Scripture: Job 3 v 25: "For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me."
2 Timothy 1 v 7: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
Fear torments us and it starts in the unguarded mind, particularly in the imagination. The kind of fear that Job is referring to is one that starts with a small worry in the back of the mind; something like 'is that cough a symptom of a chronic illness?' It isn't really of any significance but in your mind it persists. You are conscious of it all the time.
The fear grows and right on schedule so do the symptoms. Your imagination sets off on a gallop and before you know it you are making a doctor's appointment to be tested and so the fear develops into a life-threatening problem. Satan has won a victory so easily, and with chronic illnesses on the rise all over the world, he is onto a good thing.
That which you greatly fear will come upon you! Why does this happen? Because the enemy of our souls, Satan, is a mastermind of suggestion and worry which allows him to torment you before he destroys your life. This torment is self-inflicted but it can be avoided. It's like a grain of sand inside a shell irritating an oyster. It can become a pearl.
Romans 8 v 14 - 15: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
Paul describes fear as the spirit of bondage, which is exactly what it is. When evil people want something from us they prey on our fears. They are not moving along Biblical revelations, but as agents of Satan. They may be ignorant of the demonic source but they know how to manipulate and torment us until they achieve their purpose. The possibility of us being disposed of to protect their identity is another fear over which we have no control.
Our fight is not against flesh and blood, however, but against spiritual wickedness in high places. Fact. No matter who is threatening us, the one pulling our strings is an unclean spirit with an evil agenda. Jesus died to give us power over evil. To remove our fears by His love.
He showed us how to control our environment and overcome evil but how many of us put this into everyday practice? Jesus has secured us in Himself. His Spirit is inside us. His Word is powerful and true. He used it successfully against Satan to demonstrate what we have inherited from Him. He is the prototype of the New Creation, we are no longer "only human", we are made in His likeness. Spiritual likeness.
Jesus is the antidote of all our fears. If you have faith in Him and trust Him with your life, health, well-being He will keep you in divine health. The stronger your faith grows the more power you have to overcome enemy mindgames. Jesus did not give us a spirit of fear, He gave us a sound mind!
We can control a spirit of fear, bind it = paralyze it, and cast it out in Jesus's name. We can overcome the most paralyzing fear, paranoia, terror or anxiety by the power in the Blood of the Lamb. Believe in Him, He is the answer.
Start to recognise that you are on Satan's agenda for total wipeout. Jesus took care of the sin factor - the wages of sin is death. So if you live as close as possible to a holy sin-free life, Satan has no power over you. Oh he will try from time to time to test if you are still out of his range because he at least wants to weaken your faith. A powerful Christian does terrible damage to his plans.
So let me ask you this? Do you fear what the devil can do to you? Read Mark 16 v 17 - 18, which applies to born again, baptised believers: "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
The Devil, Satan, The Great Red Dragon, he fears us. His only weapon is bluff, lies, innuendo, which he is very skilled at. As well as always appearing as a mythical creature, non-existent and a figment of overactive imagination. He fears those who see through his subterfuge and turn the tables on him.
Satan fears those who know what the power of God in us to fight evil does to him, his demons, his fallen angels, his ruling spirits. He trembles at the name of Jesus. He flees from praise and worship of our Saviour. He is such a coward.
Jesus wants us to walk in His footsteps and have authority over our environment. He says: " Fear not. Trust Me. I am able to do all that is required. I died to stop these things coming upon you. Don't let the devil mess with your head. Rebuke him. He has no right to touch you unless you give him that power. Fear gives it to him. Fear is faith in Satan. Jesus says to whomsoever you submit he is your master."
So when evil confronts you like hijackers at your car door, guns pointed at you like my son had happen to him, let faith in Jesus well up in your heart. They took the car and everything in it but never fired at him. He got his car back the next day, empty but intact. He has his life and gives thanks to Jesus.
As anarchy rises fearful things confront peace-loving citizens but we can call on the Prince of Peace, the highest spiritual authority on peace, to send peace into troubled places and bring calm. Jesus had to subdue the peace within Him when He was on trial for His life because if He did not they would not have crucified Him.
We have this same peace within our hearts. We have His authority to release it. Matthew 10 v 12 - 13: "And when ye come into an house, salute it.
13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you."
We can transmit peace, the true peace of Heaven, and if the people continue to reject the love of Jesus it will return to you. Tangible. But those who reject Him will wish they had not.
We are called to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. For Israel to be saved. It seems difficult as their enemies are Hell-bent on wiping them out under Satan's instructions. Our God gave commands in the time of Joshua, for the tribes in and around the Promised Land to be wiped out. He knew what they would become.
After WW2 and the Holocaust it did not seem right to do that so the Jews did the next best thing. They bent over backwards to accommodate and plan for the Arab people to share the land with them. Those who disagreed could go to Jordan created for them by the British Mandate. This "insult" united them into becoming Palestinians in a war against the thieves who stole their land. Now, in order to survive, God's original plan is being implemented. It is stirring up consternation and fury. If Israel stops fighting they all die. If Hamas and Hezbollah stop fighting the war stops.
Jesus says we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. He wants us to accept His perfect solution to our problems and fears. Work it out. Examine what makes us afraid and pray for deliverance. Jesus is our Saviour, trust Him to have the answer.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank and praise You for giving us the way out of all the fear and evil we are subjected to in this world. Help us to find peace and joy in the midst of mayhem. Teach us to use Godly authority in every fearful situation. Your love overcomes all fear.
In Jesus' name. Amen.