Battling Fear

I Introduction

A Fear is a magnet for demons.

1 Fear will draw in the enemy and will make what you speak with your mouth come to pass.

a "For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.” Job 3:25 (NASB)

aa I believe Job feared two major things in his life; outliving his children and losing his money.

bb Satan came to God to ask permission “to touch Job” - God gave it.

cc But the only reason the devil has access to Job - even without permission was because Job gave him ground.

b Fear is more than an emotion, it is also a Spirit. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity , but of power and love and discipline .2 Tim 1:7 (NASB)

aa Fear comes to paralyze, disrupt lives, and prevents us from moving forward with God.

bb Haggai’s sermons to a scared group.

c men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world ; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Luke 21:26 (NASB)

aa Fear will drive happiness from your life and destroy you.

bb In scripture the opposite of fear is not courage, but faith & hope.

2 Tonight I’d like to examine some common fears in our thought processes and hopefully some insight on how to deal with them.

B Pray

II Facing the stronghold of fear.

A If your feed fear it only grows. (Two hungry dogs, which one grows? The one you feed.)

1 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,1 Peter 3:14 (NASB) For God has not given us a spirit of timidity , but of power and love and discipline .2 Tim 1:7 (NASB)

a Fear is the magnet that draws in demon attacks

b We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love1 John 4:16-18 (NASB)

aa These fears wont leave on their own... must be cast out, thrown out, kicked out, evicted.

bb We can turn them down with pills, smoke, bottles, but they always come back.

2 Fear doesn’t come alone. His best friend is torment.

a Torment involves sleepless nights, unnecessary worry, worried hubby is having an affair when he’s not.

aa Also can be the inability to speak the truth out of your mouth.

bb Fear & torment enter our lives though wrong relationships (or some event than occurred in a relationship.)

cc The reason so many of us deal with fear/torment is some things in our past have never been dealt with.

b Matthew 8, tells us how a man who owed a lot of money was forgiven of his debt, the forgiven man remembers someone owes him a little... Soon going after him.

B The reason some of you are tormented is because something happened to you. (Abused, hurt, lied to, rejection, betrayed.)

1 Physical or verbal. (Sticks and stones)

a God knows you, your heat, everything you’ve ever done.

aa Sent Jesus to die for you on Calvary to forgive us.

bb Therefore no matter who had hurt you, or how bad you’ve been hurt - just like the servant, you must forgive them.

cc Otherwise, chained to them for the rest of your life and tormenting demons will drive sleep and peace from your life.

b I have no quick fix. Simply must deal with your hurts.

aa Maybe done it hundreds of times, altar, picked that grudge/hurt up and walked right out the door with it... next day you start mauling over it again and sadly, Dominos isn’t the only one who delivers.

bb Fear and torment gain access to you when you have unforgiveness towards others.

c God not only provided for our forgiveness, but also for those who have wronged us.

2 That’s not fair- what we need isn’t forgiveness.

a If life was fair I’d go to hell!

b What I ness is mercy - So do you!

C Casting out fear... How?

1 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.1 John 4:18 (NASB)

a Jesus lives in us; His perfect live is in our hearts.