“The War Against Fear”
Fear is the great tool of The Enemy to bring down the walls of Christianity in America and The World. Since the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and The World Trade Center, the words of promise from 2 Timothy 1:7 has been speaking to my heart: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Notice it is not “a spirit of fear” that the Apostle Paul is talking about but “the spirit of fear” – the source of “the spirit of fear” is from the enemy himself -- Satan!
American is now threatened daily with the spread of biochemical warfare and an escalation of terrorist attacks that could literally destroy thousands and thousands of unsuspecting and innocent people. Biochemical warfare alone could incapacitate our hospitals and make people fearful to leave their homes or even breath fresh air due to the potential threat of airborne viruses. All signs point to the fact that America is not ready for such an onslaught of terrorism! One could conclude that “the spirit of fear” is having its way in America – the land of the free and the home of the brave. There is a prevalent fear for sudden loss of life, loss of economic wealth and sufficiency, loss of personal employment and loss of civil liberties. Many people have a fear of traveling or even trusting in their fellowman. Further, “the spirit of fear” is spreading and taking captive thousands of people even Christians everyday into its clutches.
Let us not forget that fear is the great enemy of faith for fear breaks down our trust in God. The Bible tells us to “be anxious for nothing” and that “God has not given us a spirit of fear.” The psalmist, David, said “the Lord delivered me from all my fears.” But fear is a reality in life and as we have seen since September 11, 2001, it is very much alive and confronts the Christian in his daily and moment-by-moment walk with the Lord. The Enemy, who never plays fair, uses “the spirit of fear” in the lives of God’s people to hinder the Great Commission and keep us from becoming all that God wants us to be. The Lord has set us free but The Enemy wants to bring us back under a yolk of bondage. Yet, fear is a topic that each of us can relate too and none of us is immune too. Thankfully, the Bible has much to tell us and instruct us in waging war against “the spirit of fear.” In the following passage of Scripture, the Apostle John is going to reveal to us six results of “the spirit of fear” in the life of the Christian and why we must wage war against it. Listen to these beautiful verses in John 11:6-16:
“So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. 7. Then after this He said to the disciples, Let us go to Judea again. 8. The disciples said to Him, Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again? 9. Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10. But If anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. 11. This He said, and after that He said to them, Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep. 12. The disciples then said to Him, Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover. 13. Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. 14. So Jesus then said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead, 15. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him. 16. Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”
First, FEAR BLINDS US TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS. This is a subtle truth that is revealed in verses John 6-8: “So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. 7. Then after this He said to the disciples, Let us go to Judea again. 8. The disciples said to Him, Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?” Notice, Jesus is not motivated by fear or even sentiment but by love and a desire to do the will of the Father. Upon hearing Lazarus was sick, the Scripture says, “…He (Jesus) then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.” Of course, Jesus knew that Lazarus was dead but at the same time He knew “…This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” (Vs. 4) Jesus was going to literally show His disciples, Mary and Martha, and the many mourners who God used as witnesses His Son, Jesus Christ, is The Resurrection and Life – Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead.
However, Jesus’ disciples did not know this and it is my conviction they loved Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus deeply. The home and companionship of Lazarus and his sisters had been a place of refuge for Jesus and His disciples. Yet, when Jesus “then stayed two more days longer in the place where he was”, the disciples said nothing. Why? If they loved Lazarus, it would seem out of a devotion and concern for him they would question the Lord as to why he was delaying going to Lazarus – but Scripture records nothing on this point. Why? I believe it was because the heart of the disciples was filled with “the spirit of fear.” Verse 8 certainly implies that Bethany was a place of danger for Jesus and his disciples: “The disciples said to Him, Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?” Fear has blinded them to the need of others – even those they love. Of course, the Lord did this to test the faith of the disciples and bring this fear to the surface.
Notice in verse 7 the Lord says, “…Let us go to Judea again.” The word “us” in this verse is very important in understanding and successfully waging war against fear. Christ accompanies His people even in peril – even in death. 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.”
Second, FEAR CAUSES US TO DISPLACE OUR FEARS ON OTHERS. Notice the focus of the disciples words in verse 8: “The disciples said to Him, Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?” The focus of concern in this verse is on Jesus’ safety not that of the disciples. It is not unusual, when being forced to confront our fears, to displace them on others – in this case the disciples displaced their fears on the Lord. They didn’t admit their own fears and ask the Lord to help them to complete a journey they saw as dangerous. Instead, their fears were displaced on the Lord as if they were his own feelings. Displacement keeps us from facing our own fears and as a result we are never freed from them. This is a common defense mechanism of man when He is not resting upon the supernatural power of God.
The great patriarch, Jacob, experience this type of fear concerning his son, Benjamin, when Joseph demanded he be sent to Egypt in return for food for his family. Listen to this verse from Genesis 42:38: “But Jacob said: “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.” God blessed Jacob with two sons, Joseph and Benjamin, from his wife, Rebekah, whom he dearly loved. Jacob’s fear from losing Joseph (whom he thought long dead) caused him to displace his fear on his son, Benjamin, who was his only remaining son from his union with Rebekah. His fear of losing Benjamin nearly resulted in his placing his entire family in a position where they would starve to death.
Third, FEAR SHOWS A DISTRUST OF GOD’S POWER. Again, listen to verse 8: “The disciples said to Him, Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?” Although this statement might show the disciples concern for Jesus’ safety, it also reveals in their heart a distrust of His power. When sudden fears come upon us we tend to forget Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:18: “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” The victory over terrorism will only be won on our knees. We must appropriate the spirit of power, love and sound judgment. It has been encouraging to see this nation turn to God and patriotism in the last few weeks – there are even petitions being routed to put prayer back in the schools! However, this commitment must go further than mere words or emotions of the moment – they must find their roots in a total reliance and dependence on Almighty God. It is one thing to praise God with your lips and another to praise Him with your heart.
Fourth, FEAR CAUSE US TO LOSE PRECIOUS HOURS IN THE LORD’S SERVICE. Notice the Lord’s response to the disciples’ statement of concern in verse 9: Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. We are invulnerable in this world until our work for the Lord is done. Examples of this are evident throughout Scripture. Jesus did not go to the Cross until His hour, which was already predetermined in eternity past, had come. The Apostle Paul was not taken home to be with the Lord until he had finished the race. The issue, is understanding God’s authority and power and realizing we have only so many hours left to serve Him. Moses said in Psalm 90:12: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Notice, “God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Remember, the Scriptures tells us God determined His appointed times and boundaries for mankind. Listen to Acts 17:26: “And He made from one (blood) every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times; and the boundaries of their habitation…” King Solomon made a similar statement in Ecclesiastes 3:1-2: “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under the heaven. A time to give birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.” Thus, the Bible says both in Ecclesiastes and in Acts 27 that there is a proper and appropriate time which has been predetermined by a sovereign God for birth and death to occur. Solomon says there is a time to be born and a time to die. The divine and all-powerful counsel of God determines these times; and, as we were born, so we must die, at the time appointed. “We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coming, when no man can work.” (John 9:4)
Fifth, FEAR BLINDS US TO THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD AND DARKENS OUR SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING. Have you heard the expression, “Blinded by fear?” The same impact occurs in our spiritual growth when we are controlled by the darkness of fear rather than The Light in whom we must have faith. Listen to the Lord’s in verses 10-15: “But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. 11. This He said, and after that He said to them, Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep. 12. The disciples then said to Him, Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover. 13. Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. 14. So Jesus then said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead, 15. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.” God has appointed our hours of activity. The only danger we face as Christians is walking out of the light of faith into the darkness of fear. The one who walks in darkness is the one who stumbles. Jesus says if we walk in the day we do not stumble because we see “the light of this world.” Who is The Light of this world? Jesus said in John 16:33: “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.” Our trust in the One who has overcome the world is our source of victory over fear: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4).
When Jesus said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep…” (Vs. 11), the disciples expressed misunderstanding (vs. 12-14). Yet, the term “asleep” as used here was common in the Old Testament Scriptures as a reference to physical death. Finally, Jesus clearly tells his disciples, “Lazarus is dead.” (Vs. 14) Jesus loved the disciples as He loves you and me. He is very patient in dealing with their fears and lack of spiritual understanding just as He is with ours – what a wonderful Savior we serve!
Jesus makes His purpose clear in verse 15: “And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.” Jesus is perfecting what is lacking in their faith. He is showing His disciples and us how to win the war against fear: We must live by faith not by sight when confronted with the reality of terrorist attacks, biochemical warfare, disease, disappointment, delay and even death. Jesus was urging them and us to believe His Word no matter how fearful or discouraging the circumstances in our country might appear. In the war against fear, Scripture drives us back to this point: BELIEVE HIS WORD. TRUST HIS WORD. IT NEVER FAILS. God see possibilities and opportunities we cannot see and His power assures us that nothing can separate us from the Love of Christ.
Finally, FEAR CAUSES US TO PREDICT THE OUTCOME INSTEAD OF TRUSTING GOD WITH THE RESULTS. Listen to the comment of Thomas in verse 16 for it is reflective of us when confronted with “the spirit of fear”: “Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.” In Thomas’ mind, the outcome of their going to Bethany had already been determined – they would die. What He failed to do was to trust God with the results; He left God out of the formula – for, indeed, by his obedience to the Lord’s command, he witnessed the Glory of God! -- not death in his future but resurrection and life – not a programmed faith that has no power in the present but a personal faith that exists not in the past, not in the future but in the present moment where God desires to reign in our life.
As Christians, we often forget the Lord’s admonition in Matthew 6:34: “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” This verse isn’t saying we should not plan for the future but it saying we shouldn’t predict the future – we must entrust the gift of each day we have into the Hands of Our Merciful and Loving God -- leave the results with Him. He will lead us to victory in the war against fear which is the motive behind terrorism. “But in all these things we overwhelming conquer through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)
May your prayer and mine be that our lives, as Christians, bring others and us to victory in the war against fear. Remember, walk so close to God that nothing can come between. Jesus paid it all, all to Him we owe,
Give Him the Glory!
