Fear is evil; it’s not of God.
In 2 Timothy 1:7, the Bible declares emphatically that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind.
Fear is a torment, according to the Bible, and it takes different forms.
TYPES OF FEARS
There are different kinds of fear that people experience at different times. They emanate from the same source: the Devil. Let’s now look briefly at fear in its various ramifications.
- Fear of God
The Bible says that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
This is not morbid fear that puts its victims in bondage and torment. No, not at all. Rather, it is reverential fear based on love, worship, holiness and devotion. This has to be clearly understood.
There’s no love in morbid fear because it’s devil-inspired.
The fear of God is not like that because, according to the Bible, perfect love casts away all fear. God is perfect, His love is perfect and immutable. God is love.
OTHER FORMS OF POSITIVE FEARS
There’s the fear tied to filial love between parents and their children, love between siblings and relatives, romantic love between couples, and the love one has for dogs, which is based on sympathy and their loyalty; love of food and all the pleasures of life; and material possessions like cars, houses, etc.
This type of fear prevents offence, strife, risk of losses and so on. People are afraid to lose what they love. It’s not a negative feeling.
All these are good because they are inspired by joy, peace, devotion and commitment.
NEGATIVE FEARS OF THE DEVIL
- Fear of Death
The greatest of the fears that the Devil imposes on us is the fear of death. In Heb. 2:14-15, the Bible says Jesus came to deliver us from this fear, the fear of death which has put men in perpetual bondage.
Jesus proved this with His death, burial and resurrection. We have His promise that the last enemy that Jesus will destroy is death!
Until then, those who don’t believe the Word of God will continue to live in fear, the various kinds of fear that the Devil uses to torment people and keep them in bondage.
VARIOUS DEMONIC FEARS
- Fear of Failure
The most common fear that the Devil uses to torment people is the fear of failure. This prevents many people from leaving their comfort zones to try and venture into new adventures that could make them prosper.
Since failure is an orphan, nobody wants to take the kind of risk that could translate into huge success if they make it.
However, with faith, you can overcome any kind of fear, like the fear of poverty, defeat and marital challenges, which discourages people from getting married; fear of snakes and other animals; fear of heights; and fear of travelling by air.
There are phobias, which are mere illusions because they are unfounded. Phobics fear needlessly because they are under the spirit and bondage of fear.
MIGHTY MEN OF THE BIBLE WHO FEARED
We read in the Bible stories of mighty men of renown who were afraid at different times in their lives, despite having done exploits for God.
- Moses
Moses was afraid of Pharaoh. He killed an Egyptian and ran away for his dear life for so many years.
Ref: Ex. 2:11-22, Ex. 3, Ex. 4.
- Father Abraham
Father Abraham lied to Pharaoh that Sarah was his sister, seeing that the king lusted after her. Read what happened in the references below:
Ref: Gen. 12:10-20, Gen. 20.
- David
The great David was afraid of Saul. This is another interesting example of a mighty warrior who became scared of a king he later succeeded.
Ref: 1 Sam. 21:6-15.
- Jacob
Jacob was afraid of his twin brother, Esau, whom he had offended. He ran away to escape justice, and despite the fact that God asked him to return home, he was still afraid.
Ref: Gen. 32, Gen. 33.
- Elijah
Elijah, the great prophet who had slaughtered hundreds of prophets at the epic encounter on Mount Carmel, was afraid of the evil Queen Jezebel.
It’s interesting that Elijah ran away for his dear life upon hearing of the threat to his life by this royal wife of the wicked King Ahab.
Ref: 1 Kings 19:1-18.
- Adam and Eve
Adam, our famous progenitor, and his wife, Eve, hid themselves from God because of the sin of disobedience.
Their great fall in the Garden of Eden is the most momentous period in history. They were overcome by fear because of their sin.
Ref: Gen. 3:9-13. - Jonah
Jonah disobeyed God and got swallowed by a giant fish. Fear drove him to this condition. However, when he repented, he was delivered.
Ref: Jonah 1, 2, 3.
- Samuel
Samuel, the first prophet of Israel, was afraid of King Saul, whom he had anointed. Can you imagine! God sent Samuel to go and anoint David as the new king, but he was afraid of Saul.
He feared the created more than the Creator.
Ref: 1 Sam. 16:1-5.
- Job
Job, a great man in the Old Testament, lived in negative fear despite his faithfulness and obedience to God during his unprecedented trials.
He said, in his wrong confession, that the thing which he feared had happened to him.
That is what usually happens because of unbelief. A good and faithful Christian could still walk in unbelief sometimes.
This is what we see in the lives of these great saints.
- Peter
Peter, the leader of the Apostles, denied Jesus because of fear. How can we explain this? But it happened, and it’s still happening even today.
Ref: Matthew 26:69-75.
There are several examples from Scripture of how faith failed great men of valour.
The Bible says, “The just shall live by faith.” For fear is the opposite of faith, and we should never live in fear because, whatever the situation, no matter how dire the circumstances, we are overcomers; we are more than conquerors.
Ladi Ayodeji is a Bible-based Speaker, Counselor, Author and Journalist. He can be reached on 09059243004 (WhatsApp only).