Overcoming the Spirit of Fear

There are fruits of the spirit that reflect the character of a believer living in accordance with the Holy Spirit, as detailed in Galatians 5:23: peace, love, joy, self-control, patience, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness. These are things to live out and embody in the natural as a believer of Jesus. There are also things that hinder us from walking fully into our identities, and one of them is the spirit of fear. Fear robs you of your destiny, it paralyzes you from living out everyday things in life, and steals your joy.

In 2 Timothy 1:7 “For the Spirit of God does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” When you recognize that the spirit of fear is at play in those you love, what do you do? I’ve had very recent talks with my children about not living in fear; taking all your cares and praying about it, because we daily watch our family walk in fear. It has robbed my family members of precious time together and joyous occasions because they live with extreme fear.

Identify the spirit

Do you have the following symptoms? Inability to trust, paralyzing fear or anxiety, negative thinking, isolation, waiting for the other shoe to drop, thinking the world is against you? These thoughts and behaviors are signs that you are operating with a spirit of fear in your life. Once you identify the spirit, it’s time to figure out how to evict this thing from your life. You don’t have to live with fear, allow fear to rule, or keep it in your life as your friend. It’s not your friend. Now, some will say there is such a thing as healthy fear. And yes, that can be true, such as being cognizant of your surroundings when out late at night. Or recognizing when healthy boundaries are crossed. But most of the time, when anxiety, stress, or negative thinking are present, the underlying cause is fear.

Combat the lie with the truth

How many times do we hear, Don’t believe the lies? So many people believe lies not only said to them or about them, but also believe what the world says. But the Bible says to put the truth in your mind and renew it with scripture. Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” The word renew means to restore to freshness; to begin again.

What would it look like to begin again? If you are fearing, read the word of God. It will soothe your soul in ways we can’t explain. Get those words down deep, so when the fear comes or the panic attack arises, you can combat it with truth. You will keep in steadfast peace if you keep your mind renewed on Christ. Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” At the end of the day, fear is a choice. We either choose to give in to fear or we choose to turn and walk away.

Don’t let it win

Here are some steps to take to not let fear win in your life.

Memorize scripture: Find a scripture that resonates with you, say and repeat it as the fear swells. Repent of fear and turn from it. When we tell the Lord, please forgive me for fearing (because fear is a sin), there is a shift in the atmosphere. You don’t have to sin. You don’t have to fear. We recognize circumstances may be out of our control, but then bend a knee and tell the Lord to take it away.

Prayer and fasting: We always have prayer as an option. By memorizing scripture, you can use what my friend called breathe prayer. You say the verse over and over again until your soul calms down. You can say it under your breath, repeating it and calling on the name of the Lord to come to your rescue. Fasting unlocks the power of prayer. True fasting is from food, but you can fast from anything, like social media, some types of food, TV, etc. It can be anything that distracts you from the Lord and keeps you stuck.

Praise and thanksgiving unlock a change in circumstances like no other. Learning to praise will break fear off your life. It will bring joy into the places where fear resides. Thanksgiving forces fear to flee. What can you be thankful for each day? Make a list and pray over it. Thank God for all the blessings in your life. It can be as simple as thank you for the sunshine today, thank you for my smiling kids, and their laughter. God does bless each of us with simple things to be grateful for.

Find support and counseling. I believe we need all three – counseling, inner healing, and deliverance. Each one has its place, and I love what Finding Freedom Ministries does. They have a post-deliverance counselor who helps you to walk out your deliverance, so there is lasting fruit from being set free. Find community and have them pray over you to help keep your mind right, your heart posture before the Lord, and to find peace.

You don’t have to let fear win. Fear will keep you from living out the abundant life God has for you. My hope and prayer for others we meet is that they come to know peace that surpasses all understanding. Only then can they truly be set free.