Understanding Fear

Part 1

We live in a world where everyone is gripped in fear and phobias, suffer from either depression or anxiety attacks. Some can’t leave their homes or face the reality of their lives without taking a handful of pills. ** The thing about pills is that they just dull your emotions and mask the root of the problem. They don’t solve your problems, they just let you live in a state of perpetual ‘pretend everything is okay’. They cause more problems than they solve. They create a new kind of bondage. They cause addictions, and other times they convince you that you cannot live or face life without them. The biggest problem with these types of drugs is that we depend on them rather than on God for our inner peace and joy. Trusting and allowing God to show us the root cause of our fears and to bring complete understanding and healing. But most of all, teaching us to COMPLETELY trust and rely on Him!

I started writing this piece about fear in December, way before the time when the entire world was gripped in the COVID-19 epidemic. Now, in a time when most countries, including my own, are incomplete lockdown, I see levels of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty rise that I didn’t think could be possible.

“Medical research now understands that fear has caused over 100 major incurable diseases (such as angina, heart failure, high blood pressure, allergies, and asthma) Share on X. Like driving a Mercedes on rough roads in the mountains, living in fear causes the human body to break down and be destroyed. So God gave us instructions in the Bible, not to give us a set of rules – but to give us wisdom in His great love for us so that we would not be robbed of the abundant life He desires for us – not only in our health but in our relationships, marriages, family and all areas of life.” For interest sake, in her book Dr. M. Strydom explained that from “A thorn tree of anger, rage and resentment can cause aneurysms, strokes, varicose veins and hemorrhoids. A thorn tree of jealousy and envy can cause osteoporosis. A thorn tree of low self-esteem and guilt will release toxic chemicals that can cause depression, addictions, migraines, autoimmune diseases and weight gain due to excessive overeating, to name a few examples.” ^[1]Strydom, M.K. (2013) Healing begins with sanctification of the Heart, ‘No disease is incurable. (4^th Edition). Harare, Zimbabwe: Printworks 

Our emotional state is directly linked to what manifests in our physical bodies. If you live in constant fear, anxiety, and stress, it is going to manifest in your physical body as a disease. Not as a punishment from God, but because… Share on X

(**Never quit prescribed medication from the doctor or a psychiatrist without proper consultation! Especially if you are severely depressed or suicidal.)

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

From this scripture it is very clear that God is not the author of your fears and anxiety, he most certainly did not create you to live with constant fear, anxiety, and phobias. This scripture also tells us that fear is a spirit.

Kimberly Daniels says of the spirit of fear “This spirit causes people to feel reverence for something; to have a reverential awe of it; to venerate (regard as hallowed); it is an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by an expectation or awareness of danger; anxious concern, panic or terror.” ^[2]Daniels, K. (2013:58-59) The Demon Dictionary. Volume 1. Florida, Lake Mary: Charisma House.

Also, in Romans 8:15 we see that fear is a spirit of bondage;

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:15

“This type of bondage spirit makes an individual a SLAVE to fear. Constant fear, stress, and anxiety are like darkness that covers your understanding so that you have no inlets for the light of God’s Word.” ^[3]Daniels, K. (2013:56) The Demon Dictionary. Volume 1. Florida, Lake Mary: Charisma House

Fear prevents you from hearing and understanding, and most of all believing and using the light in God’s Word and God’s promises to fight your fear. This spirit of fear destroys our faith in God and His Word. Negative Fear is satanic… Share on X

In 1 John 4:18, it says “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.

There is so much in this verse, but before we look at each part, I would like to remind you of 1 John 4:8 “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

God is love, there is no fear in love, therefore there is no fear in or from God because He is love. Perfect love (God, and also if you trust, rely upon and have faith in that perfect love) casts out fear. It continues…. fear involves torment, torment is not from God, and not what God has for you! Fear is another way of the devil to torment you, to keep you in a form of bondage. Therefore, the root of your fears is straight from satan! Then, the very important part… he who fears has not been made perfect in love. Remember God is love, in other words, if you have issues with fear, stress, anxiety and all of those, you are not in the right relationship with God. You are not trusting Him, your faith in Him is lacking.

“Fear is the very opposite of faith. Fear kills faith. Fear obstructs and blocks our faith.“

Fear and Faith are opposing sides. When fear increases your faith decreases and vice versa. You cannot live a life of faith when you are living in constant fear. Faith and Fear cannot co-exist within you. It is either one or the… Share on X

What are you reading? What are you listening to? What are you watching? Especially in this time of COVID-19, I have heard so much fake news and messages created by evil people for the sole purpose of spreading mass fear and panic. (Which they seem to hugely have success with!) What is and was your first reaction to the COVID-19 outbreak? What did you listen to and believe in social media? What did you repost and retell to others? What part did God play in your response to the outbreak? Did what you confessed and what you prayed respond to with each other? Or are what you are confessing and what you are praying two very different things? Were you like a ship lost at sea being tossed and battered in the storm? Or were you anchored and rooted no matter how the storm raged around you?

Fear develops and grows when we feed it by meditating on our doubts, and our problems, anxieties, and fears meditating on our shortcomings, lack, and inabilities all day and night. Share on X

I once heard a sermon by a deliverance pastor that shocked me to my core. It was the scariest thing I have ever heard. He said that demon’s studies people and their behaviors, their body language, facial expressions and most of all their words. They have been around for thousands of years and have ages worth of experience in studying human behavior, reactions and mostly spoken words. They feed on people’s fear and fearful reactions. It is THEIR JOB to make your worse fears come true. And trust me, if you say things like “Oh I am so scared of being robbed, or hijacked or raped”, dear friend make no mistake, the demons will make sure that what you fear most will happen to you! You can pray until you are green in your face for God to protect you, but if you let the spirit world know what you are scared off, you give them a legal right to make your nightmares come true! Your spoken words of fear contradict your prayers, what you speak tells the spirit world that you don’t believe that God can protect you, because if you did believe you would not fear! You would have no reason to speak these fears because you know God protects you from ALL OF IT! Spoken fears tell God my faith is not in You, but in the devil, he is more capable than You Father God! Don’t ever utter your fears! Don’t ever speak of what you fear!

All those things that happened to Job, happened to him, because he feared it, but most importantly because he SPOKE ABOUT IT!

“For the thing, I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me”

Job 3:25

Somewhere in Job’s life, he confessed that his greatest fear is that he will lose everything he has. Fear causes the devil to bring that thing to you. Fear is faith in satan’s ability! If you did not believe that satan could do it then you would not be afraid of it. Job believed it would happen to him, and it did! Job was in satan’s power because he confessed his fear. Are you in satan’s power because you confessed (are continuously confessing you’re) fear? Job made countless statements of unbelief motivated by fear that gave satan the authority to attack Job. satan was the one who afflicted Job, not God!

There are four types of fear.

1. Physiological Fear. When God created the human body, he created us with a very special physiological defense system, so that your body can respond to protect you from imminent (not imagined danger, real imminent danger – you are trapped in a burning building, you are being chased by a bear or a lion) danger. Without getting too scientific, structures in your brain process sensory input in a situation and evaluate any potential danger associated with the situation. When your body encounters a possible threat, the potentially dangerous stimulus rapidly activates biological actions in our brain and bodies to prepare us for immediate action – the fight or flight response. The ensuing chemical cascade prepares us to defend ourselves or to flee. Our emotional reaction may be so strong that our perceptions are narrowed and primitive survival responses take over, interfering with rational thinking.
2. The Fear of God. The Bible instructs us that we should fear God and live in Godly fear. So many Christians have a misconception about what this means. God does not mean by this that we should fear him, or that we should think of Him as our judge and punisher. He is not a God of fear. This Godly fear refers to honor, respect, and reverence.

This kind of honor, respect, and reverence mean:

• To have the proper reverence and awe for Him, so we do whatever is required of us to serve Him. (Psalm 89:7; Hebrews 12:28-29)
• To stand before His face in all we do in order to be pleasing to Him, without allowing ourselves to be influenced by wanting the good opinion of people. (1 Peter 1:24-25)
• To know that we don’t give account to anyone but God for our actions.
• To fear to act against His will.
• To fear to dishonor Him with our actions. This will make sure that we act righteously and with love and goodness to our fellow man.
• To fear to misrepresent Him or His Word in the world.
• To fear to take the weight and importance of what God has called us to, and the ministry He has given us lightly.^[4]https://activechristianity.org/what-does-it-mean-to-fear-god 

3. Unbiblical, Irrational Fear or Negative Fear:

This type of fear is much deeper fears that come from a breach in relationships and a broken heart. These fears are dangerous, unbiblical and not what God wants for us. These kinds of fear and anxiety cause torment according to 1 John 4:18. When we experience these types of fears we have to ask serious questions. When did these fears start? How did I become so fearful? What was the cause of these fears? How did these fearful thoughts start? What is the origin of these fears? How am I betraying my trust in God through these fears?

These types of fears, anxiety, and worry not only steal your peace, but it also wastes your time, it makes you ill, it robs you from your peace, but most importantly is distracts you and keeps you occupied from your God-given purpose and destiny, it also kills your faith and prevents you from receiving that what you are believing God for.

Check out this list, and highlight or write down what you should pay attention to in your life.

Thesaurus Listing

Anxiety – worry, apprehension, dread, fear, nervousness, panic, restlessness, uneasiness, tension, fretfulness

Fear – of making wrong decisions, rejection, being hurt, judgment, authority, failure, man, darkness, being alone, death, witchcraft, heights, demons, deliverance, losing salvation, disapproval, accusation, being wrong, spiritual gifts, responsibility, marriage, having children, pain, sickness, confrontation, cancer, driving, insanity, heart attack, the future, crowds. Horror, panic, fright, sudden fear, terror, dread, apprehension; causes torment.

Horror – Dread, foreboding, alarm, sudden fear, terror, apprehension, fright, panic.

Nervousness – Tension, fear, anxiety, apprehension, restlessness, worry, distress, timidity

Paranoia – Fears, madness, mental illness, suspicion, mistrust, distrust, apprehensiveness, persecution, jealousy, envy, confrontation

Phobia – All kinds; fear, irrational fear, horror, fright, panic, dread, apprehension

Stress – Tension, worry, anxiety, mental breakdown, nervous breakdown, stroke, strain

Tension – anxiety, stress, apprehension, fear, worry, fretfulness, heavy burdens, tiredness

Trauma – Shock, anguish, suffering, turmoil, accidents (traumatic experiences open the door for spirits to enter, including fears, hurt, and bitterness)

Worry – anxiety, fear, dread, apprehension, timidity

4. Superficial Fears: Fears where we are anxious and worried about things such as finances, we may worry about passing an exam or we may stress about meeting a deadline at work.

The Effect of Fear

Oppression comes as a result of fear. Torment and turmoil are results of fear.

A leading result of oppression is illness and sickness. People who have demonic oppression need healing because they have fallen sick. Sickness is often a cause of demonic oppression that arrived because of fear.

Fear opens the door to the devil in your life, allowing him to oppress you, which results in many other terrible things happening to you. Oppression is a spiritual attack on you because you have opened yourself to it by entertaining a… Share on X

FEAR IS A SPIRIT AND YOU ARE ENTERTAINING IT BY TOLERATING IT!

Next week I will publish FEAR: PART TWO 

•  The Cure for Fear
• Surrendering Your Fear
•  Bible verses to Fight your Fears and more…. make sure not to miss it! 

Reference List

Daniels, K. (2013) The Demon Dictionary. Volume 1. Florida, Lake Mary: Charisma House.

Strydom, M.K. (2015) Breaking the bondage of addictions. http://www.eagleswings.co.zw/Free%20Books/BREAKING_THE_BONDAGE_OF_ADDICTIONS.pdf