Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

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 23:4(emphasis added)

There is a culture of fear surrounding us today. Fear of sickness, fear of illness prevention, fear of the medical profession, fear of the government, fear of anti-government, fear of co-workers, fear of bosses, fear of the public, fear of Internet trolls, fear of speaking out, fear of keeping silent, and the list goes on. Fear rules us. Fear steals from us – how many good moods have been ruined by a moment of anxiety? Fear is as bad as cancer. Except fear can be a real problem. You might not agree, but while there is no medical cure for cancer there is a spiritual cure. Cancer is as easy to eliminate from the body as a cold. Jesus died on the cross and healed us 2,000 years ago (1 Peter 2:24, Matthew 8:17) if you’ll believe it and receive it, cancer will have to go. But fear? Fear isn’t a ‘thing’. It’s a weapon.

Look at 9/11. Before that attack, what was the culture of America? Of the political landscape? Anything like today? No. The attack on the US wasn’t about success or failure in the natural — although as with anything there was a component of that. The attack was the spiritual mosquito prick that brought spiritual malaria to the country. It was the disease marker that everyone picked up. They didn’t have to, but they did. There were elements within the country waiting for it and as soon as it showed up they helped to spread it and continue to help to spread it today. People started suffering almost immediately and it has unleashed the culture of fear that grips the country today. Fear is insidious. Fear is a disease. And fear is a spiritual force. But fear lacks power.

Satan has no power. Nada. Zip. Zilch. He has no authority either. He is a weak, pitiful figure, wandering in ignorance and yelling at us, using the only weapon he has: words. He wants to wind his wind around your mind. If we don’t give him authority, he can’t do squat but yammer at us — though it’s true that through experience he is really good at it. So how does he get authority to affect us? Same playbook he’s been using since day one. Fear. Fear that we’re missing out. Fear we’ve been told a lie. He lies about lies and we aren’t sure what the lie is and we give in. We believe he’s scary and mighty and powerful. Look at how every demon is portrayed in 99% of all entertainment today. We believe he’s the opposite number of Jesus and we’re stuck with him — some even think of him as Jesus’ brother. We believe there has to be a balance of darkness and light — how many times have you heard that you can’t have light without darkness? No concept of good without one of evil? Or we think the fight/sickness/circumstance will teach us valuable life lessons. Or a dozen other things. Lies are the only weapon he has and the fear lies generate the only power. We can come against that because Jesus won. Jesus died for us. Jesus broke the authority and power of Satan that he’d stolen from Adam and Eve.

Jesus has the authority now. He won it at Calvary (1 John 3:5-6, 8-9). Jesus has given us the right to use it by washing away our sin and giving us His own righteous nature by Grace, through Faith. Which means we are like Him. Our spirit is a clone of Jesus’ spirit. Samesies (1 John 4:13). How can we listen to a lie? How can we fear? Jesus has given us the authority and the ability to come against them both. When Satan raises fear, we can raise the cross. When Satan whispers lies, we can wrap ourselves in the perfect love of the Lord. Perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). We don’t need the culture of fear that the world has built up because God designed us to operate in a culture of love (1 John 3:19-24).

So many people today suffer from anxiety. It is defined as persistent and excessive anxiety and worry about activities or events — even ordinary, routine issues. The worry is out of proportion to the actual circumstance, is difficult to control and affects how you feel physically. It often occurs along with other anxiety disorders or depression. This is something so common it is almost assumed. There are ridiculous levels of it. You see it in people who are unable to come to work. You see it in people who need mental health days. You see it in people who find the events around themselves “traumatised” by events that really don’t have trauma in them — like an employee needing to go home early because their boss was suddenly fired, even though they weren’t friends with or close with that boss. People struggle to handle the basic steps of society and life. And then they get anxious and bam. Incapacitated. Why is this so prevalent? Fear. Fear grips their heart. Fear is trying to take over their mind and heart.

The sad thing is that you see Believers suffering from anxiety. They look at the medical profession and tell you it’s a real thing. A real condition. A mental illness. Serious business. That can all be true. But it is a fear baby. Anything fear is NOT faith. Therefore, anything of faith is NOT fear. God is love. Perfect love casts out fear. Fear is of the fall. It is NOT a natural, normal, or proper condition of humanity. Jesus NEVER feared and look at what He faced. Why no fear? He chose faith. He chose God Almighty. He chose to reject fear. To cast it off by embracing what the Lord has to offer. Remember, He was a MAN. He had to take the same steps we do. Any and every believer can be free of anxiety like you can be free of an old coat.

Fear can be stepped out of. Fear can be left behind. Anxiety can be denied. It can be walked away from. It can be put where it can never, ever, ever affect you again. It can be taken from the inside of your mental landscape and placed on the outside of your mind. Those thoughts can go from being inside you rising up to being outside you and trying to get in. There is a distinct difference in that. You will have the freedom to say, nope. This is not my thought. And move on. No panic. No gasps of breath. No tightness. No worry. You can be free of it. It is a choice.

Not a choice to just say ‘I’m not going to have anxiety’. A choice to put it on the cross. To take it to the feet of Jesus and leave it there. To let the Lord God Almighty take it from you, to cut it out with the Word. Pain comes upon us, His lovingkindness supports us. We don’t have to live in the land of darkness. We don’t have to be ignorant. We can live in the light of His knowledge. We can be illuminated. When teaching Psalm 23:4 – today’s verse – Rabbis teach that God does not abandon man in the valley of darkness but gives a Divine lamp to enlighten his soul and to illuminate the night (1 Samuel 3:3).

If you have God lighting the situation and showing the path you need to walk to move through and out of it, then you can have persistent and excessive peace about activities or events — even ordinary, routine issues. The peace will be out of proportion to the actual circumstance, it won’t be something you have to control and will affect how you feel physically. “In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition 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 thoughts in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

How? Don’t focus on what you see and feel. What you feel isn’t real. The things of this world are shadows. You can see it, but you can choose to praise. Praise, praise, praise. It is the gateway to Glory. It is the door we need to open. Jesus is on the other side knocking (Revelation 3:20). God wants in. God wants to help. Open the door. Say a prayer. Sing a song in your head. Consciously and purposefully choose to rejoice. ‘God, I don’t like this. I thank you that You have me. Hallelujah! I praise you. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. You love me. You love me.’ Sound simple? It is. Philippians 4:4 tells us “Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!”” You can see it doesn’t say rejoice about what is going on. It doesn’t say be happy about what you’ve just been told, what you’ve experienced, or what is unfolding. It says rejoice IN THE LORD. Remember that Jesus doesn’t change (Hebrews 13:8). No matter what has come up, is coming up, or MIGHT BE coming up; Jesus is the same.

He hasn’t changed. He isn’t buffeted by the winds of the world. He isn’t picking up fear. He isn’t worried. He can handle anything and everything that you will meet. The Word says so. Being with us is one of His names (Emmanuel). He is a rock (Psalm 18:2). A big one. Think of it not as a small thing you need to keep your balance on. Think of it as a giant boulder. A mountain with a very smooth, wide top. You cannot fall off. You cannot lose your footing. You can sit, lie down, walk, run, dance, sing, jump, cartwheel, anything you want to. There is room up there. No worry. No anxiety. No circumstance that threatens you. Circumstances rage and blow and stir-up outside the fortress of His rock. In Him, we have peace.

It’s not an option. It is part of who He is. If you will accept that He is in you, you can walk in peace. You can’t help being at peace, if He is foremost in your mind. He gets foremost in your mind, by keeping His words in mind. We do that by the Word. Picking that verse that speaks to you. And saying it or reading it or listening to it again and again. Throughout our day. Even remembering the main thrust of the verse helps. It helps us think of Jesus. It helps us remember Jesus. It helps Jesus be right there beside us.

It doesn’t matter where we find ourselves, because Jesus is always with us (Hebrews 13:5-6). We have His Spirit within us and the right to use His authority. Jesus is right there to tell us how. To accept our praise and return to us peace. To take our thanks and return us love. To love us when we’re doing nothing and are trying to pick up panic, worry, anxiety or some other kind of problem. But Jesus is there. Why fear? We have all the tools. Jesus has the victory. What does Satan have? Dust in the wind. Nothing but dust. Empty words. Reject the fear. Embrace His love. Be at peace.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: 1 John 3

God is love. God is righteous. God is perfect. God is holy. And He made us to be His children. In His image. Gifted with all the blessings of heaven (Ephesians 1:7-9). Bought by the blood of the Lamb. Before the world was created. Before anything was made. We were on the Father’s mind. There was God and there was us a twinkle in His eye. Everything else followed that. How awesome that we were among His first thoughts. Everything that has been done was done for us to enjoy. How is that for love? That’s some playground He made us.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.