I heard a new teaching recently. It says, “Fear is not an emotion; it is an attack
from the enemy.” I disagree. Such theology burdens us with fear about
fear. Too few have enough faith to fight
such a dogmatic demon. Everyday fears will
produce guilt until a person gives up, condemned by their own theology.
Followers quote 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) Since God did not give us a “spirit of fear,”
fear could not be part of our soul, not part of our God-given nature. It must not be natural. They concluded with, “All fear comes from
Satan.”
Part of the problem with this theology is it takes a
passage out of context. It emphasizes
theology over what the writer said. It
emphasizes one word, “fear,” over the others used in translation: timidity,
cowardice, and dread. Paul did not
deride the people for having justifiable fear.
Jail, torture, and death were their reality. He saw fear as the obstruction of perseverance. So, Paul prepared Timothy to preach the
Gospel with knowledge; he probably would suffer. Paul emphasized that God’s Spirit would help
overcome fear with power, just like it did in his own life.
The other objectionable aspect of this reasoning is it does
not accept that God made humans in the same way He made all the animals, out of
dirt. The natural evidence shows only
one process was involved (evolution).
Genesis One and Two do not contradict the evidence. We are the same, yet something is different. We contain our animal instinct with a soul, and
then God added our spirit, His Breath. When
we choose good over evil our spirit projects His image. Fear is part of our selfish animalistic
nature. God wants us to grow beyond that
nature. When God’s Spirit baptizes a
believer, He provides power to excel beyond our capabilities.
The Bible never declares Satan has enough power to create
anything, even something as basic as fear.
If God made everything, then God made fear. However, Satan takes advantage of our natural
emotions. He twists fear into a
paralyzing force. He laughs as WE build fear
into a mountain of unfocused paranoia. The
frustration that comes with fear turns into anger, which we hold onto as if it
were necessary. Trust dissolves. Love, mercy, and forgiveness become
despicable. Development falters. We then inflict that burden onto the next
generation as truth.
The Bible repeatedly says, “Do not fear.” This encouragement always comes at the
bleakest times, when rational fear is at its greatest. Our Creator knows us intimately. He does not condemn us because we fear. He wants us to rely on His word as true, His
power as great, and seek His willing help.
Even when terrible events occur, and they will, we can trust in Him. God does not want our animal instinct to
guide us any more then He wants us to listen to Satan. He desires that we persevere to mirror His
Image. When we observe God’s presence in
extreme times, it influences our day-to-day lives. His peace becomes our normal.
To outsiders, such devotion seems foolish. We should panic. But knowledge of God’s ways calms our souls. We learn to “not fear” the darkness and the
unknown. He lights our way through
life’s large and small problems.
The Bible never says we must live a completely fearless
life. We simply learn to live beyond our
natural emotions. God’s power helps us
accomplish great things despite our fears.
In doing so, we soon see molehills instead of mountains.
That knowledge is worth passing onto the next generation.
P.S. While writing this blog, God emphasized several fears
that have paralyzed me, past and present.
Writing a book was impossible, but I have a book published, with more on
the way. Writing a blog was impossible,
yet here I am. This month was
marketing. It is impossible for me to promote
my book. I just don’t know how. However, with His help, I will learn
marketing so that more people will read my writing.
That last paragraph sounds entirely to serene for my
emotional status. Frustration and panic
have been common. Fear of failure. Fear of ineptitude. Fear of fear.
Yes, Satan is in the mix, laughing.
My friends think I am being ridiculous, resistant, and maybe a bit
crazy. They know I can do this. I do not.
I see each obstacle, too many boulders to count. Yet, I will persevere to see the mountain
moved and the way made smooth. I will
trust in my God’s power to get me through.
I am simply on the up-hill side of a learning curve.