GOD DID NOT GIVE US A SPIRIT OF FEAR
Monday, November 21, 2005
For God did not give us a spirit of
timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but
[He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and
well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 AMP
God did not give us a spirit of fear - God is not the author of fear -
God is love and perfect love casts out fear! All fear comes from the
devil. Not one kind of fear comes from God. The devil sows fear into
people and then uses their fears to control and intimidate them. Faith
is complete and absolute trust in the living God. Fear manifests itself
in the absence of faith. There was no fear in the Garden of Eden until
trust was broken and sin and guilt entered in through temptation and
disobedience. We open the door to fear when we start to believe the
lies of the enemy. You could say that we have faith when we believe the
word of God and we have fear when we believe the word of the devil.
Since, therefore, [these His]
children share in flesh and blood [in the physical nature of human
beings], He [Himself] in a similar manner partook of the same [nature],
that by [going through] death He might bring to nought and make of no
effect him who had the power of death--that is, the devil--15 And also
that He might deliver and completely set free all those who through the
[haunting] fear of death were held in bondage throughout the whole
course of their lives. Hebrews 2:14-15 AMP
Fear is paralyzing and keeps people in deep bondage. The strongest fear
people have is the fear of death. Jesus came to die and rise again,
defeating the devil and taking back the keys of death, hell, and the
grave. Now, if you believe what Jesus has done for you and receive him
as Lord and Savior, you lose your fear of death, because you know that
even when this physical body dies, you will continue to live on.
Eternal life is yours from now on, into eternity. If the worst thing
that can happen to you is dying, and you no longer have a reason to
fear death, then why should you be afraid of anything else or anyone
else, ever again? Jesus told us to not be afraid of man - those who
kill the body but cannot kill the soul. He told us rather to be afraid
of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28). God
is the One we should be in awe of – not any man, nor any devil. God is
the One whose opinion counts; He is the One we should respect; He is
the One whose word will never pass away.
Keep your lives free from the love of
money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never
will I leave you; never will I forsake you." 6 So we say with
confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid What can man
do to me?" Hebrews 13:4-6 NIV
The only way to get rid of fear is to apply the word of God and your
faith to the situation. Faith comes through the knowledge of God and
His word – no other way. God said He would never leave you or forsake
you. You can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be
afraid. What can man do to me?" If God is for us then who can be
against us? If God is on our side there is nothing that can touch us
and no one who can harm us (Romans 8:31; Psalms 118:6). His word tells
us that he has given us a spirit of power and of love and of calm and
well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. God gives peace of
mind in the midst of chaos.
God has given us a spirit of power.
We have power over the devil, power over fear, power over temptation,
and every other evil thing that comes our way on a daily basis.
God has given us a spirit of love.
Perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). Fear brings with it the
thought of punishment, but when we have a revelation of God’s love for
us, and His mercy and forgiveness; we have no fear of what He might do
to us. Only those who don’t know the Lord are afraid of Him – or they
should be.
God has given us a spirit of calm and well-balanced mind.
Fear does not need to rule your mind! When you know what God’s word
says, you can and should take authority over your mind. Take authority
over your thought life. Take authority over your will and your
emotions. Your mind is like a child. If left to its own devices, it
will run wild. You need to take charge of your mind and tell it what to
think. As a sinner, your mind was programmed with all kinds of junk and
fear. As a believer, you have a responsibility to yourself to kick all
that junk and fear out and reprogram your mind with the life-altering
principles of God’s word.
God has given us a spirit of discipline and self-control.
Fear does not need to rule your life! You can take authority - by the
power of the word and the Holy Spirit – over fears that manifest
themselves in and through your body. You can speak peace to your body.
You need to tell your body what to do – not the other way around. You
can walk victoriously in this life through the power of the word of
God!
Recent:
Righteous Now
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP
“Therefore if any man be in Christ…” What does it mean to be “in Christ”? Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” You are baptized into Christ when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” And Romans 10:13 says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The moment
Defeating Strife
These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19 AMP
Faith Facts
Faith is persistent
Luke 11:9-10 AMP
So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.
John 16:24 AMP
Up to this time you have not asked a [single] thing in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete.
Faith is single-minded
James 1:5-8 AMP
If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. 6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the