Overcoming the spirit of fear – 11 Biblical lessons for living by faith

Do you have big dreams? I mean gigantic dreams. Dreams and desires you know for sure God has placed on your heart. I mean the kind that’s bigger than your bank account. The kind that makes your heart race, your palms sweaty, and your legs weak. I mean the kind that makes you afraid. 

And because you have been nursing fear, you have gotten nowhere with these dreams. Frustrating. Right? Although you’re a believer, you’ve been spinning your wheels. The beginning of the end of that starts today. It’s time to really apply the Word and overcome the spirit of fear biblically.

This post will teach you how to use the Word as a weapon in the spiritual war against fear.

Let’s dive in…

What is the spirit of fear?

There are two definitions of fear in the Bible. One has to do with reverence. When Scripture says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” this is referring to respecting God. 

To acknowledge that He is the all powerful creator and ruler of your life is to fear God. That’s not what this post is about today. The second definition is where we pitch our tent.

The word fear appears in the Bible over 500 times. But the first time we meet the idea of fear is in the first book of the Bible – Genesis.

Adam and Eve lived in a perfect world. Such perfection that we can only try to imagine it. But even then our imagination is still so fallen that it’s still not enough to capture even the essence of the perfection they had.

And then came Satan.

He deceived Eve and through her they both sinned.

Enter fear.

After they sinned God came to them for what seemed like a routine visit. They were not in the usual place God would find them.

But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?” “I heard Your voice in the garden,” he replied, “and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” Genesis 3:10

Ever since then, the human race has been plagued by fear. And I do mean plagued. 

Fear has been crawling out of the woodworks all over humanity. The Bible has so many stories of people who struggled with fear for various reasons.

And that’s why Paul wrote to Timothy

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

The term spirit in this context comes from a root word which means literally to breathe. The word fear comes from a word which means dread or fright or terror. So when the Bible talks about the Spirit of fear, it literally means you are inhaling and exhaling dread, fright, and terror. 

To have a spirit of fear is not a good thing. The idea presented in this verse is of someone who is a coward. Someone who is timid. It means your state of fearfulness is constant and consistent. It’s like the skin that you’re walking around in. Fear becomes the very essence of you. You walk it. Talk it. Drink it. Eat it. Wear it. Sleep it.

God absolutely has nothing to do with state of being. Scripture says he has given us instead a Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. 

Yet, fear is always present. It never goes away. All your fears have their own story. See if you can identify with any of these stories from the Bible.

What causes fear according to the Bible?

The human race has been battling fear since sin entered the world. Sometimes fear is legitimate in the sense that you’re previous experiences have taught you that there is actually something to be afraid of. But fear can also be purely a thing cooked up and dished out by your mind or imagination.

We can turn to the Bible for some real examples of both. Let’s look at what the Bible says about what causes fear. I will use some Bible stories about fear to illustrate my points.

Sudden loss of a predictable life. I talked about this earlier. Adam and Eve. Their fear came from their innocence being ripped from them. Their world literally changed in one day. Suddenly, their eyes were opened to the fact they were physically naked. Suddenly they realized how frightening it is to live outside of the will of God. Suddenly, their world became unpredictable. Did they have a good reason to be afraid? Absolutely. It’s easy to be fearful when you’re life suddenly changes because of a catastrophic event.

Having to step out into the unknown. Fear can move in when you are required to step out into the unknown. This was Abraham’s reality. When you have to leave the comfortable and the familiar behind, this is bound to make your mind gallop away and imagine all kinds of things. 

When you realize you have to fight. Life can seem like a battle and sometimes the battle can seem overwhelming. Such was Joshua’s reality as he faced battling Canaan for the 400 year old God-given blessing promised to the Israelites. He was overwhelmed and afraid. 

Feelings of unworthiness and incompetence- Moses is one of, if not the greatest leaders in the Bible. Who else walked around in the dessert for nearly 40 years with about 2 million people? This was no ordinary task. Yet, Moses did not jump up and click his heels when God called him to be the rescuer of Isreal. Quite the opposite. He found every reason in the book. He complained that he was “slow of speech”.

Don’t forget that Moses had been raised a royalty and had gotten the best education that Egypt had to offer. And now he was talking about all his weaknesses and inadequacies. He knew also that he had killed a man in cold blood out of his own anger.  That’ll make anyone shrink before God. 

When you see your enemies closing in on you and bad memories of unpleasant experiences. This was the case at the dramatic Red Sea showdown. These Israelites had already been traumatized by the unfairness and brutality of the Egyptians.

These bad memories were fresh. At the Red Sea, they could literally see them coming with weapons in hand to cut them down. They were not warriors. They were not prepared to fight. They were afraid. And for good reason too.

When God gives you a major assignment. Solomon had been given the responsibility of building the temple. This was an awesome responsibility. No ordinary task if you ask me. What a burden Solomon had! 1 Chronicles 28:20

Feelings of discouragement. The prophet Jeremiah knew discouragement all too well. In fact, he is affectionately called the weeping prophet. God called him to a life of ministry that was hard. And he felt that God had tricked him into ministry.

Other doors that fear walks through could be insecurity, love of comfort, forgetting how God has led in the past, loneliness, exhaustion, inflexible thinking, allowing your imagination to run away with you, low self-esteem, not knowing who you are in Christ.

This list could go on. I will talk some more about these later. 

But I think you get the idea. Fear is not the friend of the human race.

Whatever the cause or source of your fear, there is no real freedom in living in fear. 

God requires us and encourages us to step away from such a place.

And here are three reasons for that…

What does the Bible say about overcoming the spirit of fear?

It is necessary for salvation.

 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Revelation 21:8

This is a hard truth. To think that the fearful are counted among murderers and liars. Frightening. But it’s necessary for eternal salvation that we give up fear. One major reason is that just before Jesus comes back, we will all have to choose between God and Satan.

Facing persecution for our choice will not be easy. And that’s why we will need to be fearless.

It is necessary for your peace of mind and mental health 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Luke 14:27

When you spend time consumed by fear, the peace that Jesus has made available for you cannot make its way into your heart.

It is necessary for claiming your blessings

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own. Joshua 1:9-11

Notice how Joshua jumps right into action? Life is one gigantic spiritual warfare. Your blessings are on the other side of a battle that God has promised to help you fight. But you have a part to play. And that part includes shaking off fear and moving forward decisively and empowered by faith in God.

Stories of fear in the Bible and what we can learn from them

If you are to overcome fear Biblically, you have to actual know your Bible. Read it. Listen to it. Study it. Watch it. Journal it. 

Saturate your life with the Word.

How does the Bible say to overcome fear and anxiety? Let’s get into the Bible and see some lessons we can learn to help us conquer fear with God’s help.

1. Take responsibility

In 1 Kings 20 is recorded a story that made me laugh when I read it first. If you are familiar with Ahab, you will know that he was a king in Israel. His wife was Jezeebel. They were quite the couple. 

So 33 kings and their armies threatened Ahab. They demanded ownership of his wives, children, gold and silver. Initially, Ahab gives in and gives permission for them to take whatever they desired. (We won’t get into the ethics of the times). But when the king threatened to violate his boundaries by searching his palace and raiding it, Ahab draws the line.

But what I found interesting is that Ahab did not seem to think he had a responsibility to fight. Listen in on the story for a few seconds:

 Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD.’ ” “By whom?” Ahab asked. And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’ ” “Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab. “You will,” answered the prophet. (1 Kings 20:13-14)

You would think that since his whole family and his entire estate was about to taken away from him, Ahab would rejoice that victory was being handed to him on a platter. You would think he would volunteer to head up the fighting squad to ensure the security and safety of his life, family, and legacy.

But no! All of a sudden, this fight for HIS blessing belongs to someone else. This does not even make sense.

If you are going to overcome fear, you have to first recognize your responsibility. Conquering fear is like a battle because fear is always crouching outside the door of your hear. It’s nobody’s fight but yours.

God has promised deliverance from it but you have to start the battle. Nobody can do this for you. Nobody but you has knowledge of what is at risk if you do not step out and overcome the fear that saddles you.

You can lose what is promised to you if you don’t. Own your fear. That’s the beginning of your journey.

2. Face your fears 

Gideon’s story is one of the most powerful on the mingling of fear and faith. You can read it in Judges 6.

Gideon was called to rescue Israel at a time when they were being harassed and by surrounding nations. And they were outnumbered too. I find it interesting that when God approaches Gideon he complains that God could never care about them because of all they were being made to endure. Yet, when God told him to start the process of changing things, he was afraid.

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. (Judges 6:27)

Overcoming fear must start from within. One reason Isreal was being abused by the nations around was because they had been unfaithful to God. Gideon first needed to conquer the fear of calling them to righteousness before God gave him a bigger assignment.

Taking on 3 massive armies.

Gideon was so afraid that although he heard God’s voice clearly, he asked for a sign. Twice. As if this were not bad enough, God whittled down his army of over 30,000 men to only 300!

How was he supposed to defeat all of 3 armies combined with 300 hundred men? But God was not going to allow him to back out. He had to face his fears. 

How lovely is God though. He told Gideon:

“If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. (Judges 7:10-11)

Again, Gideon could have chosen not to do this but he faced his fear and got the encouragement he needed to move forward with the fight.

The story ends with that massive army turning against each other. It was a massacre of epic proportions! 

The point is, if Gideon had decided against accepting God’s call, Israel would have continued to be harassed.

His deciding to face his fear not only led to the freedom of his family but it empowered him to keep fighting off other armies too. His freedom from fear gave others the permission to give up their fear as well. If you read the story you will see that when the 3 armies were being conquered, other tribes in Israel joined in the fight where before they were all running away and hiding.

You see, the moment you face your fears once, you receive power to do it again and again and again. Because fearlessness begets fearlessness. Confidence breeds confidence.

3. Step out of your comfort zone

Peter was a young, impulsive disciple of Jesus. He was also quite daring. It was maybe all of these characteristics that made him a good example of overcoming fear biblically.

You see, Peter, along with the rest of the disciples had found themselves in a situation. After a miracle-filled day, they were now in the middle of a storm on the lake. Alllll night!!

Jesus was watching them from the shore until the wee hours of the morning. Then he decided to cross over the lake by walking on water.

When the disciples saw him, they didn’t realize it was he. In fact, they thought it was a ghost. In those days, there was a belief that ghosts lived under water so their thoughts were quite in keeping with the time.

But Jesus never does things that keeps up with the latest thoughts and beliefs.

No sooner than fear gripped them all did Jesus tell them “Don’t be afraid. It is I.”

Peter, impulsive, precocious and daring, decides to give up the safety and comfort of the boat to test out this information.

You see, earlier in the day, they all had witnessed Jesus feed approximately 15,000 people with only 5 loaves and 2 fish. They KNEW Jesus could do ANYTHING. 

But only Peter was willing to challenge himself to really act upon this knowledge.

“If it’s you”, says Peter, “tell me to come”.

Peter was willing to face his fear of this storm they were in by getting out of the comfort of the boat. I’m not even sure the boat was that comfortable. After all, they were in a storm! But it’s sure safer than getting into the wild, crazy, cold water.

But here is the thing: Peter was confident that even in the midst of the storm, he may be uncomfortable but he was going to be safe.

Because he was with Jesus.

So he could exchange his fear for faith. And you can do the same. Overcome fear by getting out of your comfortable or uncomfortable place into the place where Jesus bids you to come.

Overcoming fear with God requires giving up comfort and safety.

4. Remember your last miracle

And speaking of Peter getting out of the boat. As I mentioned earlier, the disciples ended up in a storm after witnessing a whole day of miracles. 

You would think that after seeing all that they wouldn’t be afraid. Right?

Wrong! 

It was clear that as they struggled to stay afloat all night, the entire day of miracles wasn’t on their minds. In fact the Bible says they had forgotten.

Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:51-52

If you want to beat worry, you have to make a concerted effort to keep at the front of your mind how God came through for you in the past.

Here is one of my favorite quotes:

You have no need to fear the future unless you forget how God has led you in the past. – Ellen White

Hebrews 13:8 says God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

When you feel afraid, go back down memory lane and remind yourself of how God showed up time and time again.

And that’s why journaling is such a powerful spiritual tool. It helps to do just this when fear wants to creep in. You’ll have an easy way to remember. 

RELATED : 150 Spiritual journal prompts to grow your faith

5. Focus on the facts of your situation

So very often, there is no truth to what we fear. Much of the things we are afraid of are not even actually real.

Take the prophet Elijah for example. He was very afraid to face Ahab and his cruel wife Jezeebel. His reason?

Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the LORD’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 1 Kings 18:22

He  felt like he was the ONLY one in Israel. He said it more than once. 

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 1 Kings 19:10

He felt like he was the only one being obedient to God. But was this true?

Not at all.

In fact, God told him otherwise.

Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel–all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19:18

It’s interesting that Elijah felt this way after a very glorious Mount Carmel experience where God showed up with such power that the people’s hearts were turned back to true worship. Elijah needed to keep the truth in front of him.

He was NOT alone. God never leaves his anointed ones to fend for themselves. He doesn’t promise ease but he does promise his presence.

What lie are you believing that is causing fear to take over and crowd out your faith? Bring those lies to the light. What’s the truth to combat them? What promise of truth from God do you need to claim?

6. Get some rest

Let’s go back to Elijah.

It seems incredibly frustrating that Elijah would fall into such deep fear and depression after such a high spiritual encounter on Mount Carmel.

But wait. Don’t be so fast to judge him.

You see, intense spiritual experiences can be very draining. They pull at you physically, mentally and emotionally. They can make you very very tired.

There is no doubt that Elijah was exhausted following the Mount Carmel showdown. It therefore makes sense that when Jezebel threatened him, he was emotionally depleted and dry. Tiredness will cause you to forget who you are in Jesus. It will make you forget the power of the truth of God over your life.

Overcome fear by getting some rest.

If you read through Elijah’s story you’ll recognize that God’s approach was to feed him and allow him to sleep. He made Elijah rest. For days.

And then he reminded him of the truth that he wasn’t alone. At that time, Elijah could actually pay attention to what God was saying because his mind had been cleared by proper nourishment and rest.

Your mental health is closely linked to your spiritual and physical health. If you’re struggling to overcome fear, check the habits that rob you of proper sleep, rest, and nourishment.

Burnout is no joke. It can rob you of your joy and peace and faith. Are you suffering from burnout?

7. Get into a community 

Elijah was not alone. But, he was lonely. For a good portion of his story, there is no interaction between him and another human being. And when there is, he doesn’t share any information about his deepest feelings or fears.

Fear can swallow you up when you’re lonely because your mind will run away with you. It’s easy for your brain to fill in the blanks and construct an entire story around your fear. A whole story that isn’t even true.

Don’t believe me? Monitor your thoughts and you’ll see.

You can get help with this if you find community. In a community of people who are like-minded and are on a similar journey, you can be open about what’s troubling you. You will have people who will understand your fears. 

But that’s not all.

They will help you to hold up a mirror to your fears and walk you through questioning the legitimacy of those fears. You will get encouragement and support to stand even if you have to do life being scared.

The Hebrew Boys and Daniel found strength to put away fear because they could support each other. Life in Babylon was rough! But they had community. A community that helped them to create a story of faith over fear in an environment where greed and jealousy and spite threatened to wipe them out just because they believed in the God of heaven.

Conquer fear by getting into a safe community.

8. Reframe your view of yourself

The story of the 12 spies is one of my favorites. This is a very powerful example of both the power of fear and the terrible consequences of not exchanging fear for faith.

The Israelites had just come up out of Egypt. They had witnessed the amazing miracle of the Red Sea and the awful destruction of the Egyptians. 

Now it was time to claim what God had been promising for hundreds of years. The twelve spies went into the land of Canaan and came back with a very negative and damming report.

Why? They were afraid.

But where did this fear come from? Listen to them:

We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Numbers 13:33

Did you get that? They said they looked liked insects in their own eyes. 

Talk about negative self-talk!

Their fears rose purely out of their perception of themselves. It was never a matter of who God said they were. It was never a matter of the fact they had the support of the God of the universe.

Their focus was on themselves. Their thoughts. Their feelings.

Oh man! They badly needed to reframe their thoughts. They really needed to reconstruct their view of themselves in light of God’s grace and promises. They absolutely needed to dismiss whatever they thought the Canaanites thought about them.

Because none of it was true.

Moreover, whatever the Canaanites thought was none of their business anyways. It did not matter. Not even a but.

What negative thoughts about yourself have you been walking around with that’s fueling your fear? Are you getting dragged down by what other people think of you? Compare them to the truth of who you are in Christ. Reframe them with positive Bible-based affirmations.

9. Weigh the pros and cons

Are you familiar with the story of the lepers in 2 Kings 7? They teach us a very practical lesson in beating fear with Biblical principles.

Keep in mind that in Israel, lepers were outcasts. Once someone was found with the disease, they were banished to live on the fringes of society, feeding on whatever they could scrounge up. They were lucky if they had family members who would be kind enough to take them food.

It seems like this was very much the case with these four. But the fate of the Syrian army was working in their favor. 

You see, these men were hungry. Starving actually. Hunger is a powerful motivator I tell you.

As they stood outside of town, knowing fully well that food was on the other side of the wall, they realized they had two options. Listen to them explore:

If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’–the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.” 2 Kings 7:4

Did you catch that?

Let’s simplify it. They said “If we go into the city we might die. But if we stay here we will die. Either way we’re facing death. So which way are we going to pick? Are we going to choose the one where we might die or the one where we will die?”

They had a truly logical conversation about the pros and cons of their situation.

Their conversation could be summed up in one question: If we take this step of faith, what’s the absolute worst that could happen? You can do the same. Then, after you’ve thought out all the possible outcomes, take the plunge while holding on to the promises of God.

10. Get rid of insecurity

King Jeroboam was a captain in the army of Israel but he was also the son of a widow. He had no royal rights to the thrown as was the custom of the time. He didn’t get the thrown because he was born to a king. 

His story is quite the opposite. He rose from what we often call a humble background. He became ruler because God elevated him to that status.

And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee. (1 Kings 11:31)

Despite that, Jeroboam lived in constant fear of losing his kingship. He seemed to always feel like he didn’t belong. Threatened by Rehoboam whose father was Solomon and who had every right to the thrown because he was a descendant of David.

Can somebody say imposter syndrome?

What did Jeroboam do because of his fear arising from his insecurity?

Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam. After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt. One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other. (1 Kings 12:26-30)

The power of insecurity will lead you to make decisions out of fear. 

Have you ever tried to keep a relationship you are afraid of losing by giving in sexually?

Have you ever decided against speaking up for yourself because you felt undeserving of your blessings?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation of making a decision purely out of fear that you will lose money, or a friendship or something that you think matters alot?

Well then, you have company with Jeroboam.

Give up the insecurity. If God has blessed you, there is no need to feel that your blessings have been ill-gotten.

You belong where God himself has placed you. And no amount of planning on the part of your enemies can change that.

But you can. You can be the main ingredient in deciding whether or not you will allow your fear to drown out your faith in God.

Make your decision from a place of faith. Not fear. That’s what God expects you to do.

11. Do what you’re doing anyways

Fear will always be as present as the air you breathe. Sometimes you have to push through while feeling the fear.

It’s called doing it scared.

The woman with the issue of blood is our example. She was afraid. But more than that, she was desperate. Being sick and being in constant pain and being ostracized or mistreated by society are all great motivators. Moreover, she was now broke.

Jesus passing by was her opportunity. If she allowed it to miss her, then she was looking at living the rest of life under poverty and societal abuse.

She needed to seize the opportunity of a lifetime during the lifetime of the opportunity! Tweet that!

She kept the fear right under her tongue and pushed through the crowd.

And what do you know. Jesus felt her touch. Not her physical touch. Her hearts touch. Her touch of faith. Her touch of belief and trust.

Because that’s what it takes to get God’s attention. Remember Hebrews 11:6 says God will reward those who seek him.

If you can’t shake the fear, then roll with it. Do it scared.

Bible verses about overcoming fear

Since we are talking about deliverance from fear using the Word, here are some overcoming the spirit of fear bible verses.

The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. – Psalm 23:4  

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. -Isaiah 41:10

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.  In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? Psalm 56:3-4

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. -1 John 4:18-19 

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

overcoming the spirit of fear quotes 

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. -Nelson Mandela

Fear: False Evidence Appearing Real. — Unknown

Fear has two meanings: ‘Forget Everything And Run’ or ‘Face Everything And Rise.’ The choice is yours. — Zig Ziglar

I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear. —Rosa Parks

Fear and faith both demand you believe in something you cannot see. You choose. –Bob Proctor

Feed your fears and your faith will starve. Feed your faith, and your fears will –Max Lucado

Basically, there are two paths you can walk: faith or fear. It’s impossible to simultaneously trust God and not trust God. –Charles Stanley

Fear cannot exist in the presence of faith. Fear only exists because you feel that you are not in control. Give up the need to be in control, take a leap in faith and fear will vanish as the mists in the morning sun. Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. –Dale Carnegie

We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear. Martin Luther King, Jr.

How do you pray against the spirit of fear?

Deliverance from the spirit of fear  does not come easy. You have to know the Word, act on the Word, and also pray the Word.

Praying the Bible is one extremely powerful way of getting deliverance from the spirit of fear. Here is a prayer to give you a launching point:

Father, I come to you confessing that I struggle with fear. Your word says if I confess my sins you are faithful and just to forgive (John 1:). So I ask for your forgiveness, walking in the assurance of this promise. Your word says in 1 John 4:4 that greater is He who is within me is than he who is in the world. Lord, fear has replaced faith in my heart but I pray today that you will reclaim your place on the throne of my heart. Your word says that you give a spirit of power and love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). If you are in me then these gifts of peace will be mine. So Lord, as you make me a new creation, the old fearful me has passed and the new courageous me is rising to newness of life (2 Corinthians 5:17). Lord, empower me to walk by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:17). And as you are doing a new thing in me, may courage spring up inside of me and water the dreams and purpose that you have placed on my heart (Isaiah 43:19). Uphold me with your righteous right hand, Oh God, and give me the strength and help as you promised (Isaiah 41:10). In Jesus name. Amen

sermon on overcoming the spirit of fear

Sometimes a sermon in song is more powerful than a sermon preached. I am sharing with you one such musical sermon. Here is one of my favorite songs about fear.

overcoming the spirit of fear and anxiety

Fear and faith cannot exist in the same space. This is different from doubt. Doubt makes you question. It doesn’t make you disbelieve. Fear on the other hand destabilizes faith. Fear cripples you. But faith dispels fear. It’s like darkness and light. Where one is, the other just naturally cannot exist. One of the best ways to tackle fear is through the Word, which the Bible describes as living and active. It will help you to build your faith. Scripture says faith comes by hearing the Word. Dive into it. Apply it. Claim it. Overcome your fear using the powerful Bible truths that you have mined for yourself.