9 Ways to Defeat Fear
And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” —Judges 6:12
Fear is such a debilitating emotion. It can overwhelm you emotionally and paralyze you physically. It can cause you to make irrational decisions. Have you ever experienced moments before you about to do something your heart starts beating heavily or the palm of your hands sweating and your mind starts racing with all kinds of negative thoughts that you are about to fail?
Recently I experienced that and it was such an awful feeling that I laid my hand on my chest and started to pray. I didn’t even have the strength in me to pray out loud but as I whispered a prayer God assured me that He was with me. I was able to stand up and speak without fear but instead with great boldness.
It’s interesting that the feeling of fear often comes when you are about to step out and do good, follow your dreams, do the work of the Lord or do something purposeful or meaningful that would bless others. Fear often comes when you need to step outside your comfort zone.
The account of Gideon shows us how God dealt with the problem of fear before He could bring victory to Israel over Midian. We can learn from this, how we and God can together defeat the spirit of fear that tries to derail our lives.
Remember That God Is With You (Judges 6:12)
God tells Gideon even before giving him his assignment that he is a mighty man of (fearless) courage and that He is with him. Even in the midst of your fears or troubles, God calls you fearless or mighty. You are commanded to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10). God was speaking into Gideon life and now into yours. He is saying you are even though you are not yet.
God Thinks Highly You, So Should You (Judges 6:14-16)
God does not address Gideon’s complaint that the Lord has given up on Israel but proceeds to give Gideon his assignment. Gideon’s fear is heard in his response. Fear make you feel small and disqualified and lacking in the ability to do what you need to do. Gideon’s excuse clearly shows this but God address this. God assures you and I that He will be with us in our doing (Judges 6:16) and that we will do great things.
Tell God Your Concerns (Judges 6: 17-24)
Even when God speaks, fear will cause you to question whether God did speak to you or not. Like Gideon you may ask for a sign. Gracious, loving and patient is our God to give us peace that He’s the One who directed us. God calms your fear when you tell him about it and gives you peace (Philippians 4:6-7).
Take Baby Steps of Faith (Judges 6:25-27)
With a little assurance, confirmation and direction from the Lord, you may begin to take little leaps of faith. Gideon destroys the gods but in the night and with the help of others. His faith wasn’t yet strong enough to do it openly but he did it anyway. Sometimes you have to take baby steps towards what God has called you to do. But step toward the right direction nonetheless. Move forward, no matter how small a move it may seem to be.
Rely On the Holy Spirit (Judges 6:34-40)
The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you and that’s where boldness comes from. God will also propel you forward. When the time of war was approaching Gideon moved forward when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. But even with that step, Gideon still had his reservations and asked God for a sign twice. Where fear linger, self-doubt exist. Like Gideon, there are times you will question and seek confirmation God that you are the one to do what He has asked you to.
Work to Eliminate Fear (Judges 7:2-3)
On the battle field fear also had to be banished. Out of 32,000 men, 22,000 were afraid and God release them. It is difficult to fight the enemy when you are afraid. The odds are against you because you have stacked them up against yourself. Defeat is predictable when you fight in fear. As children of God, we face a daily battle against the enemy; we have to defeat fear or the enemy will devour us.
Accept God’s Ways, Though Different (Judges 7:4-8)
God further reduced the number of warriors to a meager 300 men. God wanted Gideon to experience the power of diminishing numbers (Judges 6:11, Judges 7:2). In Christ, less means more.
Seek the Support of A Prayer Partner (Judges 7:9-11)
However, Gideon still had thoughts of fear. But God in his great love and understanding; graciously tells Gideon that if he was afraid he could take Purah with him to spy out the enemy’s camp. At times you will need support of a friend or a prayer partner – two are better than. You need help to go through the battle until you receive what is rightfully yours.
Receive the Word to Build Your Faith (Judges 7:13-25)
When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation; he received the extra gumption he needed to go forward and boldly fight the Midianites. There is a word you need and I hope that it’s from this blog post today that will give you that push forward towards your goals and into your destiny.
Just as God understood Gideon’s concerns and daunting fear, He understands yours. God worked with him until he overcame it. God assured him, moved him forward every step before and into the battle and at the right time fear was fully defeated and victory won.
You may fear doing God’s will or something new or different but God is with you. If you fear and yet move forward, step by step, God will be with you. He will anoint you. He will give you peace. He will put His Spirit upon you. He will give you words of comfort and the promise of success. He will make you bolder than a lion and you will move forward and do something great. Fear not, for the Lord is with you.
How do you deal with fear? Do you give your fears over to God and believe that He is with you at all times?
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