Fear is one of the greatest of oppressions that is tormenting Christians and non-Christians across the globe. It’s the cause of many health issues, emotional traumas and mental depressions, and many of us live defeated lives with stifled hopes because of this hidden and destructive sense. It’s time we learned to overcome fear and to start living as God intended.

The fear that many of us suffer is instigated by this world, promoted by the people in it and adhered to and counseled as if it’s the norm. The monster in the shadows is not a big, scary ogre, but rather it’s a fear brought on by our unsure surroundings. We’re afraid of getting a disease, or we’re worried that our spouse will leave us. We’re fearful that we’ll lose our job or that our lack of finances will hurt our families. We’re scared to send our kids to school for fear that they’ll be hurt and we no longer greet strangers with smile because they might attack us.

We live in a constant state of duress because of this embedded doubt that we carry. We’re told about things and then we worry about them happening to us.

The Bible says in Luke 21:26, “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.”

Most of the people on this earth live by the rules and laws of this earth and so they look to the medical world, the law officials and the social leaders for their direction. When they learn that it’s normal to get arthritis after the age of 50, they expect to get it – many fear the crippling effect it will have, but they accept it. Cancer and heart disease are the leading cause of death in the US, and many people fear they’ll be stricken with it because that’s what the medical world predicts.

The crime rate is rising throughout the world and many of us fear for our lives and for our homes. The constant increase of raging storms brings on an emotional fear that is overwhelming as we prepare for the worst. We are surrounded with doubt for our safety and this has become the normal way of life. There is no peace and we are on a constant guard.

This is what the world is giving us, but it’s not what God has for us. We CAN overcome fear IF we turn to the Lord and trust Him to keep us safe. The Bible is filled with encouraging scriptures that teach us not to fear because God is with us. We need to get a grip on fear and trust that God is faithful and will help us. There are only two forces that influence people and they are the world, which is controlled by the devil, and God – and God is the greater one because He is the creator and Lord over everything.

“If God be for us, who can be against us?” … Romans 8:31

As Christians, we have the Spirit of God in us, and His Spirit does NOT allow fear in when we know who we are in Christ. And in 2 Timothy 1:7 we learn this truth because it says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

God tells us in 1 Peter 5:7 to cast all of our cares onto Him because He cares for us. He doesn’t want us to carry burdens that will weigh us down and fill us with doubt. He wants us to be free of the cares of this world, and the only way we can do that is to give those cares – like fear – to Him.

We should not be afraid of the things that are coming upon this world because they will come, but we are under God’s protection. In Psalm 56:4 we learn that we should praise God and trust Him to protect us and not fear what the world can do to hurt us.

The trials will come and the world will continue to be ravaged with sickness, crime and uncertainty, but in John 16:33 Jesus tells us to trust Him because He has overcome the world. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

The devil is stirring havoc in the world and is causing us to be afraid of everything and anything, and this is what he wants so that he can steal us away from God and not trust Him for the victories in our lives and for blessings and good health. But his spirit is the spirit of the world; We Christians have God’s spirit in us and we can turn to God for help. Jesus says in John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

We can cry out to the Lord and trust Him to deliver us of the things that are coming against us. We can cry out to the Lord to deliver us from the fear that grips us. We are His children and He is our father and we can depend on Him to protect us.

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” … Romans 8:15

Fear and doubt are mind-sets that belong to this world and they rule over the hearts of people and force them to live defeated and unprotected lives. Faith and trust are fruits of the Spirit of God who lives in us and they enable us to live victorious and prosperous lives. We’ll still have trials and tribulations, but through faith we are able to cry, Abba Father, and know that He will hear us.

There are times that the fear of a situation is so great that we get caught in its clutches and it almost destroys us, but God tells us that He is with us even during those horrific times. Psalm 23:4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

God loves us and He’s always with us. He promised in Hebrews 13:5 that He would never leave us nor forsake us, so we can depend on Him being there to help us whenever we call out to Him. And when fear starts to creep in we have to cast it down and not entertain it.

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” … 2 Corinthians 10:5

We need to learn to love the Lord and trust Him, because with His love comes the truth, and the truth will set us free from the fears of this world.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” … 1 John 4:18