Fear is an enemy that torments the soul and seeks to steal our life. Conquering it is not something that we do in one day, or even in 1,000 days. It is something that we achieve one day at a time with God’s help.
Fear can show up unexpectedly. One of our goals should be to recognize it so we can deal with it right away.
I remember a time when I was waking up at about 2 or 3 in the morning and then having difficulty going back to sleep. After two nights of that, I found myself going to bed with a vague sort of fear that it would happen again, and sure enough, it did. After about three nights of the same thing, God reminded me that I could pray and resist Satan, the source of all fear. According to God’s Word, the sleep of the righteous should be sweet (see Prov. 3:24). I prayed immediately and went back to sleep and have not had any problems since then.
Being free from fear doesn’t mean that we will never experience it or be confronted by it. It means that we are committed to not allowing it to rule our lives, and when necessary we will do what we need to do, even if we have to do it afraid.
Each time you feel fear and decide to “do it afraid,” you will enjoy your new freedom so much that you will soon be totally unwilling to do without it. You will become determined to end your days of slavery to fear. That does not mean that you won’t still need to confront your fears, but it does mean you will be more and more willing to keep confronting them.
Galatians 5:1 (AMP) says, “It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed].” This Scripture is very clear that even though we have been completely liberated from a yoke of bondage, we will need to “keep standing firm” and not allow ourselves to be entrapped by it again.
Satan is very shrewd, and he never completely gives up the hope of drawing us back into bondage. So we must live watchfully, ready to recognize and immediately confront the things that steal our liberty in Christ.
The Bible says that the righteous man falls seven times and gets up again (see Prov. 24:16). I love that Scripture and am greatly encouraged by it. Even the most righteous person fails to do everything he knows to do all the time, but he is committed to not giving up.
If you have a weak moment, that doesn’t mean you have lost your victory. But if we give up, we won’t be in a position to get help from God, because we receive His help through faith, not through hopelessness. We need to stay positive, hopeful and filled with faith, and when we do, we can overcome anything with God’s help. I often say that anyone can succeed if they refuse to give up!
Some fears are more deeply rooted in us than other ones, and for that reason, they may be ones we have to resist more aggressively. Mine is the fear of making people angry. My father was always angry, and I never really knew if I had done something to make him that way or not. I would like to be able to say that after all of these years of teaching others, I no longer have to deal with this fear, but that’s not the case. However, now I recognize it and deal with it, so I still have the victory.
Recognizing the lies, deceit and strategies of the devil is so important. We should always be ready to resist him at the onset of his attacks, because the longer we let a fear remain, the more difficult it is to get rid of it. So make a decision to be a person of action. You have what it takes to win!
The Word of God says that we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us (Rom. 8:37). God has given us all that we could ever need to overcome our fears through Christ. He has blessed us with every blessing in the spiritual realm (Eph. 1:3). He has given us power and authority over all the power the devil possesses (Luke 10:19). We have what it takes, but we must be active in our faith and never give up.
Possessing the full freedom that is yours in Christ is a progressive journey. It is something we gain and then maintain. I encourage you to focus on your progress instead of merely looking at how far you have to go. Today is a new day, and every day you can be one step closer to conquering your fears! {eoa}
For more on this topic, order Joyce’s four-teaching CD series Facing Fear and Finding Freedom. You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, Enjoying Everyday Life, by calling (800) 727-9673 or visiting joycemeyer.org.
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times‘ bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Your Battles Belong to the Lord (FaithWords). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit joycemeyer.org.
