God did not intend for us to be fearful. In fact, he wants us to be strong and courageous. He wants to move us from bondage to liberty. I touched on this in my last post, Breaking the Chains of Fear (Part One): 7 Fundamental Truths About Fear, which was part one of a two-part series. The focus of this series is conquering emotionally destructive fear – the kind of fear that breeds worry and anxiety, that robs us of a joy-filled life and causes us to step outside of God’s will. While my previous post took a look at the ways the enemy uses fear as a form of bondage against God’s people, now I’d like to take a look at what God’s Word says about conquering this fear.
The bible simply states, “fear not, trust The Lord.” Ha! Easier said than done, right? The biblical command to “fear not” is a command to not panic or be immobilized by fear, and to not allow fear to hinder obedience to God. That doesn’t mean that fear won’t creep up and try to overwhelm, however when I read a straight forward command like this, it implies to me that fear is a choice, and that we are capable of making such a choice.
I believe that God will never set us up for failure. If he says He can strengthen me to overcome something, then I have no choice but to believe him. His word clearly says, in several accounts and instances, and in several different ways: fear not, I am with you, I will protect you, trust in Me only, and I will strengthen you to get through. Well alright then Lord, sound’s pretty clear to me that I should “fear not”!
We use the phrases “I’ve got your back”, or, “I’ve got you covered” all the time, and it’s usually enough to put the person we are speaking with at ease. So why is it so hard for us to feel secure in the fact that the creator and ruler of the universe has our back and has us covered? If anyone can do it, our mighty and powerful God certainly can. What do we possibly have to fear?
With this in mind, and after careful examination of God’s word, I am fully persuaded that God surely has us covered! If you haven’t had a chance to check out Part One of this series, I encourage you to take a read when you can.
4 Surefire Ways to Conquer Fear in Your Life
1. Put your trust in the Lord.
The opposite of fear is trust. Develop the conviction in your mind and in your heart that God is able to protect you, that he is able to accomplish His will for you, and that His promises can be trusted.
“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?” ~ Psalm 56:3-4
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6
“But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?” ~ Psalm 56:3-4
“You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly. You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the Lord is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.” ~ Proverbs 3:24-26
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” ~ Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters … they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God.” ~ Isaiah 43:1-3
“So we can say with confidence, The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” ~ Hebrews 13:6
2. Set your mind.
The battle field is in your mind. There is no “physical thing” that is fear; it’s a state of mind. In life we can’t always control our environment, or people, but we can get a grip on our thoughts and try to redirect them. My Pastor once said, “Where Jesus is, nothing else can reside.” Oh how true! If you let Jesus occupy your mind, the devil has to flee.
In a previous post, Temptation: Strategizing for the Battle, I discussed battling and overcoming the power of temptation. One of the key messages in that post is that God is our exit strategy, and that we must wear the full armor of God daily….notably the helmet of salvation. In other words, the battle starts in the mind, so we must protect our minds. In the case of breaking the chains of fear, we must set our minds not to fear. So how do we set our minds not to fear you ask? Here’s a thought…fill it with God’s word!
We could allow fear to control our will and emotions, or, instead, we can let the peace of God rule our hearts and minds. You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so, because fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind. If you really understand that God is bigger than your fears, then you know that there is truly no reason to fear. God’s word tells me that when I’m facing a problem or issue that’s overwhelming me, instead of allowing fear to control my mind, it would be wise for me to stop, take a Jesus time out, and focus on these things:
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” ~ Philippians 4:8
“And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].” ~ Colossians 3:15 (AMP)
“I’m leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives. So, don’t be troubled or afraid.” ~ John 14:27
3. Have Faith in God’s Word.
Faith is the key to overcoming the fear. Faith and fear both come from our believing. Wrong believing brings fear. Right believing brings faith. Faith is believing what God says. Fear is believing what the devil says. Begin confessing God’s Word everyday over your situation. This will build your confidence to believe Him in faith. God told Jeremiah the prophet:
“Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” ~ Jeremiah 23:29
Faith means standing on God’s promise that He is always with us and on our side, and believing that His Word is absolutely true. Meditate on God’s Word, and allow it to become an all-consuming fire in your heart, and a strong hammer that smashes your fears to pieces!
“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:6
“I will never leave you or forsake you.” ~ Hebrews 13:5
“I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” ~ Matthew 28:20
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” ~ Psalm 27:1
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” ~2 Timothy 1:7
4. Find Peace Through Prayer.
Don’t simply try to deny or suppress your fears, cast them to God. Pray for strength, wisdom and confidence. Prayer works. It clarifies our worries so that we can go forward rather than being frozen in our tracks because of worry and fear. Prayer can help us weed out the outrageous and irrational fears from the legitimate and rational concerns. God can help us identify and sort out the real issues. Always remember, God has you covered and is available to you – gone are the days of having to sacrifice an animal to get in right relationship with Him, or have a High Priest speak on your behalf. With all thanks, glory and honor to our Lord Jesus Christ, we can all go to God directly in prayer.
“Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” ~ Psalm 55:22
“Casting all your care upon him; for He cares for you.” ~ 1 Peter 5:7
“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” ~ Psalm 34:4
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” ~ Philippians 4:6
Peace & Blessings
❤ Tiffany
Also linking up with these other encouraging blogs:
My Salt, His Light 
I love this! I want to read it everyday! Thank you
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Thanks for stopping by! So glad this was helpful! I need to read it everyday too 🙂
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Thank you for sharing this on the Inspire Me Mondays link up. I’ve never really pondered the fact that fear is a choice–but you’re totally right. So often, what I fear has to do with pride–and God wants us to humble ourselves before him, let him lead and guide us and to quit wasting time on silly fears and insecurities.
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Amen! Thanks for reading Anita!
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