The Faces of Fear

One face of fear dominates society today. Let’s look at three major faces of fear that help us understand which is most important and why.

The three categories of fear for this article are:

1.     Natural built-in fear for protection

2.     The fear of man which comes from the enemy

3.     The fear of God which comes from His Holy Spirit

You might not think it necessary to define the fear of man from the enemy, but you also may be surprised to find the definition of fear F

Fear is defined as common as worry and anxiety within society to as serious as panic attacks, phobias, and even paranoia. The science of psychology and psychiatry is built largely around fear. But not all fear is negative.

 The first face of fear comes innately as a natural-born fear that God gives all of us for our protection. This protection guards us and others who surround us.

1.     Not all fear is negative. 

Fear is a legitimate emotion that can serve a valuable purpose. We should also have a healthy fear of things that can harm us. For example, we should fear stepping out in front of a moving vehicle or touching a hot iron or the stove.  One of the many important duties related to parenting young children is to impart to them a healthy fear of danger. This danger includes things and people.

 2.     Fear of man from the enemy

With over 400 documented phobias, the more we know, the better equipped we are to recognize the work of the enemy to keep us in fear. Possibly you have what we call unhealthy fears. These fears:

can paralyze us /cause us to lose sleep / steal our joy and our peace / can lead to depression   

Unhealthy fear can be rooted in many different things.  One root is trauma.  If you have ever gone through a traumatic experience, whether an accident, a tragedy, or a natural disaster, you know the toll that it takes on your soul.  Your soul consists of your mind, will, and emotions. Trauma affects all three parts of our soul.

A wound forms and at that time we choose whether to give it root or cast it out. As we become more aware of what happened, we can make better choices sooner. After the initial shock of a traumatic event has worn off, an unhealthy fear can remain hindering and or dominating our life for years to come.

·       Fear and control live in the same house. When we struggle with fear, we often respond by trying to take control of our circumstances.  Control looks strong, but because of its fear base, it shows weakness. Control motivates manipulation, leaving no room for the Holy Spirit to work.   

Five areas where fear motivates us to control are:

1.               Fear of losing our career, position, or title

2.               Fear of losing money or possessions

3.               Fear of losing our reputation

4.               Fear of losing our relationships

5.               Fear of losing our ability to influence someone or something

 According to professionals, people have 3 responses to fear: Fight, Flight, or Freeze.

·       Fear is paralyzing which can be physically dangerous. Our bodies are not created to live in fear. The cortisol and adrenaline produced during fear are for short-term decisions, not long-term life.  Cortisol destroys organs over time, putting a person in the red zone of fear.  The American Medical Association (AMA) states that over 80% of all diseases are fear-based.  The term psychosomatic finds its origin in a mental state that affects the body.

You may be struggling with fear in a place where you don’t realize you are not trusting God. This causes damage to our physical and mental state. You are not responsible for the nature of the fear itself, but we are responsible for allowing God to show us where our fears are hindering us and ask Him to remove them.

Ultimately, unhealthy fear keeps us from doing what God has called us to do and can give the enemy an open door to oppress us.  Fear, along with bitterness are the two main open doors for the enemy to use to torment our lives.

Just like satan tempted Eve and Adam in the garden, he ‘hooked’ them into believing his lies. and the devil doesn’t want us to know that. He wants us to believe that if we let go, our lives will get worse, not better. He is a liar and the father of lies. Adam and Eve’s life got worse for believing the lies of satan.

To dispel the fear of man from the enemy we stand on God’s word.

·       Psalm 118:6  The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

3.     A holy fear of God.

This holy fear of God displays as a reverential, worshipful, fear of God for Who He is, His holiness, power, and love for mankind. To counter the fear of man, God gives us truth in His word. To walk free from fear we counter the enemy’s lies with the truth of God’s word. Meditate on these Scriptures below about the fear of the Lord.

o   Proverbs 14:26-27  Those who fear the LORD are secure; He will be a place of refuge for their children. Fear of the LORD is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death.   

o   2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

o   John 14:27  I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid.

o   Isaiah 8:12-14  Do not be afraid that some plan conceived behind closed doors will be the end of you. Do not fear anything except the LORD Almighty. He alone is the Holy One. If you fear Him, you need fear nothing else. He will keep you safe.

o   The opposite of fear is Love – Perfect love casts out fear. Because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  I John 4:18

o   Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

To embrace fear means we have yet to fully receive the incredible love of the Father When we do, fear has to go.

When Jesus was facing His arrest and death, He knew He was headed into massive suffering. As the Son of God, He could avoid all of this.  But look at His response to the Heavenly Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

·       Luke 22:42  Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.

·       Deuteronomy 31:8  Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.

·       Psalm 27:1  The LORD is my light and my salvation-- so why should I be afraid? The LORD protects me from danger-- so why should I tremble?”

So what is the takeaway? The connection between all 3 faces of fear started in the beginning. The first we mentioned - 1- Healthy fear was taught in the Garden of Eden by God to Adam and Eve. Don’t eat of this tree. 2. Adam and Eve believed the lie of a snake called satan. He told them that God was withholding something. The enemy tricked them and they lost what they had by believing fear and eating from the wrong tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 3. God comes to earth to rescue His creation, redeem and renew our hearts towards God, like in the beginning. A healthy fear of God. He is who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do. He withholds no good thing!

Until next time, remember, the heart of the matter (fear) is the matter of the heart (love).

Dr. Michele

September 29, 2024