing baby? It may rarely happen, but God will NEVER FORGET one of his children. He has engraved us on the palms of his hands. When Jesus looks upon His glorified hands, and sees the marks of the cross, He sees our names engraved there. He will never forget us and are ever on His mind! Some parents have their children’s names tattooed on their arms. How much more did Jesus engrave our names upon his hands when he died for us on the cross!
Remember that the steadfast love of the Lord gives us new mercies every day!
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21-23)
Here is how we cultivate hope and put fear to flight. The key is to “call to mind” the truth about our God. We must call to mind the fact that God’s steadfast love for us NEVER ceases. We must call to mind that his mercies to us NEVER come to an end.
We must call to mind that every single morning God has new mercies for us. And we must call to mind God’s infinitely great faithfulness.
Remember that we must wait upon the Lord!
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!
Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! (Psalm 27:13-14)
Satan tries to get us to believe we will look upon bad things in the future. To combat this we must remember, that even if we can’t see it now, we WILL look upon God’s goodness in this life and certainly the next. When we meditate on these things it helps us to let our hearts take courage rather than fear.
Remember how abundant is God’s goodness!
Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! (Psalm 31:19)
We should not fear the future, but fear God and take refuge in him, because He has abundant goodness stored up for us. He has blessings waiting that we can’t even imagine. Paul told the Corinthian church, However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) And to the Ephesians, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20) God’s goodness is abundant, inconceivable, immeasurable, unimaginable and inconceivable!
Remember to be anxious for nothing!
…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
To combat anxiety and conquer our fears we must pray and give thanks to God “in everything” – in everything you are tempted to worry about. Keep lifting your requests to God. Keep thanking Him for everything you can think of. The result: “the peace of God” – God’s very own peace – “which surpasses all understanding” – a peace that human understanding can’t grasp – “will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Pray and thank God! All day long.
Remember we must humble ourselves!
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)
God promises to give grace to the humble. When we cast our anxieties on Him, He promises to “exalt us” – lift us up – at the proper time. Why should we cast our anxieties on God? “Because He cares for you” – the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator of all that is seen and all that is unseen cares for you!. God is not too busy running the universe to care for us. We may be like flowers that fade, grass that whither and vapors in the wind but He still knows our name, numbers our hairs and cares for us! He cares because he has redeemed us by the blood of his Son. He cares because he has adopted us as his own children. He cares about every detail of our lives so cast your anxieties on Him!
Remember that the Lord is our Shepherd!
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:1-4)
When you believe in Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior, he becomes your personal shepherd, and you shall want for nothing. Jesus will make you lie down in green pastures, not deserts. Green pastures are rich and full. Jesus will lead you by still waters – a picture of peace. He will restore your soul. He will lead you and guide you in paths of righteousness, by ordering your steps, in ways that bring blessing to your life.
And He will do this for His name’s sake – for His glory.
The Bible is full of truths related to issues such as anxiety and fear. As believers, God gives us authority to use these truths as weapons to combat whatever we experience or feel that doesn’t agree with His Word. Remember to continually be in God’s Word, trust in Him and rest of His promises!