Overcoming the Spirit of Fear-Part 1

March 15, 2023

Overcoming the Spirit of Fear-Part 1

What is the spirit of fear?

In order for you to overcome the spirit of fear you have to have an understanding of what the spirit of fear means. The dictionary will describe the word fear as an unpleasant emotion or a feeling of being in danger because of something or someone. What does the Word of God have to say about the spirit of fear? One of the clearest Bible verses that describe this spirit is found in the book of 2 Timothy.

2 Timothy 1:7 states, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Here we can see where the Apostle Paul is addressing Timothy regarding the spirit of fear. He is not calling it a feeling or an emotion but he is very clear in calling the fear a spirit or a demonic spirit that it invoking fear.

The words “spirit of fear” used in this passage of Scripture is the Greek word pneuma which is also used to describe demons or evil spirits. Our carnal mind is going to classify fear as a normal human emotion but that is not what God is saying about it. He is plainly stating that He did not give us that adverse and negative spirit but in fact He gave us one of power, love, and a sound mind!

I have an article going more in depth on this particular powerful verse of Scripture: The Holy Spirit: The Spirit of Power, Love, and a Sound Mind!

We know through Scripture that our Heavenly Father does not want His Children to be bound by the stronghold of fear. Some examples of these verses are:

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Psalm 46:1-2 “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.”
Lamentations 3:57 “You drew near on the day I called on You, And said, “Do not fear!”
1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

Analyzing these powerful verses of Scripture we can conclude that the Lord’s will for a child of God is not to live in a state of fear. Unfortunately because of the schemes of the enemy a lot of Christians get bound by the spirit of fear. The more that you allow that spirit to penetrate your mind and you begin to come into agreement with that fear, the mightier those strongholds become.

We have to understand that spiritual warfare is an everyday reality. That is why we need to learn how to stand on the promises of God. Your Bible is one of the strongest weapons that you can use. The Lord describes it as your double-edged Sword because it has the ability to be a defensive and offensive weapon against the tactics of the devil. The more that you get into God’s Word the more artillery you will have stored up in your arsenal.

I am going to go over some of the ways that you can combat this spirit of fear before it turns into other adverse emotions like anxiety, panic, or terror.

Renew Your Mind

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

The battlefield will and always will be in your mind. In this Christian life that we live in we are going to have to face the power of the enemy, there is no way of getting around it. He knows that if he can get you to come into agreement with the flaming arrows that he is throwing at your mind he can begin to wreak havoc in your life.

So, how do we counterattack those daggers that the devil continues to throw in our direction? We have to respond with the Word of God. There are powerful verses of Scripture both in the New Testament and the Old Testament regarding having fear. We have to get to a place where we allow the Bible to completely renew our frame of mind.

It begins with having complete trust in the Lord and His Word. Do you believe that He is Who He says He is? Do you believe that His promises are the truth of God? When you can build that necessary faith in God’s Word, you will begin to speak them out with authority. So when the father of lies comes at you with deceit, you will be prepared to release the Scriptures to combat those lies!

The Lord gives us revelation on how to handle the devil’s deception in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 when Paul states, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

We are to pull down every thought that is contrary to the Word of God and we know from the Scriptures mentioned above that the spirit of fear is not given by God. So, when the enemy’s flying arrows overtake you with so much fear that you feel anxious, overwhelmed, and terrified; you begin to cast down those thoughts using your double-edged Sword. In order for it to be effective you have to have Scriptures already available to oppose the enemy.

You don’t want to have to go to your Bible and begin to search for Scriptures to help you; you want to have them already written on your heart before it gets to that level of warfare. I can’t express to you enough how the Word of God is one of your most potent, powerful, and effective spiritual weapons against the wiles and schemes of the devil!

The Lord God puts His Word even before His own Name (Psalm 138:2) that is how significant it is to Him. There are so many verses in the Bible that tell us that we need to read the Word, study the Word, and apply the Word of God to our everyday lives. For example: it is our instruction (Romans 15:4), It is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), God’s Words are eternal (Mark 13:31), the Word is Jesus Christ (John 1:1), it is our lamp to guide us (Psalm 119:105), and so much more!

Make it a point to read your Bible on a daily basis: it will renew the entire way that you think, it will help you fight against the enemy’s attacks, and it will help you gain the knowledge needed to prevent the devices of the devil from being successful. This brings me to the next way that you can stand clear from the spirit of fear, know the enemy’s devices!

Know the devil’s devices

2 Corinthians 2:11 “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

One of the ways that Satan and his evil spirits develop strongholds in our lives is by taking advantage of our lack of knowledge in regards to his devices. The Lord is conclusive on this topic, He lets us know that we are not supposed to be ignorant or not know about the devil’s schemes. Why? The reason why it is imperative that we understand how the enemy works is because it prevents him from designing snares and traps against us.

Some of the main ways that the spirit of fear enters into the lives of believers of Jesus Christ is by the things that we watch and things that we listen to. Nowadays people are bound by anxious thoughts, terror, and fear like never before. How is that possible? The advancement of the internet, social media, games, and full access to all the music that you want to listen to is wreaking havoc on people as young as elementary age.

What is being shown is becoming more and more demonic as the years go one. Just analyze the award shows that are done now and you can see how diabolical they have become. That is not by chance. The enemy is on a prowl to instill the spirit of fear because he knows that it leads to so many other evil emotions that are consuming so many people.

Being vigilant about what you watch and what you listen to will make such a tremendous difference.

Some examples of what you watch or listen to that can lead to giving legal rights to the spirit of fear are:

Horror movies or games
Delving in or watching any kind of witchcraft, occultism, New age practices, etc.
Some forms of meditation can lead to the spirit of fear infiltrating
Extremely violent movies or games
Certain genres of music: Heavy Metal, Death Metal, Rock, etc.

I have some articles that go into more detail regarding protecting your eye gates and ear gates: Guarding Your Eye Gates-Part 1, Guarding Your Eye Gates-Part 2, Guarding Your Ear Gates-Part 1, and Guarding Your Ear Gates Part 2.

These are just some of the examples of things that you can do that can give the devil and his demonic kingdom the legal right to wreak havoc in your life. We have to be watchful of his devices to protect ourselves and our family. The good news is if you are a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ, you have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of you.

He will warn you, lead you, and guide you into all truth, John 16:13. You need the power of the Holy Spirit to help you stay clear from the wicked schemes that the devil attempts to ensnare you in. Remember his goal is to steal, kill, and destroy by any means necessary and trust and believe he will, John 10:10.

He doesn’t fight fair! Just because you didn’t know that delving into these kinds of things would open up doors that he could come through doesn’t mean that he won’t. In fact you are an easier target because you won’t see him coming. It is our responsibility to pick up God’s Word and read it so that we can learn exactly how to stay free from demonic strongholds that the enemy tries to use against us.

Understanding the Lord’s spiritual rules and regulations will help you avoid the devil’s traps. I have several articles that break down some of the most important ones: The Spiritual Laws of God-Having an Understanding, The Spiritual Laws of God-The Power of Your Tongue!, The Spiritual Laws of God-The General Principles, The Spiritual Laws of God-Restoration, The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 1, and The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 2.

Trust in the Lord

Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.”

Here in this Proverb written by King Solomon we can conclude that he is telling us that fear brings a snare or a trap. In other words the enemy uses this particular spirit to set us up so that he can develop chains and shackles in our lives that can be really hard to break. If we are not rooted and grounded in the Word of God we won’t know the promises of God that comes against fear.

The words “shall be safe” are the Hebrew word śāḡaḇ which also means to be set safely on high. So God is saying to us through Solomon, if we can stand on His promises and follow what His Word says, we shall be safe. Notice how the Lord uses the word shall; not might, maybe, possibly, or could be He is saying shall be. That is one of the many guarantees made by our Heavenly Father.

God has already given us dominion and authority here on Earth to bind the schemes of the devil. Luke 10:19 states, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Here we can see that God has already given us the right through the Name of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to squash every method that the devil will use against us. The thing is we have to understand God’s spiritual rules and regulations that are found in His Word so that we can understand how to use our authority.

When you comprehend your authority and see the Lord’s promises becoming your reality, your trust will begin to naturally grow. His protection is undeniable! He is the only One that can bring you perfect peace in the midst of your storm, give you absolute love, He is your Healer, He is your Provider, and so much more. The question is do you believe that He is Who He says He is? Complete trust in Him is what will ultimately determine your outcome.

Conclusion

The spirit of fear is one of the most common devices that the enemy loves to use. The key thing that you want to understand is that life is completely spiritual. If you don’t recognize that we are fighting against a demonic realm that wants to kill, steal, and destroy you; his kingdom already has an advantage over you.

It is so vital that you get into the Word of God so you can learn how to fight the tactics of the devil. I went over three ways that you can overcome the spirit of fear that is wreaking havoc in the lives of so many people. I am going to do a part two to overcoming the spirit of fear so that you can have a firm grasp on how this spirit infiltrates the lives of both believers and non-believers alike.

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

Power of Prayer (The Family Unit and Intercessory Prayer)

Power of Prayer (Praying in Your Heavenly Language)

Power of Prayer (Principles of Prayer)

Power of Prayer (Praying the Scriptures)

Praise His Name

The Power of Praise

The Dangers of Pride

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 1

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 2

The Spiritual Laws of God-Restoration

The Spiritual Laws of God-The General Principles