Fear No Fear

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

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.
Psalm 91:5-6 (emphasis added)

In Jesus, our authority as believers is almost absolute. God created the world, He gave it to mankind, we gave up our authority to Satan, Jesus got it back for us, and God again gave us authority over this world and the spiritual powers that come against us. It came with the knowledge that it is the Father, through the Spirit of Jesus in us (His righteousness that He gives us by Grace through Faith) doing the things. We on our own can’t do squat. But we have the authority to wield the Father’s will – assuming we know it. That means we need to be abiding in Him. We need to say what the Father says and do what the Father does (John 5:19-24). This is not limiting. It means that by faith we have raising-the-dead power inside us. As we abide in the Word we learn more and more of what we can do. The Word is the Father’s heart and the Father’s will. Our authority will never be able to be wielded in opposition to the Word. There is a lot that the Father wants to use us to accomplish, but we need to know it and have His Word infuse us.

Authority doesn’t mean spiritual capacity. It doesn’t mean know-how. There are always things like how to engage something to consider. We’re not spiritual nuclear bombs sent out to microwave the devil’s kingdom in six easy steps. Look at the disciples. In Matthew 10:1 they were given authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out. But in Matthew 17:16 they were unable to cast a spirit out. Why? They weren’t faithed up. Jesus explains in vs 20-21 that their doubt caused their problem. That they only needed faith as a grain of mustard seed to achieve mighty things in the spirit, but that this kind of faith only comes out of someone by prayer and fasting. Getting our minds and hearts focused and full of the SPIRIT, not the flesh. They were resting on their authority laurels and not putting in the work to stay abreast of what the Lord called them to do. Their spiritual capacity was lower than their calling and they weren’t trying to fill it up.

Philippians 4:6 tells us to do nothing without prayer. Romans 12:12 tells us not to cease praying. So does 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 “Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. Don’t quench the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies. Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” This isn’t passive. This is active. It isn’t enough to know that we have the authority to do something. We need to be seeking the Lord in all things at all times. This also includes listening. We’re not to talk AT the Lord but WITH the Lord. If we’re not actively communicating both ways with God, how can we know His will about a given situation? Sometimes, it is to avoid big missteps. But sometimes it is a tiny, insignificant thing that will make a huge difference to someone else. The Kingdom of God is about serving (Galatians 5:13-14). It is never only about us. It is always about everyone around us. We won’t see that unless we’re using His eyes and His ears. Which we have access to through active prayer (Ephesians 1:18 and 6:18).

We live in a selfish world. We were selfish before we got renewed by God because all flesh is selfish. As we grow in capacity, we start to realise we’re able to wield the authority of the Anointed One. We will know what we can do. And we’ll see what others can’t yet. Don’t get arrogant. Authority doesn’t breed mockery and that is important. Just as important is knowing that respectful doesn’t mean allowance. In Jude 1:9 it says “But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!”.” He didn’t mock him or call him names. He was respectful, but stood his ground. He stood on the authority he had and invoked a higher authority. In Jesus we may have ascended back to our place of authority right below God and above angels, but that doesn’t mean we’re ‘better’ than anyone and anything. It isn’t about being ‘better’. Jesus was a humble man. Took credit for nothing, but pointed back to the Father in all things.

We mock people because of fear. Could be fear of being wrong or of them being right. Fear of swimming against the crowd. Fear of embarrassment. Derision of their ideas because they rub us wrong and we’re fearful there’s something there. We mock and tease from arrogance. From thinking that we are superior. We deride the lack of knowledge of others all the time. We forget the trials and struggles we went through to gain our knowledge. Or that it was given to us. And that everyone is in the same boat with us. Just because we have an oar, can identify it, and pull with all our might doesn’t mean we are rowing the right direction. We are all fallible and we need to approach everyone and everything with respect and humbleness. That also doesn’t mean we let ourselves get walked over or distracted. When we wield our authority, we need to be direct, honest, and firm. To stand on what God has given us and brook no change or compromise.

But how do we know what to stand on, when to stand, what to pray for, what to say, what to do, what our authority encompasses or doesn’t, and whether we can or should use it on any given occasion? Romans 8:26-27: “In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.” We have authority in Jesus in all things we will encounter. As we develop a prayer life, we learn how to wield it. We learn the whys, reasons, and lessons as to why nothing can touch us in Him. It isn’t always about what He is doing, but what He has us doing. You can stand with Jesus, but say all the wrong things and invite disaster. Look at Job. He stood with God, but he talked and walked fear. We are safe from all terror, arrows, pestilence, and destruction of the world. Psalm 91 tells us that. But it also shows us how we are safe. Because we abide in Jesus. We acknowledge the Lord in all things and make Him a fortress and a bulwark. Because we shelter under His wings. Because we make Him Lord of our lives, thoughts, and actions. By abiding. Praying always and dwelling on the Word of God.

There is incredible freedom in the Lord’s authority. In knowing that we can trust the Word. That we can trust Jesus. That what He says was, is, and will be. Period. No shading. Just truth. None of this my truth, your truth stuff. Truth is absolute, unchanging, and unalterable. Because it is true. Facts can change, the truth cannot. This applies to everything. Get in the Word. Get grounded in your right to His authority. Pray about everything. Pray before you make decisions. Listen, obey, and trust. Be firm and be fearless. He HAS this. Spiritual or physical. Financial or emotional. He HAS it. By Grace, through Faith, and by the vehicle and anointing of the Spirit, He communicates it with us. Stand firm. Read often. Listen always. Talk without ceasing. Live 1 John 5:14 “This is the boldness which we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us.” Amen.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Leviticus 19:15-18

God loves us and He doesn’t differentiate between us. In Acts 10:34 it says “Peter opened his mouth and said, “Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism;” The Aramaic says God ‘is not the God of hypocrites’ and the Greek says God ‘is not one who receives masks (faces).’ God doesn’t treat our outside, but our inside. And He calls us to do the same. He loves us and thinks we are so awesome that He wants us to love each other. To just get along and be awesome together with Him. Love would and can and does change the world if you let it. Real love. Honest love. God’s love.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.