God Has Not Given Us a Spirit of Fear

There is a difference between the feeling of fear and the spirit of fear. The feeling of fear is our system alerting us to danger. It’s feeling scared due to a threat or perceived threat. The spirit of fear is not a feeling, but an influential force that motivates us to act out of a feeling of fear. 

Fear is a spirit that wants to influence you to believe that God’s not with you and for you, and you’re not enough. Fear is a spirit that wants to paralyze you from walking in God’s beautiful purpose for your life. Fear is a spirit that wants you to dwell on the past and rob you of hope for the future.

The truth is you can feel fear, but still choose not to be led by the spirit of fear. This is called courage. When you face your fear instead of allowing fear to control you. In Joshua Chapter 1, God calls Joshua not to be afraid but to instead be courageous. In Joshua 1:9, God says:

God knew Joshua would feel fear, but He’s commanding Joshua not to be led by fear, so God reminds Joshua of His presence.

As believers, God calls us hundreds of times in the Bible not to be afraid. Will we feel fear? Yes. Should we make decisions out of fear? Absolutely not. God has not called us to be led by fear, but to be led by Him. We can’t do both. So whenever we’re making a decision out of fear, it will not lead us towards God. This is why the Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7:

We are not to be motivated by fear but by power, love, and self-control. I love that God’s Spirit gives us 3 times more than the spirit of fear. So, this means if we choose to be led by the Spirit of fear, we forfeit being led by power, love, and a sound mind. Fear is never worth it. The math just doesn’t add up.

So why would anyone choose to be led by fear? Because fear is a liar. Fear will try to convince you that you are not powerful, loved or in control. Fear will back you into a corner forcing you to comply with its desires for you, and not God’s plan for your life. But God makes it clear that the Spirit you have is one of power, love, and self control; everything fear wants to convince you you don’t have. Don’t buy it. Let’s chat briefly about all we have in God that is far greater than fear.

1. We have power.

You are powerful in God. Your faith can move mountains and accomplish far more than fear ever could. Your prayers access the throne of God and release His power in any situation you face. The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the grave is in those who place their faith in Him. Fear should be afraid of you, not the other way around.

2. We have love.

You are loved. You are cherished. You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone to earn love. It’s already yours in Christ. You are His Beloved and you can rest in that truth, instead of trying to find it in this world. You don’t have to fearfully grasp for the acceptance or approval of others because as the Beloved of the Lord you are already accepted as a child of God and joint heir with Christ. 

3. We have self control.

Fear wants you to look at what you don’t have control over. You can’t control other people and certain circumstances. But you can control yourself, how you respond, if you decide to heal, move on, get better, think like Christ, and live like Him too. I love that the New King James version of 2 Timothy 1:7 uses the words “a sound mind” here. When we make decisions out of fear we look crazy and make crazy choices. But the Spirit of God helps us to think clearly and have the peace to make wise decisions to lead courageous lives.

The Spirit of the living God is not just with you, but as a follower of Christ, He is in you! That’s some serious power, love, and self-control you have access to everyday.

Now I’d love to hear from you. What would your life look like if you choose not to be motivated by fear? Let’s encourage one another in the comments.

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Thank you so much for watching today and until next time, be beautiful, be blessed, and beloved.