These three emotions are the most effective weapons used by the enemy to immobilize and disarm the Born-Again Christian in every area of their life.
WORRY
Worry is an emotional response that triggers a physiological reaction. It is self-torment and a symptom of fear that lingers long after a stressful event and a threat has passed. It can be a valuable tool for focusing the mind when a deadline is looming, but it becomes a problem when it persists too long beyond the immediate threat.
Excessive worry leads to anxiety. Anxiety Disorder is the most common mental illness in the U.S., according to the National Institute of Mental Health. It is considered to be the primary cause of Attention Deficit Disorders in Children. Anxiety disorders affect more than 10% of the population in the U.S. It is second only to alcohol and drug abuse.
Anxiety can be distinguished from fear in several ways. When a person is afraid, their fear is usually directed towards some concrete, external object or situation. The event that they fear is within the bounds of possibility. They might fear not meeting a deadline, failing an exam, being unable to pay their bills, or being rejected by someone they want to please.
On the other hand, when a person experiences anxiety, they often can't specify what it is they are anxious about. The focus of anxiety is more internal than external. It tends to be a response to a vague, distant, or even unseen danger. They might be anxious about losing control of themselves or some situation, or they might feel vague anxiety about something terrible happening.
Anxiety affects one's whole being. It is a physiological, behavioral, and psychological reaction all at once. On a physiological level, anxiety may include bodily reactions, such as rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, nausea, dry mouth, or sweating. On a behavioral level, it can sabotage a person's ability to act, express themselves, or deal with certain everyday situations.
Psychologically, anxiety is a subjective state of apprehension and uneasiness. Its most extreme form can cause a person to feel detached from themselves and even fearful of dying or going crazy.
DEPRESSION
Constant worry and anxiety can lead to depression, which is the state of feeling sad, discouraged, and hopeless. It is often the result of a person not getting what they want, the way they want it, and when they want it. It can show up as irritability, anger, and discouragement. It can even lead to thoughts of suicide.
Depression can be very difficult to recognize and is often masked behind problems such as alcohol and drug abuse, domestic violence, troubled relationships, excessive work hours, poor grades at school, difficulty in thinking and concentration. Researchers know that adults who suffer from depression were often very anxious as children.
Medical science has created drugs to deal with the problems associated with worry, anxiety, and depression. The tens of millions prescribe antidepressants, such as the Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (Paxil®, Zoloft®, Prozac®, Lovan®, Luvox® etc.) and tranquilizers (Valium® Librium® and Ativan®, etc.). These anti-depressant drugs contain Mercury and Chlorine as their primary ingredients. Mercury is connected to Alzheimer's. Exercising three times a week is eight times more effective, and a sugar pill is 20 times more effective than these anti-depressants. In addition, some of these drugs are highly addictive, and the more often they are taken, the more often a person needs them to get the same effect. They can even cause an increase in the very problems they are designed to help.
STRESS
Worry and depression all ultimately emanate from stress. Emotional stress is a choice. People choose not to let circumstances or situations affect them negatively, whether driving in traffic, paying the bills, taking a test, preparing for a visit from relatives, dealing with unruly people, or dealing with their children. Stress is most often an external stimulus that signals danger by causing pain both emotionally and physically.
"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." (Isa 12:2 NIV)
One of the greatest truths of Christianity is God's promise to always be with the Born-Again Christian in every situation and circumstance of life. This is one truth that is known, yet somehow is hard to believe truly!
In a Harris Poll for the American Psychiatric Association, it was discovered that 81% of women say they manage stress extremely or somewhat well. Yet, in actuality, 82% of the women polled experience physical symptoms of stress!
Most people experience stress daily from the everyday pressures of meeting deadlines, driving to work, being a parent, or just making ends meet. However, there are those events that can overwhelm even the strongest of people. Long-term pressures can result in chronic stress that can take a toll on the body, triggering the premature aging of immune system cells.
Medical science has determined that chronic stress is most likely the primary cause of sickness and disease, including everything from the common cold to severe and debilitating illness. Science has shown that negative emotions can also hinder and even stop the immune system from working.
Stress is the building block for worry, anxiety, and depression. It can be an external stimulus that signals danger, often by causing pain, both emotionally and physically. The stress of unresolved negative emotions such as anger, bitterness, hatred, shame, jealousy, resentment, sorrow, regret, loneliness, guilt, rejection, self-hatred, and unforgiveness has been credited for 75% of all hospital stays.
The Christian term for emotional stress is sin. One can either heed the command and cast ALL their cares upon Jesus or carry them alone (See 1 Pet 5:7). It is their choice. When a person doesn't repent and change their behavior and thoughts, forgive those who have caused them to hurt or suffer for any reason. Even if they have experienced a painful tragedy, they will have great difficulty dealing with any stressful situation throughout their life. The enemy will have gained significant strongholds in the life of the Born-Again Christian.
REVEALING THE ROOTS
When the storms of life come, or when one is chronically stressed, worried, anxious, or depressed - fear is ultimately at the root of it all! Fear is one of the powerful tools that the enemy uses to destroy both the unbeliever and the Believer. Jesus asked the question; "Why are ye fearful?" (Matt 8:26)
One of the greatest truths of Christianity is God's promise to always be with us. He is the faithful one, yet people often fail to believe! When the storms of life come, fear will most often be the first response when a person is frightened or overwhelmed.
It has been said that faith is the currency of Heaven and fear is the currency of Hell. Anxiety, worry, stress, and fear all have their roots in a lack of trust. The battle plans of the enemy are thwarted through trust. Trust is learned through obedience to the Word of the beautiful God.
Fear is first, and foremost, a God-given emotion that prepares the body and mind to deal with the challenges of life. The fear response in the body is controlled through the Amygdala, which activates it by bypassing the conscious mind.
Fear is a feeling of anxiety and agitation caused by the presence of real or imagined danger, evil, or pain from memories of traumatic experiences. Fear is not a disease - it is a process of thinking. While the body's chemistry is set up to react to potential danger, unfounded or irrational fears are something a person allows to happen. The average person thinks 60,000 thoughts a day, and over 95% of those are the same ones they had yesterday.
Thoughts are entirely made up in the mind. Yet, while the experience feels real, it is actually a false perception.
Many are held as a prisoner because of fear! Job cried out; "The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me" (Job 3:25 NIV). As a result, they try to take precautions to protect themselves. People buy insurance policies to cover those things they consider valuable. They put bars on their windows and doors. They buy alarm systems to protect their automobiles. They acquire deadly weapons for security.
Fear can be an intimidator. It causes a person to worry, fret, and be anxious. It can rob one of confidence and faith. Jesus said that men's hearts would fail them because of fear (See Luke 21:26). Fear can consume a person's thoughts and keep them from getting anything done. It brings confusion and can lead them into sin. It can cause them to hide, keeping them from interacting and loving others. It can also keep them away from having intimacy with God and serving Him. Fear is the root of worry, anxiety, stress, and depression. It will open the door for the enemy to create multiple strongholds affecting the Born-Again Christian that can cause many physical, emotional, and spiritual problems.
