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The greatest enemy we can have is fear. It tears us down and messes up our lives. Fear is believing, too- negative believing, wrong believing. We tie God's hands when we live in fear because we are believing wrongly. Fear is the one thing that defeats most Christians. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (II Timothy 1:7). Satan is the author of fear. As we get into God's Word we learn to confront negative believing (fear) with believing in God's Word and all that our heavenly Father has made available to us. 

Fear is a common emotion and the results of fear in our lives can only bring distress and confusion. The Bible says fear torments. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (I John 4:18 ). 

Fear will not just go away because we wish it to. We say "I wish I could do this." Or "I wish I didn't have to go there." We must confront fear with aggressive believing, not wishful thinking. Our flesh doesn't like to confront situations. It wants to go by feelings. If we go by our feelings Satan will steal our peace and joy. Aggressively confronting our fears will overcome them. 

If we listen to statements on television, or pay attention to what we read in newspapers, we see mostly negatives and fear. If we did not believe God and the promises of His Word, we could only live in constant fear. According to the media there seems to be something harmful in everything we eat, or wear, or do. Their negative reporting only builds fear in people. Commercial advertising plays on consumers fears. They want us to think if we don't use their product we will get some terrible disease. 

People fear they may lose his job. They are afraid of failure and rejection. They are afraid of things like Y2K. Fear keeps believers from speaking boldly for God. How do people face each day without God and His Word? 

Sometimes, since we are human, fear comes into our lives. We learn from God's Word how to deal with it. When Jesus was on a ship in the Sea of Galilee with his disciples he took a nap. While he was sleeping a storm came up. The disciples became fearful. "And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith (little in believing God)? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm." (Matthew 8:25,26). Fear was their first reaction to the storm, but Jesus Christ wanted to know where their faith (believing) was. 

Fear and faith, both operate by believing. When fearful situations come up our challenge is to replace any fear with faith in God and what His Word teaches us. ". . . for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." (Hebrews 13:5,6). 

We replace all the fears with the knowledge that because of the God in Christ in us, we have power and love and a sound mind. We find comfort in God's Word. ". . . perfect love casteth out fear. . .." ". . . he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him" (I John 4: 16 and 18). We confront and cast out fear with love. 

Fear can consume us, it always enslaves us, it always brings negative results. If we confess our fear of pain or sickness or death, that is probably what we will manifest. If we confess the love of God in our lives, love is what we will manifest. 

Right believing is confidence and trust in God. It is walking in confidence that what God says He will bring to pass in our lives. We replace fear with love and believing God, and walk hand in hand with God as we face each day. That is our privilege as God's children! 

We must identify our fear and recognize it for what it is-the work of Satan. It's Satan's way of getting us off of God's Word. We go to God's Word to learn how God says to handle the situation. If we fear rejection we remember that we have been made ". . . holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight" (Colossians 1:22). We are acceptable to God. 

Are we afraid to speak out for God? Do what Peter and John did. They prayed ". . . grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word." ". . . they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:29 and 31). 

We confront fear by replacing it with believing faith. We walk in God's power and love one day at a time.