Fear, A Matter of Spiritual Warfare
2Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
One of the greatest weapons the enemy wields against us is fear. There are literally hundreds of different types of phobias, which represent specific irrational fears. There are approximately 6.3 million American adults who live under some form of specific fear. 5.3 million American adults suffer from social fears and 3.2 million American adults suffer from spatial fears, such as crowded places. This does not even take into consideration those who do not seek help for their fears, or those below 18 years of age and those above 54 years of age. The statistics are overwhelming, if not frightening.
This is not a new phenomenon either. The bible tells us that many of the great biblical figures God used dealt with their own fears as well. In Paul's second letter to Timothy, he specifically addresses this problem and within it are several truths to consider. The first truth is that God did not give us a spirit of fear. Well, if it did not come from God and so many suffer from it; where did it come from?
The enemy. The enemy will use fear to separate you from God, to make you doubt God's protection and provision and to keep you from being effective in the ministry. Do not feel alone beloved; the enemy has tried this on many before you. Look at what Moses said when God called him:
But
Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the
Israelites out of
Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" Exodus 4:1
Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." Exodus 4:10
