SPIRIT OF FEAR: OVERCOMING FEAR
- Fear is part of human nature.
We know and probably have experienced the numerous ways the devil has tempted us in our lifetime. A lot of those temptations are described in 1 John 2:16:
1John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Some of the major temptations the devil tries to deceive us with…but also one of the biggest ways he can deceive us is by tempting us with fear.
We have no control over whether or not we are tempted to fear. But we do have the choice as to how we respond to it.
Luke 22:41-44
- Luke 22:41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Luke 22:43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
Luke 22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Psalm 22:11-22
- Ps 22:11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
Ps 22:12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
Ps 22:13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
Ps 22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
Ps 22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
Ps 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Ps 22:17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
Ps 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
Ps 22:19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
Ps 22:20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
Ps 22:21 Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
Ps 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
Jesus strongly valued God’s will over His own, which made Him able to overcome the intense fear the devil tempted him with.
I need to grow in the same will and love for the Lord, to obey His commands so that when I am tempted I will have the same mind to overcome it.
Why couldn’t God have planned for Jesus to die on the cross at an earlier time in His life?
Hebrews 2:16-18
- Heb 2:16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Jesus endured the same trials we endure. Just because He never sinned does not mean His life was any easier than ours. God could have brought His will for Christ about much sooner than He did, but perhaps it was because He was still growing spiritually. So how can we grow spiritually and prepare our hearts so that we can endure as much temptation as He endured?
- The more faith we have in the Lord, the less we will fear things of this world.
Hebrews 11:23-27
- Heb 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Heb 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Even though Moses started out living in wealth and comfort, He willingly endured the affliction throughout his life because of his faith in the Lord. What if we do not walk by faith?
Numbers 14:22-24
- Num 14:22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
Num 14:23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
Num 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
The Israelites did not have an excuse for their unbelief. God gave them so many miracles (water in the rock, Red Sea, etc). But still they feared the people of Canaan, not believing in God’s promise.
Oftentimes in the heat of the moment, we can become overwhelmed at what we see or hear, and not think very clearly. To the Israelites, the land of Canaan with its giants looked humanly impossible to conquer, so their immediate response was to deny what God had promised them and trust In what they saw.
Deuteronomy 1:26-27
- Deut 1:26 Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God:
Deut 1:27 And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.
Deuteronomy 1:34-45
- Deut 1:34 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,
Deut 1:35 Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,
Deut 1:36 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.
Deut 1:39 Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.
Deut 1:40 But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.
Deut 1:41 Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill.
Deut 1:42 And the LORD said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.
Deut 1:43 So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill.
Deut 1:44 And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.
- Deut 1:45 And ye returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.
Even though later they realized their sin and wanted to change it, it was too late. God gave them a chance to obey Him, but they wasted their chance.
What about me? God has given me one life, one chance to obey Him too. If I choose to walk by sight as the Israelites did, fearing that His requirements are too great for me, my end will probably look like theirs.
In order to overcome fear, we need to grow in faith to just do what the Lord commands whether or not we think it is good.
Isaiah 55:8
- Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
God is so much wiser than we are, why should we trust in our own judgement in uncertain times? And going deeper, what seemed to be the sole reason Israelites did not obey the Lord? Their unwillingness to risk their lives. But is physical life more important than our soul?
ASTRID GLOTT
- Matt 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Which should we fear more? The possible outcomes of our situation, or our soul being lost forever?
The account in Daniel 3 is a good example of this.
Daniel 3:13-18
- Dan 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
Dan 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
Dan 3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
Dan 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Dan 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Dan 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
They knew the king had no power beyond taking their physical lives; because they had such great faith, valuing their souls over their life, they did not fear losing their lives for God’s sake.
Hebrews 13:5-6
- Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Heb 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
- How can we change our mindset to be willing to lose everything for the Lord?
It’s natural to fear how different things can affect us, maybe our job situation, or different political situations; sometimes this may even seem to hinder us from serving God in some ways. But we should consider that perhaps the times when we might fear are times when there is more opportunity to please the Lord and grow spiritually.
Remember David, running from Saul for so much of his life.
If we had to run from an enemy for years of our life, hiding in caves and traveling through wilderness, maybe it wouldn’t feel like we were accomplishing much for the Lord. But God used those years to accomplish his work in David’s heart.
So we too, may be put in this kind of situation: Maybe it’s a temptation to fear stressful or dangerous situations. But also it can be a temptation to simply despair that our life has no meaning or use. We may despair that our situations hinder us from what we could be doing for God. Consider how Paul and Silas handled such a situation.
Acts 16:19-25
- Acts 16:19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
Acts 16:20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
Acts 16:21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
Acts 16:22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
Acts 16:23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
Acts 16:24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
Acts 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
They likely would much rather be about the Lord’s business than stuck in prison. But even though they could not visibly accomplish anything for the Lord, they were still singing and praising God. (They saw their situation from God’s perspective (faith) so they were able to rejoice.)
We don’t have to be in perfect situations to serve and please God. So when we’re in situations that threaten some of the opportunities the Lord has given us, we should not fear, knowing that through any situation we can grow spiritually and gain more of God’s favor.
Like the Israelites, we can be afraid of hardship. We may think we aren’t able to bear it, or fear the future, if things look disheartening.
- 2Cor 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
2Cor 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
2Cor 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
2Cor 11:26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
2Cor 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
2Cor 11:28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
2Cor 11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
2Cor 11:30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
Physically speaking, Paul had everything to fear. But even after he was stoned and left for dead, he did not stop serving the Lord even when it was no less dangerous. But the extremity of his situations grew His faith.
He was almost continually in hardship, yet he was not depressed or fearful all his life.
Philippians 4:11-12
- Phil 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Phil 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
He was content in whatever state he was in. Even when things are not going well for us, it is still possible for us to be content.
2 Corinthians 12:9
- 2Cor 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Cor 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Oftentimes we can let our trials overwhelm us, so that it seems impossible to overcome a particular temptation. It’s easy to think sometimes, “I might be able to handle this better next time, but right now I just can’t.” But do we have faith in God’s promise that He IS able to make us stand?
Matthew 19:24-26
- Matt 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Matt 19:25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Matt 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
We aren’t able to overcome temptations of ourselves, it is God who makes us able. Because of that, we have reason to rejoice in the trials we’re given.
Acts 5:40-41
- Acts 5:40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Acts 5:41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
Why would they rejoice in such extreme suffering? Because they knew this suffering was a result of God’s love for them; they were worthy of His chastening.
When we’re given a lot of temptations, it’s natural to think it’s a result of God just not caring about us.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
But out of love He chastens us, and only by chastening can we learn to overcome sin and grow. So when we’re tempted, we should not fear or despair, but realize that it is a sign that God is working in our lives.
Ps 94:12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
Ps 94:13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.
Ps 94:14 For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
Ps 119:75 I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.
1Pet 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pet 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
We should not be surprised or despairing when we’re faced with trials; God has very specific purpose in everything He causes to happen.
- Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
Whenever we see or experience tragedy, it is especially easy to fear because it may seem so unnecessary to us. It’s a temptation to think, “Why would God allow that to happen?”
Lam 3:33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
It is not because he enjoys allowing grief and trauma in people’s lives.
Job 27:14-16
- Job 37:14 Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
Job 37:15 Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?
Job 37:16 Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?
If God is perfect in knowledge, why do we have the right as His creation to discern whether His work is good or not?
- Deut 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is
- 2Sam 22:31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.
We are an extremely small fraction of His creation. We cannot see the bigger plan He is working, so oftentimes from our small viewpoint, things don’t always make sense.
- Job 11:7 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
But do we have to question God’s work, or can we just trust that His work IS perfect? If we don’t have faith in God’s goodness, it is a much bigger temptation to fear.
Psalms 92:4
- Ps 92:4 For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
Ps 92:5 O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
- Ps 63:3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
The more we grow in wisdom, the more we will understand God’s mercy.
Psalms 107 is a whole chapter about God bringing trouble to turn men’s hearts towards Him.
- Ps 107:23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
Ps 107:24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
Ps 107:25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Ps 107:26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Ps 107:27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Ps 107:28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Ps 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Ps 107:30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Ps 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
- Ps 107:43 Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.
Having faith in His goodness will greatly help us to overcome temptations of fear and despair.
- Ps 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
As we grow in wisdom, our hope in Him will grow also.
The more we grow in hope, the less we will fear what can happen to us or what might happen to what we love in this life.
- Rev 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
He says “be thou faithful unto death” – and sometimes it can be a hard subject to think through. In physical terms, losing your life is fundamentally the worst thing that could happen to you. But what about the rest of the verse “and I will give thee a crown of life”? The devil makes it so easy to fear pain and suffering, that we oftentimes forget why we are willing to endure it. If we forget our hope, how could we have the strength to suffer? Without reminding ourselves of our hope, fear of suffering takes over, and we grow weaker.
- Matt 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Matt 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Matt 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
What physical things do we value more than our souls? Are we actually willing to exchange these small, temporary comforts and enjoyments for eternal torment?
Hebrews 11:32-40
- Heb 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
Heb 11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Heb 11:34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Heb 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Heb 11:36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Heb 11:38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
Do people of the world go to these extents to obtain something they have desired, or something they believe they were created to do? Why not? It’s not only because they have no promises, but also because the things they are working for have no lasting value.
But we do have a promise, and we can trust that He will never be unfaithful to it.
Romans 4:16-21
- Rom 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Rom 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Rom 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:
Rom 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Rom 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
So what about us? Do we fear to give up our worldly attachments, even our lives, or do we have faith that God will make us able to?
- Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
- Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
He WILL fulfill His promise, and His promise is something greater than the world could ever have to offer.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Hope in God’s promises is what kept the Christians in Hebrews 11 from falling from their faith, even under such immense pressure and temptation to fear. We too, should renew our minds of this same hope so that we will be prepared for different ways we may be tempted in the future.
2 Corinthians 4:16
- 2Cor 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Cor 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Cor 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
The word “renewed” in verse 16 means to renovate. If we don’t constantly and zealously renew our hearts in faith (by hearing God’s words), we will grow weaker and more easily fall to temptation.
Ephesians 6:13-17
- Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
- Ps 119:92 Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
Romans 8:31-39
- Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If we are determined to serve the Lord, He will make us able to have a faith like Jesus’s one day. With that kind of faith, we will be able to overcome any temptation to fear, no matter how great it may be.