Well, good morning Newlife Church, and yes, 2024 is almost upon us. Man, this year seems to have flown by, and we’re already in December, preparing for the carol service tonight. I know many of you, like me, are wondering, “Where has this year gone?” It felt like January was just yesterday. I also believe that, looking back, we have had to overcome a lot this year. You know, I am so thankful for this series because sometimes, yes, even in church life, the devil is at work. We sometimes want to believe that when we enter the gathering, the ekklesia, the devil stays outside—that once we are saved, baptised, and growing, the enemy will stop attacking our lives.
But this series has shown us that the devil likes to entrap us. We have seen so many different snares that the devil uses, and if we’re not careful, we can fall into those traps again. So, I want to look at another trap today, and boy, I stepped into this trap like a mouse who saw cheese, went for it, and got caught. But through God’s Word—His living Word—you can get out of this trap. I want to show you the trap so that you can see it when it comes. I want you to be like a church mouse that, when you see the cheese the devil has planned for you, you’ll recognise the trap before the cheese and steer away from it.
Let me ask you: how many of you have ever driven in thick fog? You cannot see ahead, you cannot see the road signs, and you cannot see other vehicles. As I describe this, what feeling are you currently experiencing? Panic, fear, and anxiety, right? You see, the trap that the devil uses is like the fog on the road—it clouds your spiritual vision. Even though there are road signs and we have GPS directions, we still cannot see clearly.
This is one of the devil’s traps: the trap of fear, worry, and anxiety. I believe these are connected; at least, they were in my life. Looking back, anxiety often resulted from fear and worry. Anxiety is described in the Bible as an uneasy feeling of uncertainty, agitation, dread, or fear. The most common words in Scripture translated as “anxious” or “anxiety” are the Hebrew de?agâ (used ten times in various forms) and the Greek merimma (used twelve times in various forms). Anxiety in Scripture is portrayed as being inconsistent with trust in God. David prays: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts” (Psalm 139:23). Jesus’ command, “Do not worry,” occurs six times in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25–33) and is paired with encouragements to trust our heavenly Father.
From the beginning, God never wanted us to fall into this trap. He knew we would be tested and gave us the solution. But I want to start by sharing a few ways we fall into this trap—ways I’ve fallen into, though there may be more.
1. Doubting God’s Sovereignty
The devil’s tactics are simple. He tries to shift our focus away from God and onto the storm rather than the One who can calm the storm. The storm appears worse, and the waves seem bigger when we focus on our circumstances instead of God. This is exactly what Peter did.
Matthew 14:24-31:
But the boat [by this time] was already a long distance from land, tossed and battered by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night (3:00–6:00 a.m.), Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. [Mark 6:48; John 6:19] When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately He spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid!” [Exodus 3:14] Peter replied to Him, “Lord, if it is [really] You, command me to come to You on the water.” He said, “Come!” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water towards Jesus. But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened and began to sink, and he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately, Jesus extended His hand and caught him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Like Peter, we often start with faith but quickly become overwhelmed when life’s storms—uncertainty, financial struggles, health issues, or relationship challenges—feel bigger than God. This shift in focus leads us to question whether God is truly in control, trapping us in fear and anxiety. The devil uses this to make us doubt God’s sovereignty, whispering lies like, “God doesn’t care,” or “This situation is too big for Him.” When doubt creeps in, we sink into fear, thinking we must fix things ourselves. The moment we believe our circumstances are stronger than God’s power, we fall into the trap of doubting His sovereignty.
Crying out to God is essential, but it often comes after we’ve allowed fear and doubt to dominate our thoughts. Doubting God’s sovereignty leads us to live reactively in panic rather than proactively in trust.
Peter saw Jesus doing something no human could do—walking on water. But when Peter looked away from Jesus, fear took over, and he forgot that Jesus was sovereign even over the sea. When we doubt God’s sovereignty, we limit Him to what we think He can do.
2. Believing Lies Over Truth
Fear and anxiety often creep in when we start believing the devil’s lies: “You are not good enough,” or “You are alone,” or “You are a hypocrite.” When these thoughts come, it’s easy to spiral. But we need to respond with the truth. When the devil whispers, “You’re not good enough,” I tell him, “Yes, I’m not perfect—I’m human—but I have a God who is more than enough, and He died for me so I could walk in His righteousness.”
The devil tries to isolate us. He says, “You’re alone,” or “No one really loves you.” Instead of going to God’s Word, we fall into self-pity and hide from God. I’ve fallen into this trap myself. I used to throw myself a pity party, thinking no one understood or cared. I was like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh, always gloomy.
The devil empowers the victim mentality because when we need attention, we play the victim card. But God has called us to be victors, not victims.
Even the prophet Elijah knew the pain of isolation. After his incredible victory over the prophets of Baal, Queen Jezebel threatened his life. Overwhelmed by fear and exhaustion, Elijah fled into the wilderness.
1 Kings 19:2-4:
Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me, and even more, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the life of one of them.” Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it, and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”
Elijah experienced intense fear, emotional isolation, exhaustion, and overwhelming despair. The devil uses these same traps today.
The devil is a liar. Jesus says in:
John 8:44:
“You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.”
The devil lies to trap us, but we don’t have to follow or live in those lies. Instead, we need to reject them and stand on God’s truth.
3. Focusing on Circumstances Instead of God
When we focus on our circumstances, fear and anxiety grow. I admire Moses because he dealt with the challenges of leading the Israelites, yet he trusted God. Let’s put this into context: the Israelites, numbering around 2-3 million people, crossed the Red Sea in a miraculous display of God’s power.
For such a massive group to cross a sea estimated to be 10-20 kilometres wide, the path would need to be at least a kilometre wide, requiring 8-12 hours of continuous movement. Imagine walking between towering walls of water, possibly dozens of metres high. It was a terrifying and awe-inspiring sight.
But God provided dry ground for them to walk on. He is still the same God today.
When we doubt God’s sovereignty, we lose sight of His power. The devil wants us to focus on our problems rather than on God. But we need to trust that God can lead us through any storm.
How to Get Out of the Trap
1. Acknowledge and Name Your Fear or Worry
You can’t clean a room in the dark—you need to turn on the light. Acknowledging your fear is like flipping the switch. It allows you to see the mess and start decluttering.
Sometimes, pride keeps us from facing our fears. We put our heads in the sand, hoping the problem will go away. But healing starts when we call it out. The Bible tells us to cast our cares on God:
1 Peter 5:7:
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
Elijah admitted he couldn’t handle it anymore, and God sustained him.
2. Replace Lies with God’s Truth
Fear and anxiety often stem from believing lies. We think, “I’m not good enough,” or “This situation is hopeless.” But Jesus says:
John 8:32:
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
When Jesus was tempted in the desert, He quoted Scripture each time. We need to do the same. Identify the lies, call them out, and replace them with God’s Word.
Here are some key verses:
Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.”
2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.”
Philippians 4:19: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.”
3. Focus on God, Not the Problem
Anxiety magnifies problems, but worship magnifies God. The Bible encourages us to fix our eyes on Jesus:
Hebrews 12:2:
“[Looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith.”
Start your day with worship or a gratitude journal. Write down three things you’re thankful for and reflect on how God has worked in your life.
4. Stay Connected to God and Others
Anxiety thrives in isolation. The devil wants us to feel alone, but the Bible reminds us we are part of a community. Paul and Silas sang hymns in prison, and their faith encouraged others (Acts 16:25-26).
5. Take Action in Faith
Fear paralyses, but faith propels. David faced Goliath, trusting that God would deliver him. We are called to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ:
2 Corinthians 10:5:
“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Conclusion
Fear, worry, and anxiety are real traps, but God has given us the tools to escape:
Acknowledge your fears.
Replace lies with truth.
Focus on God through worship and gratitude.
Stay connected to God and others.
Take action in faith.
God has called us to be victors, not victims. Let’s walk in His truth and freedom.
