Victory Over Fear

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

We all struggle with it to varying degrees. It can immobilize us and quench our witness for the Lord. It can derail us on our quest for God's best for our lives. It can cause us to lose sleep, run from intimidating circumstances, and avoid certain people. I'm referring to unhealthy fear.

Healthy fear keeps us from walking in front of oncoming traffic. It protects us from exposing ourselves to harmful situations. But unhealthy fear saps us of our spiritual strength. Paul said that fear was a spirit, therefore, we must deal with this type of fear in a spiritual way. David said in Psalm 27 that he wasn't afraid of anyone because he understood that the Lord was his stronghold. He could stand before enemy armies with great boldness. David had an intimate relationship with God. In the same psalm he said, “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.” David's fervent relationship with God gave him courage.

In 1 John 4:18 it says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” And prior to this, in verse 16, it says that God is love. As we get to know the God of love, our fears melt away like ice on a hot summer day. His love causes us to rest.

There are times when we need to use our God-given authority to command a spirit of fear to leave us. We can address Satan and his cohorts and command them to flee from us. We can bind them and demand them to leave us in the name of Jesus. If we are submitted to God, the enemy will run in terror from us, when we do this. In Luke 10:19, Jesus declares, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” The Greater One lives within us, and he is more powerful than any demonic force.

God wants us to be free from fear so that we can enjoy our relationship with “Him and so we can serve Him without hindrance. Let's rejoice in the love the Father has for us and allow our fear to melt away in His kindness. He wants us to come to the place where fear no longer has a grip on us. He wants to give us victory over all our fears.

Dear Lord,

I thank you for Your great love for me. I give all of my fears to you. I surrender my life to You afresh, and in the name of Jesus I bind the evil one, who would try to make me fearful. In the name of Jesus I command you to leave me alone. Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for setting me free. In Your name I pray, Amen.