We live in an environment in which everyone seems to be afraid of something. In some physically dangerous situations, caution can keep us safe, but fearsssss becomes toxic when it controls us. Terror isn’t God’s will for us; we therefore mustn’t tolerate it. We combat this negative emotion by standing on the promises in God’s Word.

Fear Makes Us Ineffective Christians

God wants us to be strong, capable, and effective as we walk through life, but fear shuts us down and immobilizes us. We’re fighting a spiritual battle against our enemy the devil, who is the god of this world. Satan uses the spirit of fear to keep people locked in a prison in their minds; however, God’s people don’t have to submit to it. It’s our decision whether or not to give fear the upper hand. “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” (Romans 8:15).

Bondage is defined as the condition of being involuntarily subject to a power, a force, or an influence. This is exactly what happens when we yield to fear. The whole world has been enslaved to this spirit, but it’s not what God wants for His children.

This Scripture makes it very clear that fear brings bondage with it. The prevailing mindset of “a little fear won’t hurt you” is just what Satan wants us to accept. It’s like saying, “a little murder won’t hurt you” or “a little adultery is okay.” All of these things give the devil inroads to go where he shouldn’t be permitted.

God Doesn’t Send Us Harmful, Destructive Things

Fear is something that has to be received from the outside; it’s not a characteristic of our born-again spirit. The devil needs our fear to effectively work in our lives just as much as God needs our faith to do the same. Fear tolerated is faith contaminated, which is why it’s imperative not to put up with fear when it shows up.

Fear isn’t from God and He doesn’t want it governing our lives. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). We have a bad habit of blaming God for things He’s not responsible for. The whole world is inundated with this spirit, but God doesn’t want the blame for something He didn’t send. Instead, He sent us power, love, and sound minds to govern our lives.  

Fear isn’t okay, and it’s therefore not okay to walk in it. Worldly therapists will tell us one thing, but God tells us differently. As believers, we’re in this world but not of it. When others are in fear, we’re in faith; they’re in bondage while we’re in liberty.

Fear Shows Up in Various Ways

God doesn’t want us to be afraid. People get in bondage to all kinds of things that stem from fear, whether it’s fear of others’ opinions, fear of rejection, or even fear of flying. No matter how insignificant it seems, it puts us in bondage. This particularly affected the children of Israel, who lived in constant fear that they would accidentally break an Old-Testament law and have to face the consequences. “And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:15).

When fear is present, Satan has a platform to cause torment; we mustn’t accept it. Letting this emotion take up residence in our minds imprisons us emotionally. It makes us timid and afraid to even go out our front door. Studying the Bible reveals that as Christians, we’ve been empowered to go about our daily routines without doing so in fear.

Our Emotions Either Strengthen or Weaken Us

Our motives make all the difference in the world. The spirit of love, not of fear, should be what motivates us. Love is much more powerful. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). Trusting God shields and insulates us from the fears that torment others.

When the devil shows up to harass us with this destructive emotion, we don’t have to allow him any leeway at all. The best way to beat him and send him fleeing is by trusting God and standing on His Word when it shows up. We shouldn’t just sit idly and tolerate it, but instead aggressively go on the offense and use our believers’ authority. There’s a constant struggle over who gets to control our minds; we must keep reminding the enemy—while believing it ourselves—that he has already lost the battle.

Our Enemy Attacks Us Through Fear

Satan wants to dominate us through fear; however, we’re the righteousness of God. We should shout that from the rooftops. The devil is nowhere near strong enough to stand up to a believer who knows how to apply the Word. When we know who we are in Christ, nothing can shake us. “In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee” (Isaiah 54:14).

Feeling fear and letting it rule over us are two different things. We have a choice of either ruling it, or letting it rule us. Job was a good example of someone who let fear control his behavior. Although his intentions were good, everything he did concerning his family was done fearfully.

Our thoughts carry great power; what we meditate on has the ability to eventually bring to pass what we think about. That’s what happened to Job. “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me” (Job 3:25). He unwittingly opened the door for the devil to work in his life.

Whatever we give our attention to will become big in our lives. How we choose to think affects whether we’re tormented by fear or have peace of mind. On a global level, fear and terror are on the rise, but they’re powerless against the person who keeps God’s Word at the forefront of their thinking at all times. Believing in what God says, not in what the world says, keeps us in perfect peace.