Set Free 2 - Breaking Bondage to Fear

Text: Psalm 27, 1 John 4

Fear. Oh what a powerful bond fear can present. It can strip us of options, joy, and even our health.

There is such a thing as a healthy fear – even fear of heights or spiders is in a way healthy, as there is a measure of danger involved in these objects of fear. While we are discussing fears, however, these types of healthy fears are not what I’m talking about today.

Let me start by saying you don’t have to look far to know God’s opinion on the matter. He does not want His children to be afraid. There are over a hundred passages in the Bible where God says not to fear. Many of them are coupled with a reason, such as “I am with you” or “I have heard you”.

Isaiah 41:10 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you.    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” NLT

Genesis 21:17 b “…Fear not, for God has heard…” NKJV

He doesn’t want you to be afraid any more than a normal father or mother wants their child to fear.

Fear is not right. Fear doesn’t feel good. Fear is not good.

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” NKJV emphasis mine

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” NKJV emphasis mine

Look at this – if God is good, and God is love (1 John 4:8, Psalm 100:5) and fear is not good, and there is no fear in love (1 John 4:18) then fear is the opposite of God.

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” NKJV

Satan would like nothing better than for us to be fearful.

Why?

Really give this some thought. Please write your answers in your journal. Please also share your insights in the comments section.

There are any number of reasons, but here’s a few I thought of.

1-      It cripples us.

2-      It makes us make poor decisions

3-      It makes us irrational

4-      It makes us doubt God.

Number four is the big one. For when we are looking to, and trusting our God, there is no fear.

So, if Satan has you bound in the chain of fear, what are some ways we can break free?

Please write down your answers.

There is no fear with God; the number one answer ought to be to look to God. Keep a laser focus on Him and you shouldn’t have any more fear problem.

Another related answer is truth.

John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” NLT

What are you fearful of? Speak truth to it. God’s words are truth. John 17:17.

I have been fearful sometimes about a dangerous influence on some of my loved ones, whom I really have no way of helping to re-direct. It hurts to watch and it has caused me to be fearful of the outcome.

But then God, (and shouldn’t that always be the answer? ‘But then God…’) at one time when this fear was particularly strong, told me, as He often does, “I’ve got this.” He brought me to a passage of Scripture fitting for the situation. I did not have to search for it; He directed me to it. (For my particular situation, that Scripture passage was Ezekiel 34:11-16)

And that was just for me and my situation, but He always has something; His word is alive and applicable, and when you don’t know where to look, He will show you.

These were ongoing fears. Ongoing worries, and places I hadn’t let go of. I had foolishly, even if subconsciously, took/kept “control” over it by fearing. Here’s what I mean – when we fear, we are essentially telling God “This is out of Your hands.”

What a lie Satan would have us believe. Childlike faith goes away when we see more and more of this big, bad world.

As children, we are already practiced in trust – trusting our parents for everything. Meals, shelter, bedtime, loving arms. Those of you with rambunctious little ones know this to be true: trusting those loving arms to catch us when we wander too close to the edge.

But as we grow older, and either more influenced by Satan’s lies, or by Satan’s people, we put up guards and choose not to trust. We get hurt, and it’s harder to trust. We sometimes have to wait for God’s plan to show through, and trust is so hard.

Psalm 56:3 “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” NLT

But that is really really the key to beating fear. If you haven’t already, please read our text, Psalm 27.

See in it the different scenarios that might cause fear.

Not, prayerfully, read through it again slowly, and ask the Spirit to give you an open mind to recognize fear in your own life. Allow your mind to paraphrase some of David’s situations to something in your own life. Write them down.

If God brings to mind something that isn’t in the text, write that down, too.

Now, write a big “Pray!” beside it on the left. And on the right, write a reminder that God’s in control; “God’s got this!” Use words that are most familiar to you (you might write something like “God’s in control over this” or something like that), and remind yourself of it throughout the day.

God bless. I am praying for you.

Can’t wait to meet up next time.

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