“Why Fear”

Why does satan use fear?

When people fear they revert back to their old nature. Fear is not a part of your born again nature. Your new nature is of God.

2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any person is [engrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

When you give your life to God & except what Jesus did at the Cross you no longer walk as one in darkness. We do not follow after the flesh (the old Adamic nature).

Satan wants you to walk in the old nature to be like him, not God. He will lie to you, deceive you, and try to make you fear so you will be like him and not like God.

Rom. 8:1 THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.

Satan wants you to walk in fear so condemnation will come upon you. He wants you to walk in fear so you will live & walk after the dictation’s of the flesh. Satan wants you to be controlled by the flesh. But when you are born again the Holy Spirit comes to your aide so you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Rom. 8:5 For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.

Satan wants you not to have peace. Vs. 6 Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever]. But we can have peace in God. We do not have to fear life and what life holds.

Vs 7 The carnal mind is hostile to God. Satan tries to put fear on you so you will revert back to your old ways. Carnal thinking, walking in the flesh is all hostile & against God.

Satan wants you in bondage. Rom. 8:15 For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father!

Fear paralyzes you so you can not cry Abba Father.

Satan wants you to make decisions according to the flesh. Fear causes you to make wrong decisions. You become stupid & all you have learned of God does not flow from you.

Your flesh will control you, unless you are controlled by the Holy Spirit. Fear is a Spirit and it controls you if you let it. And God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power & love & a sound mind. Fear has torment and it takes away your power.

Gal. 5:16 But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).

Satan knows that if he can get you to walk continually in fear you will have your part in the lake of fire(Rev. 21: 8) And you will be separated from God forever.

Fear causes anger, bad feelings towards others, slander, lying lips, & much more from the flesh. Satan wants you destroyed. He does not want you to walk with God in peace. Fear takes faith from you & without faith it is impossible to please God.

Fear causes you to look at self. You do not look at God and what He can do, you only look at your shortcomings and what you can do in the flesh. Fear stops you from living and Jesus came so you might have life and have it more abundantly. He came to destroy the works of satan.

The devil is a destroyer and he wants to destroy your peace, your joy, & every aspect of your born again life and your walk with God.

Fear causes you not to hear God’s voice. God wants to walk with you and talk with you. He does not want you to fear.

Ps. 62:8 Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

Ps. 115:9 O Israel, trust and take refuge in the Lord! [Lean on, rely on, and be confident in Him!] He is their Help and their Shield.

Ps. 23 1 THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.

2 He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.

3 He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.

4 Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.

6 Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.

Is. 12:2 Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and song; yes, He has become my salvation.

Ps. 46:1 GOD IS our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.

God is here for you. You do not need to fear. Satan is a liar and the father of all lies. Trust God and walk with Him. Resist all that satan would try to put on you. Do not let fear have a place in your life. Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. You can do it with God. All things are possible in Him. Do not fear!! Trust!! God is not going to tell you about tomorrow, he wants you to trust Him. Though things change and you don’t understand, God knows all. He already knows what will happen one minute from now, one hour from now, one year from now, and He has it all under control. So don’t let fear control you or have any part of your life. FEAR NOT!! TRUST HIM!

“Fear of People”

Matt10:28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna).

God does not want us to fear people. Others do have influence over us if we let them. Others can make you feel things and do things that God does not want for you. It is important that we see things the way God wants us to see. Do not Fear men!

John 8:20 Jesus said these things in the treasury while He was teaching in the temple [[c]court]; but no one ventured to arrest Him, because His hour had not yet come.

He said His hour had not yet come, so no one had power over Him, save only that which is given by the Father. NO ONE has power to do anything to us, unless God allows them to. Do not give others power over you because of FEAR.

Heb. 13:6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?

I will not fear what man can do to me!!!!

PS. 56:4 By [the help of] God I will praise His word; on God I lean, rely, and confidently put my trust; I will not fear. What can man, who is flesh, do to me?

2 Tim. 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

God has not given us a spirit of fear. It is the enemy that uses fear to control people.

Rom. 8:15 For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father!

Fear brings bondage. God wants us to be free. He does not want us to be in bondage to nothing or no one.

Rev. 21:8 But as for the cowards and the ignoble and the contemptible and the cravenly lacking in courage and the cowardly submissive, (THE FEARFUL & UNBELIEVING) and as for the unbelieving and faithless, and as for the depraved and defiled with abominations, and as for murderers and the lewd and adulterous and the practicers of magic arts and the idolaters (those who give supreme devotion to anyone or anything other than God) and all liars (those who knowingly convey untruth by word or deed)–[all of these shall have] their part in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone. This is the second death.

WOW, The fearful are listed with the murderers, sorcerers, etc… will have their part in the Lake of fire which burneth with fire… & liars (in word & deed)

Fear breeds unbelief. Why do we fear man??? When fear comes we cowardly submit to whoever & what ever has brought the fear, therefore giving it power over us. But great is He that is in us that he that is in the world. We must submit to Jesus & what He did for us. (…he that the Son set free is free indeed)

Is. 8:12-13 Do not call conspiracy [or hard, or holy] all that this people will call conspiracy [or hard, or holy]; neither be in fear of what they fear, nor [make others afraid and] in dread.

13 The Lord of hosts–regard Him as holy and honor His holy name by regarding Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him].

Do not cause others to fear. Do not spread fear. Honor God and Him only. Fear Him and Him only.

Phil. 1:28 And do not [for a moment] be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such [constancy and fearlessness] will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of [their impending] destruction, but [a sure token and evidence] of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God.

Do not let others intimidate you. They only want destruction and they want you to be side tracked from what God has for you. If you have fear He will deliver you!!!

Ps. 27:1,2,3,5,13,14 - THE LORD is my Light and my Salvation–whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life–of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, [even then] in this will I be confident. For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock. What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living! Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.

We do not have hope without God!!!

Ps. 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Deut. 31:8 It is the Lord Who goes before you; He will [march] with you; He will not fail you or let you go or forsake you; [let there be no cowardice or flinching, but] fear not, neither become broken [in spirit--depressed, dismayed, and unnerved with alarm].

Is. 8:11-15 The people were in fear of an invasion. Their enemies were very close. Isaiah told them to fear God only. Fear is an enemy of faith. Fear takes away your peace. It can rob you of your trust in God. God is our shelter & hiding place. Ask God to not let you fear people & fear Him only! Fear not. DO NOT FEAR. The Lord will fight for you. Just as He did for the children of Israel. He brought them out of Egypt to the Red Sea & had them camp there, fully knowing that the Egyptians were coming. When the Israelites “saw” the Egyptians they became exceedingly frightened, they did right at first, they cried out to the Lord. But then fear took over & they became forgetful of all the miracles & all that the Lord had brought them through. Long story short the Lor went between the Israelites & the Egyptians. Ex. 14:20 (so that one came not near the other all night) vs. 14 “The Lord will fight for you, & you shall hold your peace & remain at REST.”

vs 13 Moses told the people:

1) Fear not

2) Stand still (firm, confident, me undismayed)

3) see the salvation of the Lord

Which He will work for you TODAY!

Be on the watch. DO NOT fear people. If we let fear of people stop us we will not receive what God has for us.

Rev. 3:11 I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one may rob you and deprive you of your crown.

Rom. 8:35-39 Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?

36 Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.

38 For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,

39 Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We must not let anyone take rob us of our crown. No one can separate us from God. We must stand firm. We must not fear what man can do to us. Hold fast to your convictions and to your faith. Man is nothing compared to our God. Do not let anyone manipulate you into believing them or fearing them. You are a child of God. He will fight your battle and you will have battles. Be of good courage!! We are overcomers!! Look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. DO NOT FEAR MAN!!!! BE NOT AFRAID!! What can man do??? NOTHING!!!! We have might God. Serve Him and Him only. Fear Him and Him only. Do not let anyone have any power over you!!!!!!!!!!! Fear has torment! God is love and perfect love cast out fear. Serve God and Him only! Fear God and Him only!

“Fear of Failure”

There are many types of fear. One that grips a lot of people today is the fear of failure. We try to be perfect because we don’t want to fail. We don’t want to fail our family, our friends, ourselves, and God. But this can steal your joy and can stop you from growing and going forward in God.

When you fear like this it will stop you from getting involved with something you were asked to do, because you are afraid to fail. God almost always ask you to do things that you can not do. He wants us to depend on Him. With fear of failure you won’t walk out on faith and just do what ever God ask you to do. You won’t take risk. This will limit you and your service for God.

The fear of failure can put one into depression. You feel though you let everyone down and that you are not worth anything. Once you are depressed it can be hard to come out of it. You have no motivation & little hope. Fear of failure has turned many to drugs and drinking. We must remember our life & who we are is not based on our success or failure.

Many people have feared failure, Moses did. Exodus 4:10 (Amp.)

“And Moses said to the Lord, O Lord, I am not eloquent or a man of words, neither before not since you have spoken to your servant, for I am slow of speech & have a heavy & awkward tongue.”

One of the first things people do when they fear failure is to make excuses to why they can not do something. God does not want us to do this. Many times in the bible the first thing God says to people when He ask them to do something is Fear Not! He knows that people will not go forward and do the great things He has asked if they are afraid. Fear hinders us from doing what God wants us to do. We must remember we are not to do anything in our own strength & wisdom. (do all things unto the Lord, You can do all things through Him)

God answer to Moses: “and the Lord said to him, Who has made man’s mouth? or who makes the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefor go & I WILL BE WITH YOUR MOUTH & will teach you what you shall say.

See God is with us. He will teach us. He has made us who we are. He is our strength.

Gideon was just like Moses. Judges 6:15

“Gideon said to the Lord, oh Lord, how Can I deliver Israel? (first we question God, then here comes the excuse) Behold, my clan is the poorest in Manasseh, & I am the least in my father’s house.”

But again God answers Him: “surely I WILL BE WITH YOU…” vs 23 “DO NOT FEAR”.

See God will always be with us. He will teach us and show us what and how to do what ever He ask us to do.

It is not what we do or not do that gives us relief from the fear of failure. It is because God sent His Son Jesus to die for us, so we could have life, even though we did not deserve it. He does not kick us our when we fail. He forgives us & cleanses us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

We have been justified and forgiven. He has succeeded, so it is not weather we succeed or fail that matters. It is what He did!! We have right standing with God because of what Jesus did at the Cross. 2 Cor. 5:21, Heb. 10:17.

Rom. 5:8 While we were yet sinners Christ Died for us. (We were failures, when he died for us)

Christ alone is the source of our peace. We do not need to fear failure, because He is our strength.

Isaiah 64:6 For we all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness (OUR BEST DEEDS OF RIGHTNESS AND JUSTICE) is like filthy rags or a polluted garment; we all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind, take us away (far from God’s favor, hurrying us toward destruction).

Our best deeds are like filthy rags. WOW! We go around Fearing failure and even our best deeds are like polluted garments. There is nothing we can do without God that means anything or is good for anything. (without Him we are nothing) So lets stop making excuses and lets stop fearing failure and lets “GO FORTH” and do what God has called us to do without fear!! He said He would be with us. He would provide for us. As He told Moses “Have I not made your mouth?” He can give us the words to say, the deeds to do, and the strength and wisdom to succeed. So do not let Fear of Failure hinder you. Let God be God and follow Him. He will not leave you, nor forsake you!!!!!

GOD NEVER CHANGES BY REV. LEN PAXTON