The End of All Fear (Part Two)
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ put an end to not only a few fears, but overcame them all. In Part 1, we saw how His perfect love provided us victory over death and freedom from condemnation. That same love also meets us every day, freeing us from fears we still face: the fear of people, fear of spiritual darkness, and fear of the unknown.
Fear of Man
In all honesty, if the Almighty God who created the universe, who exists outside of time and space, who is able to raise the dead, is on our side, why would we fear people? The Lord is all-powerful, all-seeing, and all-knowing. In Matthew 10:28, Jesus Himself tells us, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” - Romans 8:31
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6
“The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” - Psalm 118:6
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, Whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” - Psalm 56:3-4
Not only do we not have to be afraid of people, but through Christ, we don’t have to worry about the opinions of others, either. People-pleasing is an exhausting and stressful way to live. On the other hand, if we live to please Christ, we don’t have to worry about disappointing Him. Unlike people, the Lord has infinite patience and will never criticize or condemn us.
“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” - Galatians 1:10
Freedom from the fear of people’s reactions also allows us to love and relate to one another better. Fear of what someone might do, of what might happen, of what our relationship might become if we say or do the ‘wrong’ thing has a way of creating a barrier between us and others. This hinders us from loving them to our utmost. This is important because, second only to loving God, we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves (see Matthew 22:39 and Mark 12:31).
Fear of Satan and Demonic Forces
Satan is the current ruler of this world. He loves to make everybody think he’s bigger and more powerful than he really is. Satan wants us to think that he and God are equals, two sides of the same coin, when this couldn’t be further from the truth. If Satan has any equal, it is the angel Michael, who does spiritual battle on behalf of God’s people. God Himself truly has no equal.
Since Jesus is in God the Father, and we are in Christ Jesus (see John 14:20), we are protected by the most powerful being in existence - our Lord and God. Jesus Himself told us, “I have given you the power to trample on snakes and scorpions and to defeat the power of your enemy Satan. Nothing can harm you” (Luke 10:19). We must be wary and resist the devil and his temptations, but we do not need to be in fear of him or his forces.
“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” - 1 John 4:4
“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:3
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but He who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” - 1 John 5:18-20
Fear of the Unknown
Much of our fear and anxiety stems from the unknown. We don’t know what our health is going to look like. We don’t know how our finances are going to shake out. We don’t know how our relationships are going to evolve. We don’t know about that new job. We don’t know about tomorrow. All that uncertainty can produce a lot of worry, anxiety, and fear.
It may be easier said than done, but we can learn not to be anxious or fearful about the unknown. We can take comfort in the fact that God knows. Nothing that happens in our lives is a surprise to Him; He is always there and ready to help us. He sees everything that happens, keeping watch over all mankind (see Hebrews 4:13 and Proverbs 15:3). He knows our thoughts (see Psalm 139:4). He has every hair on our head numbered (see Matthew 10:30). He is intimately acquainted with the smallest details of our lives (see Psalm 139:1-4).
Unlike our ever-changing world and expectations, God never changes. He will always love us, He will always be there to help us, and He knows what every minute of our every day will hold. Not enough words exist in any language, nor are there enough pages or computer screens to encompass the goodness of God. Truly, the entire Bible is a testament to His love, mercy, patience, and kindness. We can be assured that His love will never run out and that He holds all our tomorrows in His hand.
“Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.” - 1 Peter 5:7
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” - Luke 12:22-26
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” - Isaiah 43:2
“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” – Isaiah 41:13
Beloved friend, be assured that there never has there been, nor ever will there be, a more perfect or powerful love than the love of Christ for us. Jesus eradicated all fear through His death and resurrection, a selfless and magnificent display of perfect love. So let us cast all of our burdens on Him, who is more than capable of not only holding that weight, but holding us as well.
In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul expresses the truth of life through Jesus Christ by painting a beautiful picture of the strength of His love, which is a covering over us. It reads:
“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? […] No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Let’s Pray Together.Lord Jesus, we praise You for all You have done and all You continue to do for us each and every day. We know nothing can ever separate us from Your love, and that we do not need to fear anything, because You have already conquered everything. As You tell us in John 16:33, You tell us that in this world we will have trouble - but we can take heart, because You have overcome the world. You have done what we could never do for ourselves, and we thank You for setting us free. Thank You for loving us so faithfully and being the firm foundation on which we can place every burden we carry. Help us to remember that nothing in all of creation can snatch us from You mighty hand or separate us from Your perfect love. When we fear rises, remind us of who You are - and who we are in You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
