Fear – Part 4

Last updated on January 19, 2023

We’ve made it to the final post in the Fear series! In this post, we’ll get into the practicals of how we live out the truth of God’s love for us in Christ and overcome our fear. But first, here’s a quick summary of the ground we’ve already covered:

Why We Fear and Its Effects

• Fear can be a healthy indicator of danger
• How we respond to fear can cause destruction within and without ourselves.

No Longer Slaves To Fear

• Using fear as a tool for growth rather than being under its rule
• Recognize our fears and identify the root of them
• Take those fears to God

Why There Is No Need To Fear

• Fear has no place when we remain in Christ’s love.
• We have God’s perfect love and nothing can take that away from us

Living Beyond Fear

On to our topic for today: how to live in God’s love and overcome fear.
I thought it would be helpful to do a search of “don’t be afraid” in the CEB translation on Biblestudytools.com and see what God says about it.  I went through those verses and grouped the reasons God told his people not to be afraid. 

Now, looking through these with the lens of remaining in God and His love never being able to be taken from us, I found what I see as a progressive sequence of understanding for us to follow when we encounter fear and seek to overcome it.

*Note: These verses are pulled out of their context and I have only listed the portions that reflect God’s reasons for us to not be afraid. I strongly encourage you to read the context around these verses to gain a better understanding of the situations these people were in and why God gave specific reasons for them not to fear. Particularly, check the context of phrases that may appear to be promises to us, but are simply conversations in the course of an historical account. (Ex: You won’t die – Judges 6:23; this is not a declaration that WE won’t die, but an indication that the person concerned about dying would not die in that circumstance because the Lord was with him.)

He is with you, personally and intimately

1. I am your protector. Gen 15:1
2. I am with you. Gen 26:24
3. the LORD is with us. Numbers 14:9
4. the LORD your God, the one who brought you up from Egypt, is with you. Deut 20:1
5. the LORD your God is the one who marches with you. He won’t let you down, and he won’t abandon you. Deut 31:6
6. You won’t die. Judges 6:23
7. the LORD God, my God, is with you. He’ll neither let you down nor leave you before all the work for the service of the LORD’s temple is done. 1 Chron 28:20
8. Come near to me on the day I call to you. Say to me, “Don’t be afraid.” Lam 3:57
9. because I am with you; don’t be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will surely help you; I will hold you with my righteous strong hand. Isaiah 41:10
10. I’m with you to rescue you,” declares the LORD. Jer 1:8
11. I will be with you to save you and rescue you from his hand.  Jer 42:11
12. It’s me. Matt 14:27

First, as we move to better understand God’s love that drives out fear, we must accept and seek to see with our hearts and spirit that He shows us his love by being with us, personally and intimately.  He protects us when we need protecting. He walks with us, weeps with us, gets excited with us.  He remains with us as we move through the unique life He has called us to.  He won’t let us down or abandon us.  We can call out to Him, as Lamentations says, in our most desperate moments and He will remind us not to be afraid, because His presence is with us. Always.  He will strengthen us, uphold us, rescue us. We are never alone.  Never.

You can overcome your fear because you don’t stand alone. He is with you. He sees. He knows.  

You are treasured, valuable to Him, and He gives you wholeness

1. You are greatly treasured. All will be well with you. Be strong! As he spoke to me, I suddenly felt strong. Daniel 10:19
2. I’ll do for you everything you are asking. Indeed, my people—all who are at the gate—know that you are a woman of worth. (We are Ruth, needing a Kinsman Redeemer) Ruth 3:11
3. You are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:7
4. God is honoring you. Luke 1:30
5. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. John 14:27

Second, not only does He show His love by being with us, He is FOR us.  We matter to Him. Like really, really matter. We are treasured by Him; His heart aches for us and our well-being.  Where we are lacking, He fills up our lack and makes us complete.  We are people of worth, adored and cared for by our Father.  We are beloved by Him.  When we remember this, we can contrast His opinion of us with the perceived size of our fear.  His love is bigger than that.

You can overcome your fear because His love for you and His desire for your well-being is greater than the threat of your fear.

His victorious plan is laid out for you ahead of time

1. I will make a great nation of you there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I promise to bring you out again. Gen 46:3-4
2. I will deliver you from faraway places and your children from the land of their exile. My people Jacob will again be safe and sound, with no one harassing them. Jer 46:27
3. I’m with you; I will put an end to all the nations where I have scattered you. But I won’t put an end to you. Jer 46:28
4. I have handed over all his people and his land. Numbers 21:34
5. The LORD your God has laid out the land before you. Deut 1:21
6. I have handed him, all his forces, and his land over to you. Deut 3:2
7. Look! I have given the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land into your power. Joshua 8:1
8. I have given them into your power. Not a single one of them can stand up against you. Joshua 10:8
9. this is how the LORD will deal with all the enemies you fight. Joshua 10:25
10. your Father delights in giving you the kingdom Luke 12:32
11. I will give you the crown of life. Rev 2:10

He is with us, He desires our well-being, and third, He has already laid out His plan for us.  There is great comfort in this.  He has gone before us and prepared our way.  It is still we that must desire to walk in the way He has set for us, but be assured, that when we do walk in his way, we will have victory.  He has already planned victory for us. He delights in it!

You can overcome your fear because he has already delightfully planned victory for you.

Stand firmly where God has called you to stand. Remember, and watch Him exhibit, His power as He fights the battle.

1. Stand your ground, and watch the LORD rescue you today. Exodus 14:13
2. the LORD your God is the one who will be fighting for you. Deut 3:22
3. Remember, instead, what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt. Deut 7:18
4. By this time tomorrow, I will make them all dead bodies in Israel’s presence. Cripple their horses! Burn their chariots! Joshua 11:6
5. the battle isn’t yours. It belongs to God! 2 Chron 20:15
6. Don’t be afraid at the words you heard, which the officers of Assyria’s king have used to insult me. 2 Kings 19:6
7. You don’t need to fight this battle. Just take your places, stand ready, and watch how the LORD, who is with you, will deliver you. 2 Chron 20:17
8. there are more of us than there are of them. 2 Kings 6:16
9. Stay in the land and serve the Babylonian king, and things will go well for you. 2 Kings 25:24
10. Remain in the land, serve the king of Babylon, and all will go well for you. Jer 40:9
11. Remember that the LORD is great and awesome!  Neh 4:14
12. the ruling belongs to God. Deuteronomy 1:17
13. I Am. John 6:20
14. Your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt. John 12:15
15. You must stand before Caesar! Indeed, God has also graciously given you everyone sailing with you. Acts 27:24
16. I’m the first and the last. Rev 1:17
17. nothing is hidden that won’t be revealed, and nothing secret that won’t be brought out into the open. Matt 10:26

He is with us; He is concerned with our well-being; He has a victorious way for us.  Fourth, He shows his love for us by giving us a front-row seat to see Him display His power for good. The power that is available to us! When the nation of Israel feared the next battle, God reminded them that the battle was His.  That their victories came because He fought for them.  More than once the Israelites were told not to even fight at all, but to watch the power of their God be displayed as He, Himself, defeated the enemy.  In another season, the Israelites found themselves in captivity and God told them to stay where they were, because God’s power could reach them even there and bring them prosperity.  We are reminded that God makes the rules.  God makes the judgement calls.  God is our King.  He will place us where He wants us in His kingdom plan and He loves to show us His power to bring broken things to wholeness and incomplete things to completion.

You can overcome your fear because He has given you a place to stand and watch Him fight this battle for your good

Serve the Lord with a complete heart turned toward Him and He will empower you.

1. God has come only to test you and to make sure you are always in awe of God so that you don’t sin. Exodus 20:20
2. Yes, you’ve done all this evil; just don’t turn back from following the LORD. Serve the LORD with all your heart. 1 Sam 12:20
3. Stay with me, and don’t be afraid. The one who seeks my life now seeks yours too. But you’ll be safe with me.  (David as an example of a Godly king) 1 Sam 22:23
4. if you carefully follow the regulations and case laws that the LORD commanded Moses concerning Israel, you’ll prosper. Be strong and brave. 1 Chron 22:13
5. You possess thistles and thorns that subdue scorpions. Don’t be afraid of their words or shrink from their presence, because they are a household of rebels. Ezek 2:6
6. I’ve made your forehead like a diamond, harder than stone. Don’t be afraid of them or shrink away from them, because they are a household of rebels. Ezek 3:9
7. God has heard. Gen 21:17
8. Your prayers have been heard. Luke 1:13
9. just keep trusting. Mark 5:36
10. just keep trusting, and she will be healed. Luke 8:50
11. from the day you first set your mind to understand things and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I’ve come because of your words! Daniel 10:12
12. From now on, you will be fishing for people. Luke 5:10
13. Continue speaking. Don’t be silent.   Acts 18:9

He is with us; He is deeply concerned for our well-being; He has a victorious way for us; He has given us a place to stand and watch Him fight our battles. Fifth, when He does call us into battle, He shows His love by equipping us to fight alongside Him in allegiance. He acknowledges our feelings of guilt over sin, yet forgives completely.  He teaches us, in wisdom, to follow Him and serve Him with our complete heart and wills.  He has given us weapons to fight against the lies and the opposition.  He has given us knowledge and understanding and sound teaching to secure our minds against the enemy.  When we cry for help on the battlefield, He hears and comes to our aid.  When we follow His commanding orders, goodness and healing follows, and not only for us, but for the whole world.

You can overcome your fear because He equips you and leads you well when He calls you into the battle.

2 Timothy 1:7 is a commonly quoted verse that sums up the gist of what we are saying.

Power:
You can overcome your fear because He has already delightfully planned victory for you. You can overcome your fear because He has given you a place to stand and watch Him fight this battle for your good.

Love:
You can overcome your fear because you don’t stand alone. He is with you. He sees. He knows. You can overcome your fear because His love for you and His desire for your well-being is greater than the threat of that fear.

Sound Judgment:
You can overcome your fear because He equips you and leads you well when He calls you into the battle.

How Big is Your Fear Now?

Take a look back at that fear you took note of in our previous posts in this series.  Take it through these statements of power, love, and sound judgement.  Go back and look through the passages of scripture listed above and process on how they apply to the root of the fear you’re encountering.

Does recalling that you aren’t alone bring you hope? 

How about that He deeply loves you and values you (and nothing you can do can make Him value you less, by the way)? 

Knowing that the mystery of victory has already been solved for you, does that give you boldness to move past the fear? 

What about the truth that He has the power to fight your battle when you cannot, but you get to watch the show? 

And if He does want you to battle it out this time, He doesn’t call you to that without equipping and guiding you to battle well?

Here’s how I work that process with my blog fears:

• Shame, Worthlessness, Inadequacy, Fallibility – God has already mapped out victory for me in growing in godly character.  I have not and will not fail Him. He knows I am fallible and does not hold it against me.  He loves me just as I am and understands my struggle to improve. He enjoys my heart.
• Opposition/Persecution – When He calls me to stand and watch Him fight the battle, I will stand and pray, and watch what He will do.  When He calls me to engage in the battle, I know He will equip me to do so and guide me in it.  I do not need to fear the battle because it is already won.

We Must Remember

You see, to live beyond our fear, we must purposefully learn and remember what He says to us.  Fear tells us we’re alone, that no one loves us, that we will fail, that it’s all up to us, that we don’t know how we’ll ever overcome this.

Fear is a liar, Friend.  Such a liar. 

So, in this battle against lies, we must constantly remember His words of truth. Preach them to ourselves. Post them. Read them. Talk about them. Pray over them. Speak them to others. Make art out of them. Whisper them. 

We see what is temporal. He sees what is eternal. We see only what we’ve lived. He sees beyond our stories. He knows how it all plays out. We don’t.

We Let Him Show Himself

With His words on our hearts and in our minds, we are able to make the sound judgment to trust God’s love over the fear we feel. We give Him space in our lives to work and display that love in power. We lay aside our expectations of how things are supposed to go, or how we want them to go. We cry all that out to our loving God, in whatever emotions flood us. And then, we release our tightly-closed fists from around the thing and place it into the capable hands of the powerful God we cannot see, and we wait expectantly for Him to do what He says He will do.

He loves to love us. It is His character. My friends, this is how we conquer fear: We receive His love, and we love Him back.

I feel like a great way to wrap up this post is with Psalm 91.  Read through it and remember your God and His heart and power toward you:

‘The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say concerning the Lord , who is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust: He himself will rescue you from the bird trap, from the destructive plague. He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield. You will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day, the plague that stalks in darkness, or the pestilence that ravages at noon. Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you. You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord — my refuge, the Most High — your dwelling place, no harm will come to you; no plague will come near your tent. For he will give his angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways. They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the young lion and the serpent.

Because he has his heart set on me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name. When he calls out to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and give him honor. I will satisfy him with a long life and show him my salvation.’

Psalms 91:1-16

Share Your Story

When you encounter fear in your life, what steps do you take to overcome them? How might the truths you’ve discovered in this post series impact the steps you take to overcome fear in the future? Share with us in the comments below!