You've made up your mind; you're gonna do it! You're gonna step out in faith and believe God. You've heard stories about His faithfulness. You've heard that He can redeem the most unlikely situations. You've heard that He brings dead things back to life. And you believe that He can do it for you!
You are resolved… motivated…and you believe with all your heart that God can heal your marriage. You move forwards in confidence, knowing you are not alone. In that moment, when you are full of faith, you tell yourself that nothing will hinder your receiving of the promises of God. You will fight, you will not relent, you will never give up!
But, maybe you didn’t anticipate the resistance that comes with believing God. And now, you are at a point of exhaustion. You’ve prayed, believed, and waited, but you still don’t see the fruit of your efforts. And more than just being exhausted; now, you’re second guessing your decisions. You question whether you’re crazy to believe that your situation is redeemable. Did you hear from God? Are you capable of continuing this walk of faith? Is it even worth it?
And now, those feelings have turned into fear. A fear that your situation won’t change. A fear that God won’ t come through for you. You’re afraid of being let down and hurt again. Your thoughts lead you to believe that God isn’t with you, and that maybe, He isn’t working on your behalf.
But what I want you to know, is that all of those thoughts come with the territory. I know, because I have been there. I have been at the place where I’ve asked, “God, where are you?” I’ve waited, and waited on God, and wondered if I’d ever get to experience what I was believing for. But our God is faithful. He always makes good on His promises, and He always comes through. I've seen His goodness, and I know His faithfulness. But I also know that waiting on God can produce challenges that can sometimes trip us up, and cause us to question everything we once believed. Anytime we step out in faith, and believe God, there will be a time when fear creeps in. It is inevitable. Because we have a spiritual resistance that doesn’t want us to have the promises of God. And beyond that resistance, is the even greater resistance to the will of God on this earth. We can’t forget that we are a part of a greater story. And when we take part in that story, through having faith in and walking with God, we become a part of the good fight.
…Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:11-12 NLT)
So the enemy will not just sit back and allow you to move forward in faith, undisturbed. He will do whatever he must, to prevent your faith in God. Because when we hold firm in faith, and witness His promises come to past, it is just one more testament to who He is. And your enemy will not let that stand. He will attack, and often, it is through the spirit of fear.
We must remember where the spirit of fear comes from, because it is contrary to the Spirit of God.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (II Timothy 1:7 NKJV)
This scripture makes clear that the spirit of fear is not of God. The Spirit of God seeks to provide us with the opposite of fear. And any spirit that is not working to further the plan of God, is actually seeking to hinder the will of God.
“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me. (Matthew 12:30 NLT)
So we must seek to understand the spirits at work in our lives. Any time a spirit of fear comes over you, know, that that is not from God. Know your enemy is seeking to prevent you from moving towards the direction of your promise.
The first step of pushing past the spirit of fear is recognizing when it is at work. Because we can not effectively combat a spirit that we don’t know is present.
When I recognize the spirit of fear at work in my life, I automatically think to myself, why am I feeling this way? Often times, the spirit of fear will creep up quickly, and without notice. And usually, there’s no basis for the fear. There is no clear evidence that there is a real threat to me in that moment. So I know, that this fear is a spirit, and not the result of any actual danger that I am facing. And in that event, I am reminded that God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. I speak that scripture out, many times repeatedly, to remind my soul of the truth. And then, I remember that my adversary is the one that sends this spirit. If he has spent his energy, if he has tried that hard to scare me away from anything, there must be a promise, or purpose of God, that he is trying to thwart.
First, we identify the spirit of fear at work. Then, we remember that we have a Spirit inside of us that is greater.
So once we recognize the spirit of fear at work, we must remind ourselves of the Spirit that God gives…His Spirit. His Spirit gives us peace of mind and heart. His spirit empowers us to be victorious over the attacks of the enemy.
The antidote to the spirit of fear is found in the Holy Spirit.
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. (John 14:26-27 NLT)
When we are overcome with the spirit of fear, that is our time to remember that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of us. And we can be confident in His power to overcome the fear that we deal with.
Next, we must be firm in what we believe, and what we are hoping for.
That doesn’t mean that you will get it right all the time. And that doesn’t mean that you will be full of faith all the time. But when the dust settles, what do you believe? The answer to this question, is what matters.
We do not have to be perfect. We only have to say yes.
God knows the battles that we face, in the natural and the spiritual realm. He knows our struggles, so He has given us the presence of the Holy Spirit to empower us to do what we can not do on our own. So in the days when you are running on empty, and you are experiencing feelings of fear and doubt, rely on the Holy Spirit’s strength. Allow Him to carry you. And remind yourself of the decision that you have made.
Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), (Ephesians 6:13-14 AMP)
The bible instructs us of the posture that we must have on the days when we feel a firm resistance coming against everything that we believe. We must do whatever we have to do to stand. Even if we don’t have the faith, and we are out of energy, we must stand. We stand in the power of the Holy Spirit. We stand in the truth of the word of God, and we speak His word over our lives. Not just because we believe it, but because His word never returns void. It always accomplishes His purpose.
So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11 AMP)
It is important to remember that faith is a choice, not a feeling.
So there might be days when you don't feel full of faith in God. There might be days when you don’t have faith at all. But you still have a decision to make. Will you allow your feelings to dictate your decisions, or will you stand on the word of God? Because feelings come and go, but the word God was here before you, it is here now, and it will be here after you are gone. His word always remains. The truth will always be the truth.
The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8 NLT)
When we say yes to believing in God, He will direct our steps and show us the way, but His grace always gives us a wide path.
God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great. You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. (Psalms 18:32-36 NLT)
You don’t have to carry the burden of getting it right all the time, because He is always leading us towards His promise. And He uses our choices, even the misguided ones, to mold us, and to form the future that He has for us.
We can rest easy in Him, knowing that He is for us.
But in order for us to be able to push past the fear, and stand on the word of God, we must remain in Him. Jesus made clear that we must remain in Him if we are to see the fruit of a relationship with Him in our lives.
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. (John 15:4 NLT)
When we remain in Him, He reminds us of His word. He reminds us that any fear that we experience is of the enemy. And He gives us His peace in that moment. It is only His power, through which we can stand. We stand in Him, because He lifts us up. He sustains us when we want to quit. And it is only through His grace, that we will prevail.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me the Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. Your Spirit is greater than any spirit of fear that creeps up in my life. Remind me that I have a weapon in Your presence, and that Jesus already won the battle for me. Holy Spirit, give me your peace in the moments that I feel a spirit of fear over me. And remind me of what Your word says. Give me the strength to stand firm on Your promises until I see them come to pass. I know that You are able, and that You will enable me to continue to hold firm, believing in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Comments