Fear Eats the Soul!

Fear can be sneaky

You might not say you are a fearful person but it is funny where fear can sneak in. As kids we may be afraid of the dark or monsters under our beds. As adults it may look more like fear of what other's think, getting old, sickness, worry about our kids, fear of our future - you get the idea.

Before you read on, take a moment and ask God what fears you are carrying that He wants you to give Him.

Okay, with that in mind...read on.

Fear is a killer/stealer

It is one of the main tactics of the enemy to keep us from living life as Jesus intended.
It steals the fruits of the spirit right out of our lives - It is impossible to walk in joy, peace, patience, etc, if we are walking in fear.
Jesus said it well in Matt 6 when He asked, which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to your life span.
There have been non-Christian studies that proved that negative emotions have a tremendous impact on our mental, emotional and physical well-being so fear still that from us..
Fear steals Jesus' promise from John 10:10 - the life abundant He came to give us.

Fear puts blinders on our eyes

It colors our perspective so that we don’t see a situation rightly.
It clouds our judgment so that we aren't responding in faith
When we are faced with a challenge, the enemy and our own
thoughts can tend toward fear or anxiety or worry. It is a common
response.
That's why we need to teach ourselves to run to Him immediately
when this happens - to get His perspective.

I have a friend who was having a health issue and as she told me about
it, I could see her spinning out of control in the fear and worry. I grabbed
her shoulders and said, "Let's pray!" As we prayed, she visibly calmed,
her language changed and even the next time we talked about it her
faith was up.

Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7 - do not be anxious about anything, but
in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which
surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus.

Fear tries to stop us from obeying

The enemy loves fear and if we stay in fear, we are not seeking the
Lord in that thing.
Fear of man can stop us from sharing about Him with others.
Fear can send us to the world's answers when that isn't how God wanted us to walk it out.
Fear can cause us to respond in ways that are not godly and cause harm instead of help. (Think of the person trying to rescue someone who is drowning. If they are in fear and panic, they are very likely to take their rescuer down with them.)
We simply cannot see clearly to know how to respond correctly until we run to Him and get His perspective.
- 2 Tim 1:7 - For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
- Matt 14 - Peter is walking on the water to Jesus when He took his eyes off Jesus, the fear hit him, and he began to sink. Jesus said, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Fear takes our eyes off Jesus so we step out of perfect obedience.

Fear Separates

Walking in fear, living in fear in any area separates us from God
- God doesn't hang out in fear because Perfect love (which He is) casts out fear (I John 4:18)
- So if we are allowing fear, God doesn't go there. He expects us to bring it to Him.
- He tells us numerous times to not fear (in the Old and New Testaments)
- So if we are allowing fear, we are in sin…
- He wouldn't tell us to not fear if He hadn't made the way for us to no live in fear.
He tells us in Isaiah 41:10 - Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:13 - For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Those promises were for the Israelites but they tell us who God is and that doesn't change and that includes us as daughters and sons of the Father!

That's the posture He expects when something is fearful, causes us anxiety or worry.

He says in I John 4:18 that perfect love casts out fear -

our job is to run to Him and keep our eyes firmly fixed on Him when we are afraid

Freedom from Fear

Listen to get understanding. Ask Holy Spirit questions like:
- Where have I let this in?
- To what extent?
- Why am I thinking this way?
- Is there an underlying belief or issue? (Like lack of trust.)
- Are there other things tied to it?
- What triggers this fear/thought in me?
Agree with with God that this is sin and not okay. Talk with Him about it. Confess it out loud.
Feel godly sorrow that we've allowed this in our lives. We should be grieved…but not condemning ourselves.
Repent and renounce and ask the Lord for forgiveness…it may be necessary to include a trusted someone else in this. The Bible says we confess our sins to one another so that we may be healed. (James 5:16)
Put something(s) in place to gain victory in this area.
- Ask Holy Spirit to fill any vacant places with the perfect love of Abba Father.
- Then…this is a process of changing thought patterns, habits, and ungodly defaults.
- Ask Holy Spirit for the scripture(s)/truth(s) to battle. This is working to fill the empty house that you just cleaned so it stays clean.
  - Personalize them and pray them over yourself after you repent.
  - Write them down and keep them handy
  - Review them and pray them over yourself regularly until you have them memorized.
  - Use them anytime you are tempted into the old beliefs/thoughts.
- Seek Him for help and strength to change this - all things are possible in Him!
Start taking those thoughts captive when they are contrary to the truth He has shown us.
Place reminders as needed, some ideas:
- Phone alarms
- Notes on the mirror or door
- Telling others to help catch us when they hear the wrong thing come out of our mouths
Add it to your daily prayer list.
Fight against the guilt and condemnation that the enemy or you may try to pour on - that is an ungodly distraction…once you've repented, you are clean.
Realize the enemy may attempt to step up his game in this area…and/or…he may wait for a more opportune time.
Continually seek Him and open up for Holy Spirit correction/heart surgery.

When it is too big

There are times when it can be too big to handle alone. If it is a deep stronghold or you find you aren't getting anywhere on your own, meeting with someone you trust (and who understands deliverance and strongholds) may be the best course of action. It really helps to have someone else who hears Holy Spirit be with you as it is often easier for them to hear/discern things that can be fuzzy to us as the enemy works to muddy the waters and keep us from freedom. If someone else helps, make sure you do all the steps above, particularly putting something in place.