Conquering Your Fears – Part One

INTRODUCTION

Fear is part of everyday life. It is something we all experience. The definition of fear, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “to be afraid of something or someone” and “to expect or worry about something bad or unpleasant.”

What are your fears? What is holding you back from living life to the fullest? In our mind, these fears are real and hinder us from moving forward in life. It might be the fear of rejection. This fear keeps us from meeting new people, and we isolate ourselves. It might be the fear of failure. It hinders us from trying try new things, and we miss out on great opportunities for individual and spiritual growth. Whatever the fear may be, it does not have to control our lives.

Fear has no stronghold when we fully trust God. Fear is another tactic satan uses to tear us down and tell us we are weak and defeated. When we live in Christ, we live in victory. John Hagee said, “We prepare for victory or defeat at the very start of each day. When [we] get up in the morning, [we] have to set [our] mind in the right direction.” One way to start our day as a victor is by spending time with God. Whether it is reading the Bible or praying, we are receiving God’s strength and courage to face the day.

We are all overcomers through Christ. First John 5:4-5 says that “everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” Through Jesus’ death, God conquered the world and defeated the devil. John 16:33 tells us that, “in this world [we] will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

To overcome something difficult in our lives is “to successfully deal with or gain control of” the situation (Merriam-Webster.com). The only way to gain control over a situation is to give our worries and doubts to God. We must put our faith and trust in Him. God never ceases to amaze me when I see how He works miracles in my life. Psalm 63:2 declares, “I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory.” The All-powerful God wants to remove our worries and replace them with hope.

God’s love is perfect in every way. First John 4:18 says, “there is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.” According to this Scripture, if God is perfect love and God works through us, then fear is removed from our lives. He gives us His confidence to conquer our fears. I encourage you to wake up each day with a renewed mind and the knowledge of who Christ is before stepping out into the world.

The world is full of lies, and we must protect ourselves by putting on God’s armor. The armor of God is talked about in the Book of Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 10 through 18. In verses 10 through 12, it says to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.   Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” As Christians, our struggle is with “flesh and blood” and “of this dark world.” In verses 13 through 17 states, “therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.   Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” This is a Scripture to memorize and recite daily to remain in God’s confidence for our lives.

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