We can reject the enemy’s attempts to frighten us. Learn the art of the rebuke.
Nobody can right a wrong like the Lord. So why are you afraid? Put fear far from you. Even if something horrible does occur, the Lord is with you and he promises to help you.
Psalm 27:1-3, The Living Bible
“The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.
How can we remain confident in the face of fear? We need to understand how much God loves us and that He is well-able to handle any situation we face.
1 John 4:17-18, The Message
“God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.”
Abide in faith not fear. What’s the difference? Faith vs Fear…
- Faith is a material substance. It is the building block in the spirit realm. (Hebrews 11:1)
- Faith can also be used to build in the physical realm. Faith is activated by belief and speech in three steps: 1. Imagine. 2. Believe/Decide. 3. Focus speech and/or action. (Mark 5:24-34 &Mark 11:22-24). The Bible says, “Call those things that be not as though they were.” (Romans 4:17)
- Faith focuses on the outcome and believing that outcome will be in your favor.
- Fear comes from focusing on the outcome and believing that outcome will be negative.
- Negative faith is fear. But it is the same power. It is really just anti-faith.
- Faith connects you to God. (Romans 5:1-3)
- Fear connects you to the devil. (1 John 4:18 & John 10:10)
- You do not have to fear. Fear is a choice. If you choose fear, you will create what you don’t want to happen. (Deuteronomy 30:19)
- Faith is also a choice. If you choose faith, you will create what you desire. (Genesis 11:1-8)
- Fear is the devil’s biggest weapon. The devil doesn’t have creative power–the gift of speaking things into existence–you do (Proverbs 18:21 & Genesis 1:26). He can only use persuasion. Satan entices you to fear so you create the opposite of God’s will for your life through your words. (Matthew 10:28 & John 8:44)
So how do we resist fear?
We must use child-like faith. Children are unreasonable. Children are willful (they want their way). The believe something (they fixate their will and their desires in their mind) and you cannot dissuade them with reasoning. Consider this scenario…
“Katie, please come out of the rain or you’ll catch a cold.”
“No I won’t,” Katie says as she jumps in the puddle.
“But, you’re soaking wet.”
Katie tilts her head to the sky, catching rain drops in her mouth. “I don’t care.”
“All of your friends are already inside.”
“So.”
“I’ll give you a piece of candy if you come inside.”
“I don’t want any candy.”
Katie is not afraid of getting sick—she wants to have fun! Only force will make Katie comply. Her mamma will make Katie come out of the rain because she’s Katie’s authority. We can be strong-willed like Katie when it comes to resisting fear. But here’s the catch. The devil is not our authority—he doesn’t have the power or right to make us do anything. All he can do is tempt us to receive fear…
- The enemy will present threats. (If you travel in an airplane, you’ll die!) Childlike faith says “No I won’t.”
- The enemy will present fearful images. (Do you remember that plane that just crashed in ____?) Childlike faith says, “So.”
- The enemy will present discouraging facts. (You know, your neighbor’s brother died in a plane crash.) Childlike faith says, “I’m going anyway.”
We can reject the enemy’s attempts to frighten us. Learn the art of the rebuke. Jesus used this strategy. The rebuke ends the devils appeals…
Matthew 16:15-24, New Living Translation
Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law.He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”
Notice how Jesus had just blessed Peter and gave him the authority to forbid and permit things on earth. Then, Satan uses Peter to “forbid” Jesus from doing God’s will. More than likely, Jesus didn’t enjoy the prospect of suffering and being killed. But he wasn’t afraid to do God’s will anyway. Jesus saw through the enemy’s strategy and rebuked Satan (not Peter).
Keep in mind, when we rebuke, we do it in Jesus’ name. Jesus has the authority (Philippians 2:9-11). But he died, so we could have the right to access his authority and use it on earth. We can rebuke fear in Jesus’ name and it must leave (Luke 10:18-20). This takes self-discipline because we are so used to fear in our lives. Just think: How many times do you say “I’m afraid that ______?” We have to train ourselves to reject fear because it is not from God.
2 Timothy 1:7, New Living Translation
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
