Fear Not; 2 Kings 6:8-23
Between 1875 and 1883 there was a professional thief whose very name struck fear as he terrorized the Wells Fargo stage line. From San Francisco to New York, his name became synonymous with the danger of the frontier. He robbed 29 different stagecoach crews. Amazingly, he did it all without firing a shot. Instead, Black Bart used fear to paralyze his victims.
Fear is a powerful emotion -- it can grip us with an immobilizing terror (Dreams). It can keep us from succeeding in life. Fear wants to steal your joy, take your courage and leave you cold, naked and trembling. Everyone has a fear… You may have a fear of death, failure, defeat, rejection, or a host of other things.
But God wants to encourage us these words, “Fear Not” These words are used 88 times in the Bible -- and is mostly spoken by God to his people. This phrase occurs in our text today.
Before we begin our story let me introduce to the list of characters - Elisha; Joram the king of the Israel; Ben Hadad the king of Syria; Elisha’s servant. Background. Vs.8-14. Ben Hadad was making war against Israel and he was setting up camps in various places, each time he set up a camp God would reveal it to Elisha, and then Elisha would reveal it to Joram.
This happened several times, so Ben Hadad caught on that someone was telling Joram about his plans. So he accused his servants and one of his servants said that it was Elisha that was telling Joram. So they sought out to find and capture Elisha. Once they found him they surrounded him with horses and chariots and soldiers.
Vs.15 Early in the morning Elisha’s servant woke up and went outside and saw that they were surrounded. “OH, MY LORD WHAT SHALL WE DO?” Elisha, “Fear not, for we are more than they.” How could he say that, there were only two of them and they were completely surrounded by the Syrian army?
It wasn’t that Elisha was an optimist, it was that he was able to see the armies of the living God and his servant wasn’t. So Elisha prayed, “OH LORD, OPEN HIS EYES SO HE MAY SEE”. When God opened his eyes he was able to see that the mountains were full of horses and chariots of fire.
Have you ever felt like that servant? You’re trapped by your fears and there seems to be no way out. If so, it’s time to pray and ask God to open your eyes. Let me tell you what happens when God opens your eyes...
I. YOU WILL SEE THE TRUE NATURE OF THE BATTLE
Elisha’s servant thought the battle was 2 against the whole Syrian army. But God and His spiritual army stood by Elisha. Like this servant so many people are blind to the true nature of the battle, because they have taken their eyes off of God and have focused on the world or on their problems so they feel out-numbered. When we look to God, He opens our eyes and we can see, with God we are more than they.
We not only see that we are the majority, but that the battle is spiritual in nature, Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” We are in a spiritual battle.
The conflict is over authority. Jesus has all rightful authority Colossians 1:16-17, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” He even created the angels, but Satan (a fallen angel) rebelled and attempted to steal His authority and was cast out of heaven. Now Satan wants to control your life and mine.
Every human being that has ever walked the face of this earth has taken part in this spiritual battle. 1 Peter 5:8, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Satan is a thief. He wants to take control of your life. God has full authority, but allows man to have a free will; Satan has no authority but wants total control. We give him control when we walk by the flesh and not by the spirit.
That’s why James 4:7, “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” – Ephesians 6:10-11, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of HIS might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
What is the armor of God – it is Salvation, Faith, Truth, Righteousness, God’s word, Prayer, and the good news of Jesus Christ. Satan may have some powerful forces, but with God we are more than they.
If there is anything that has a hold on your life – ask God to open your eyes so you can see the true nature of the battle, because until you see the TNOTB you’ll never be able to have victory over your enemy.
II. WE WILL EXPERIENCE THE PRESENCE OF GOD
When we open our eyes, we see the Lord... And we are reminded that He is always there, just as He promised in Matthew 28, “I am with you always even unto the end of the world.” There is something about being in the presence of someone who is stronger than we are, that soothes our fears. (A child in a dark room – in the shadows there are all shorts of scary things, but when mom or dad is there the fear goes away).
5-year-old Johnny was in the kitchen as his mother made supper. She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of tomato soup, but he didn’t want to go alone. “It’s dark in there and I’m scared.” She said, “Its OK-Jesus will be in there with you.” Johnny walked hesitantly to the door and said, “Jesus, if you’re in there, would you hand me the tomato soup.”
“FEAR NOT” appears 88 times in the bible -- mostly spoken by God, and accompanied by the promise of His presence: In Genesis 26, When Isaac was afraid, the Lord said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you.” Jeremiah 42:11 When Jeremiah was afraid God said, “Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the LORD, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands.”
Psalm 139:7-10… When God is with us there is no reason to fear 1 John 4:4, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” Remember when God is with us we are always the majority, and we are always the victor.
III. WE ARE REMINDED OF GOD’S PAST VICTORIES
In Deuteronomy 7 Moses is talking to the people of Israel as they are about to enter the promise land and he says, “There are seven nations larger and stronger than you” That’s not a very encouraging message. If you want to get your people excited don’t tell them they are smaller and weaker and they are far outnumbered. But remember with God we are the majority.
Moses reminds them about there past and how God always overcame the enemy. Then he says, remember how God “redeemed our fathers from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” The he reminds them about how God brought them through the wilderness – to the promise land.
We need to remember what God has done in our past, how Christ redeemed us from the bondage of sin and from the hand of the prince of this world. He has brought us to where we are today and some day we will cross the Jordan and enter the promise land.
I’m not saying we should live in the past, but we can learn from the past. You see, the same God that cared for Israel is the same God that died for us, and rose again and He’s coming again. He has not changed nor will He ever change and we can trust Him.
God went through the wilderness with them, He will with us – “Fear Not” He overcame their enemies and He will overcome ours – “Fear Not” He delivered them from captivity and He will deliver us – “Fear Not”. Romans 8:31, “If God is for us then who can be against us?”
Does this mean that with God, we will always be victorious? Yes it does! Now stay with me - That is, if we understand the true nature of the battle – It’s a spiritual battle. That doesn’t mean that people can’t harm us physically, emotionally, or monetarily, it means that they can’t harm us spiritually.
Luke 12:4, “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!”
With God we will overcome the greatest enemy of all. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
CONCLUSION: And in case you are wondering.... what happen with Elisha and Black Bart. When the Syrian army came toward Elisha, the Lord stuck them with blindness; he closed their eyes...
And Black Bart -- It turns out he wasn’t anything to be afraid of either. When the hood came off, they didn’t find a blood thirsty bandit from death Valley; they found a mild mannered druggist from Decatur Illinois. Charles E, Boles -- he never fired a shot, because he was afraid to carry a loaded gun....
Do you have any false fears in life? Let God open your eyes so you can see the true nature of the battle!
