“For God has not given us the spirit of fear—but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
II Timothy 1:7
When the Risen Lord lives without our hearts, we no longer have to be held captive or hostage to the forces of evil.
“The spirit of fear.”
It travels in darkness and is a master of deception. Its aliases are many: Worry. Anxiety. Panic. Paranoia. Trepidation. And, there are so many today who are bound by this “Tyrant of Terror” as he robs of peace-of-mind and serenity-of-soul.
But, today’s Manna clearly says “God has not given us the spirit of fear.”
Therefore, it’s important, as a child of God, to ask “From whence, then, are you? How did you end up with a stronghold in my heart and mind?” Don’t be surprised that you are initially greeted by silence—for, again, Fear is the master of stealth and intimidation.
Even so, persist in your questioning.
If that fails, ask the Lord Jesus—your “Advocate/Defense Attorney” (I Jn. 2:1)—to take over. And, it won’t be long before this demon of darkness will be forced to answer even as the legion of demons responded to Christ that day on the hillside of the Gadarenes (Lk. 8:30).
It’s possible this perpetual foe first set up housekeeping in your heart while you were still young. Perhaps you were afraid of the dark and those “boogey-monsters” that go bump in the night. Or, maybe your earliest childhood were turbulent ones—filled with fussing and fighting . . .kicking and screaming. . .a virtual hell on earth. . .where uncertainty always filled the air.
Or, maybe sometime in the past you went through a very traumatic time in your life.
Your health may have faltered. Or, a relationship may have failed. Or, all of your long-held dreams and plans were dashed on the unexpected, hard rocks of reality and you found yourself wringing your hands, whispering in a muffled voice, “O me, O my, what am I going to do?!?”
If so, remember that what you’re going through is not unique to you (I Cor. 10:13).
Although the details may vary, the fact remains that Fear is always a “very present horror” in everyone’s life; but, so is the Prince of Peace (Ps. 46:1; Jn. 14:1, 27). Hallelujah!!
Yes, the Risen Lord came to bring us forgiveness of sin and its guilt; but, He also came to “free them who for a lifetime were in bondage to the fear of death” (Heb. 2:14-15). Glory! And, in driving out our fears, He fills that void with “love, power and a sound mind.”
What love is that?
A God-type, God-sized Love called “agape.”
What type power is this?
Divine “dunamis,” Resurrection Power—the same that raised Jesus from the dead.
And, what “sound mind” (Grk. “sophronismos”) is this?
It’s “clear-thinking, discipline, self-control, wise discernment, etc.” A mind under Christ’s control, if you will. So, do not fear today, Pilgrim; Faith it instead. Rest in Him (Mt. 11:28-30).
June 14, 2011
