Sometimes it seems like everywhere we turn, someone is speaking or promoting bad news—from TV shows and movies to well-meaning family and friends talking about negative things. It seems like much of our society is so conditioned to evil and fear, and they unknowingly welcome it like an old friend. Yet this was never God’s intention for any of us. In fact, the Bible tells us not to be fearful more than 100 times! We are called to live in power and peace (2 Timothy 1:7). It’s time for us to be wise to the enemy’s schemes and live fear free.
Have you ever considered where fear comes from? If you’re thinking fear comes straight from Satan, the author of lies, you’re correct. Fear is a tool he uses to distract us and keep us from God’s glorious blessings. Instead of focusing on God’s Word and our desired future, fear drives us to focus on worst-case scenarios and anything that could possibly go wrong.
Are you ready to start living unshakable and fear free? By putting these 6 Ways To Live Fear Free into practice, you can move into the greatest peace, joy and victory you’ve ever known.
1) Cast ALL your cares on the Lord.
“Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.“ –Psalm 55:22 (NKJV)
What are your fears? Are you fearful of losing a relationship? Fearful of losing a job? Fearful of dying of a specific health condition? Whatever fears you’ve been hanging on to, you can let them go right now by giving them to the Lord. The scripture above promises us that whatever we’re worried about, we can cast those cares on the Lord, and He will take the care of them for us.
You literally can walk completely free of fear when you cast your cares on Him. However, if you insist on holding tightly to a care, concern, worry or fear, it blocks Him from moving on your behalf. So, don’t say you’re turning your cares over and then fall into worrying again. Give your fears to the Lord and leave them there (Psalm 34:4).
2) Set your spiritual compass.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” –John 10:10 (NKJV)
Just as we would set our compass in the natural to steer us in the right direction, so we must set our spiritual compass—our faith—to lead and guide us to God’s blessings. Like a compass has north and south on its dial, so we have blessings and curses on our faith dial.
In the scripture above, we are given a clear choice as to which direction to set our spiritual compass:
1) Listen to and have faith in Satan’s demonic attacks on our minds, attempting to feed us fear, or
2) Focus our faith in Jesus and His words, leading us to hope and victory.
Whatever you focus on is what will set your spiritual compass (Romans 10:17). If you watch and listen to fearful movies, you’ll set your mind on destruction and fall into torment. If you watch and listen to the Word and Word-based programs, you’ll set your mind on victory (1 John 5:4).
When we tune in to the Word, aligning our faith with God, we’ll never have to worry if we’re on the right course, because our faith has been set and we know that God is leading and guiding us in the right direction—all the time.
3) Recognize that you’ve been redeemed from fear.
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that THE BLESSING of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” –Galatians 3:13-14 (NKJV)
Just as Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law, and of sin, poverty, sickness, and disease, He also redeemed us from the curse of fear. Fear is a force that, if not resisted, can wreak havoc upon us, our families and ultimately, our entire lives (1 John 4:18). God states clearly that not only is fear a tormentor, but the spirit of fear doesn’t belong to us (2 Timothy 1:7). Why? Because Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of fear, and it has no right to us whatsoever. Fear doesn’t come from within us; it is a spirit trying to get on us to drive our decisions and steal our peace, prosperity and joy.
The next time you feel afraid—afraid to fly, afraid to swim, afraid to drive—remember Jesus bore that fear for you the same day He bore your sin. Recognize it and rebuke that spirit immediately. Kenneth Copeland did this very thing when he experienced fear in an elevator. He shares how he overcame the fear right in the moment:
“I got in an elevator at a hotel in Atlanta, Ga., one time, that was out in the open and made of glass. At first, I wasn’t afraid, but when I got up to the glass and looked down four or five stories, my toes started curling. I had this intense sensation to get back away from that glass. Instead, I said, ‘No, you don’t. You’re not putting that on me.’ I pressed my nose against that glass and forced myself to ride it up and down four or five times until the fear left. I’m not tolerating fear from somebody (satan) that’s already been whipped.”
Don’t accept fear in your life. Rebuke fear just as Kenneth did, and let the devil know he won’t be putting any fear on you!
4) Choose a sound mind.
“God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” –2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
What would you do if a thief trespassed onto your property and started to break into your home? You’d arm yourself and call the police! Yet most Christians don’t take this stance when the devil feeds them fearful thoughts, trespassing on their sound minds.
You see, just like the scripture above states, God has given you a secure and sound mind. It is the devil who is attempting to trespass into it when he tries to invade your mind with fearful thoughts. And just as you would protect your home and your family from an invader, you must protect your God-given sound mind from satanic thoughts of fear.
It’s ineffective to try to outthink the devil and rationalize all the reasons you don’t need to fear. Instead, you have to speak the Word of God. Just like a police officer would make a thief run from the scene, speaking the Word makes the devil flee from your mind.
The next time you find yourself starting to grapple with fearful thoughts, protect your sound mind by responding immediately, out loud, with the Word of God; and watch how fast the devil runs from you. Try saying some of these scriptures and declarations based on them:
- Psalm 118:6 (NKJV): “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? I refuse to fear!”
- Psalm 27:3 (NKJV): “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, my confidence is in God.”
- Philippians 1:28 (AMPC): “I am not [for a moment] frightened or intimidated in ANYTHING by my opponents and adversaries.”
- Psalm 112:7(KJV): “I shall not be afraid of evil tidings. My heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. My heart is established. I shall not be afraid.”
5) Adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward fear.
“Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice. Behold, all they who are enraged and inflamed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; they who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish.” –Isaiah 41:10-11, (AMPC)
Franklin Roosevelt had it right when he said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Fear is a trick and a time-stealing lie of the enemy. If we give fear one minute of our time, it turns into consistent thoughts about that specific fear throughout the day. Pretty soon, that fear snowballs into additional fears, and suddenly you’re fighting an avalanche of tormented thoughts. However, since you’ve been redeemed from fear, it’s easy to take your stand, throw fear aside, and keep running your race by faith (Hebrews 12:1-2). That is why we must have zero tolerance for fear, under any circumstance.
You may be thinking that there are some dire circumstances where remaining fear free would just be too impossible, and yet, Kellie Copeland had a very good reason to fear one Christmas Eve morning years ago, and she chose not to. One of her daughters had been rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with severe spinal meningitis. When Kellie was told that her daughter would not live through the night, she recognized the spirit of fear attempting to grip her and spoke her response: “I refuse to fear!” Kellie then prayed and declared with her family, according to the Word of God, and her daughter miraculously recovered.
Even in the worst circumstances, we must absolutely refuse to put up with the trespassing of fear. Jesus paid the ultimate price, so we could take victory over fear in every situation (Luke 10:19).
6) Walk In Love
“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” –1 John 4:16-18
Do you believe God loves you? He does. He is so in love with you—truly, wholly and unconditionally—just as you are right now.
Let that revelation sink into your spirit for a moment. After all, God’s love is the foundation of our faith and the entire reason He sent Jesus to die for us—in order to reconcile us back into His kingdom (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19). That means we are righteously and eternally reconciled to God and have absolutely no reason to fear anything or anyone ever again.
Take some time to delve into God’s love for you through the Scriptures. The more you realize His love for you, the more you’ll grow your faith (Galatians 5:6-10 ). And since faith is the opposite of fear, the more of His love you embrace, the smaller fear will become!
(Learn how Perfect Love Casts Out Fear HERE.)
Are you ready to live completely fear free and unshakable? Put these 6 Ways To Live Fear Free into practice, and you’ll find yourself developing a new, faith-filled habit of walking in perfect peace. You don’t need to fear anything in this life! Jesus is for you, with you, protecting you, guiding you and blessing you every day. Have faith in God—it’s the only way to live a long and happy life!
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