A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day – April 10, 2019
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. (Mark 9:3)
How many times have you heard that fear is the opposite of faith? I have heard it hundreds (if not thousands) of times in sermons and in books on faith. Am I saying fear doesn’t negatively affect faith? No, no, no!!! It absolutely does!!! What I am saying though is that fear is not the main culprit. There is another condition that instigates and produces fear and we need to be aware of that original condition that births fear in the first place.
We have an enemy! His name is Satan and he comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He is a defeated foe, so the only power he has over us is the power we give him. How do we give him power? I am glad you asked. The battleground is in our minds and the main way Satan attacks a believer is through lies because he is the father of lies. If he can get you to believe a lie, then you have just abdicated some of the power Jesus gave you and by so doing it gives Satan power over you.
Now, let’s look at just a few of the many ways Satan uses to deliver and distribute his lies:
Religious traditions and doctrines – The traditions of man makes the Word of God of no effect (Mark 7:13). Satan knows the Word so you better know it too or you will get misled.
Unforgiveness , bitterness, and hatred – Perfect love cast out fear, not perfect hate. 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. (1 John 4:18)
Intellectualism without the Spirit – Not many wise men are chosen. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: (1 Corinthians 1:26)
Let’s get back to the root cause of fear. The supreme nuclear weapon that Satan uses to defeat believers and create fear in the first place is double mindedness and. he does that with lies Let’s look closely at the scripture below:
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5-8)
Anything you receive from God is by faith. It’s never by works. Your very salvation is received by faith. Anything else you receive from God is also received by faith. Think about it like this. If Satan can sow doubt in your mind about any of God’s promises then he has you double minded because God cannot lie. But Satan is the father of lies and he will try to get you to believe that God is a liar also. Satan knows if he can get you double minded you will receive nothing from God.
And guess what? Double mindedness creates fear! You are fearful that God may not come through; maybe He is not good all the time but just some of the time; maybe He did not mean what He said; maybe you have done too much wrong to qualify for His promises; maybe God is trying to teach you a lesson through sickness, poverty, disasters, etc.; maybe you will look foolish by believing this way; maybe your friends or relatives will disown you if you get too radical for God; and on and on it goes.
The bottom-line is this. Fear is instigated by double mindedness!!! That is what Satan is trying to create in the minds of all believers. What we have to do is believe God. He is not a man to lie. We have to stand on His promises and His Word and resist the lies of the devil with the truth and a single mind.
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
