“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
We've all read it, heard it, and more than likely, memorized the above verse of scripture. As it pertains to our victory in Christ, we must understand that although there is both a Godly fear, and a natural fear, that we have instinctively within us to warn us of danger, there is third an evil spirit of fear. It is this third one that we must realize is working against us and God's plans for us. It will try its best to destroy us in our faith, our confidence in Christ and our trust in the things that God has spoken within His Word.
But, what exactly is fear? I mean, have you ever just stopped and thought to yourself, “What is fear?” I have given some thought to it myself and by doing so I have prayed that God would enlighten my mind to the understanding of what exactly fear really is. The below acronym is what I feel that the Spirit of God has shown me to be the basic understanding of what fear really is.
F - False
E - Evidence
A - Appearing
R - Real
False Evidence Appearing Real. That describes both the intent and the strategy of the enemy of our soul, this dastardly, evil spirit of fear that Paul mentions in 2 Timothy 1:7. If this vile spirit can implant enough false evidence into our mind, it can also cause it to appear real to us. It doesn't matter what the truth is. It doesn't matter what facts are. It doesn't matter what reality is. All that matters is what it can cause us to believe! If we allow enough false evidence to enter our spirit-man, soon enough it will become real to us – and that's all that matters. The spirit of fear is trying to change your perspective; change your outlook; change your mindset. We MUST NOT allow this spirit to sow its lies into our minds.
Paul, in this verse, tells us that not only has God not given us the spirit of fear, but He has given us “power,” “love,” and a “sound mind.” Why did he emphasize these? Because each is the total opposite of fear! Each gives to us weapons to use against the spirit of fear; weapons that can stop fear dead in its tracks; weapons that are much more powerful than fear itself. Thank God for this verse! Why? Because it shows us that whereas we have only ONE enemy (spirit of fear), it then shows us that we have THREE weapons to use against it! I'll take three-to-one odds any day!
Fearless living equals successful living. You cannot be successful in the Kingdom of God and be fearful at the same time. We must learn to be fearless in whatever we do. If fear controls you, then you do not control your own self. And if you cannot control yourself, then how are you going to control your destiny in Christ?
We need to learn to live in spiritual power in every area of our lives. If you don’t live in power, fear will eat you alive. Sometimes the only way to face what you are going through is to face it head on. Power dispels fear! Love dispels fear! A sound mind will dispel fear! Do not allow False Evidence Appearing Real in your life! Even if you feel like you have lost everything, and you feel like your strength is gone, you must know that your strength and your success is not determined by your own strength, but rather the strength that comes from the Lord.
Fear will cause you to see things wrong. But when you can finally learn to see things God’s way, the right way, then fear will have no control over you. And that is what my prayer for you this day is. Be filled with the Spirit; be filled with power and love and a sound mind and be victorious in every arena of your life. I know you can do it because you are the called, the chosen of God!