Fear is one great enemy of our faith.

‘The real enemy is fear’. Fear opens the door to other emotions, doubt, unbelief and worry. They are all tag-team players in the art of pursuing the believer. I believe understanding this is so relevant in the days that we live in.

Fear is arguably the most potent of the enemy’s weapons against the believer.

The mind is the battlefield where we war against the wiles of the evil one.

The devil shoots deadly arrows full of lies or false evidences at the believer’s mind trying to get you to be afraid, to be afraid of the unknown or be afraid of negative outcomes. Attempting to paint scary pictures on the canvas of our minds.

No wonder the bible says “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” NLT Proverbs 4:23

It is said that there are 365 ‘Fear nots’ in the scriptures. Some say you need one for each day.

Fear is the opposite of faith and let us be clear God did not give us the spirit of fear.

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

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:7,18.

God sees us through the eyes of love, grace and mercy as we are in Jesus Christ. He loves us and we are not afraid of His punishment.

While faith activates the power of God in our lives, Fear potentially opens us up to the attack of the enemy.

FEAR is correctly described as False Evidence Appearing Real. The enemy exaggerates things in our minds and gets us to take our focus away from God, His Word, promises and faithfulness. Whatsoever we see in the physical around us and whatever ‘reality’ wants us to believe, we have to remember that we walk by faith and not by sight.2Cor.5:7.

Paul gave a profound counsel or directive in Philipians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus”.

God’s Word promises peace, protection and victory in His presence the time of trouble.

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. Isaiah 41:10.

Ephesians 2: 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Romans 8:37-39 KJV.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 John 4:4 KJV.

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

We have a lot of God’s promises to lean on when fear attacks our minds. We focus on God’s Word and walk by faith. We have the whole armour of God to protect us.

Ephesians 6:11-18 KJV

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

We have God’s word as truth and we have Jesus’ righteousness to protect our hearts. We have our shield of Faith to help us fend off all the lies of the enemy. God’s word is in our mouth to also fight back the enemy of our God and through which we see great results. We are wrapped all around by God and hid in Christ in God, so we are destined for victory.

Be blessed.

Olaolu Oyeyemi