“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”
Isaiah 12:2-3
Notice the first part of the scripture above: “I will trust and not be afraid”. There are many times we need to command ourselves, our souls, to trust and not be afraid. Scripture is clear that we need to rid our lives of fear and walk in stedfast faith. Mark 11:22-25a Jesus says: “Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea; AND SHALL NOT DOUBT IN HIS HEART, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any…”
In James 1:6 the scripture says: “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.”
We know these scriptures and the importance of not doubting and not fearing. Yet there are times when circumstances can so challenge a person’s faith walk that doubts and fears seem to be amplified. What do you do if this happens? First, check your love walk. Faith works by love and perfect love casts out all fear. Unforgiveness and offense can leave the door open for fear. Choose to forgive. Choose to love despite how you might feel. Keep the commandment of love. As you increase in your love walk with others and revelation of how much GOD LOVES YOU, then fear must go.
Next, we have to go deep; Deep down into those wells of salvation to draw out that water; Deep down into God’s WORD hearing, and reading His WORD; Deep down into prayer in the understanding and the spirit; Deep down into Praise and Worship. Go Deep Down into all those promises of God we have put into our hearts. We must push through those emotions, where doubts try to take root in our souls, and instead, tap into that bountiful measure of Faith that God has planted in our hearts and draw it out. We allow the faith and hope of God in our spirits to be an anchor to our souls. As we speak the promises of God in His Word, that hope bubbles up, that faith increases and anchors our souls; so that the winds and waves are unable to move us off course, no matter how strong they appear.
Someone may say, “I keep trying to stand in faith, walk in love and not doubt, but I keep having challenges with doubt and fear. How do I overcome that?”
I am glad you asked! First, you make sure you are planted in a Word teaching church where your spirit is fed, and that you are spending time hearing God’s Word, for: “…faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 In addition, did you know you can actually believe God to not fear? You can actually believe God to not doubt? The fear is not coming from your spirit. It tries to enter the door through the circumstances and get your soul (your mind and emotions) to fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 says: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power; and of love, and of a sound mind.” Therefore, you must understand that although the mind can doubt, your heart actually has faith. You have been given the measure of faith. Therefore, you need to start speaking to your soul and commanding it not to fear, just like the heros of old did. God knew fears would try to come, but that’s why He provided so many scriptures where He says: “Do not fear, or Be of Good Courage”. You see, it’s not that the heros of old never felt fear or doubts, but it is how they handled those times when they did. You can doubt in your soul (your mind/emotions), yet be full of faith in your heart. However, you must go deep; Deep down into those wells of salvation, into your heart, (your spirit) where the Holy Spirit resides. Tap into that water and be refreshed.
That is exactly what Isaiah is talking about in the foundational scripture above. Notice, first he is telling us to talk to ourselves, to our souls. You choose to trust, you choose to not doubt by your will. The scripture says: “I WILL TRUST AND NOT BE AFRAID”. He then reminds us of WHO GOD IS in our lives. We can speak to our souls. We can command our souls to line up with the will of God. Do not worry when your emotions don’t seem to be lining up with the word and seem to fear. Dig down deep into your heart. You have faith in your heart (your spirit), you have the measure of Faith that God has given you. Tap into that, and speak the word only over yourself until those emotions line up with the word of God.
David did this in the Psalms. Psalm 103:1-2 he literally commands his soul (His Mind, His Will, His Emotions) to line up with the word of God. He says: “BLESS the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits…” He then goes on to list those benefits. We literally can believe God to be fear free and not doubt, just as we can believe Him for finances, health or anything else in our lives. We just need to find the scriptures pertaining to it, and then speak the word only. Jesus says “If we SAY to the mountain”. So if you are facing a mountain of fear, then SPEAK TO IT! SAY TO THAT MOUNTAIN; “BE REMOVED AND CAST INTO THE SEA”. Keep up your confession of faith until your soul lines up. That’s why James 1:21b says: “…and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” Romans 12:2 says: “And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Hebrews 10:39 says: “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”
In Psalm 62:5-8 David by the Holy Spirit writes: “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”
Psalm 34:4 says; “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
Psalm 116:7: “Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.”
You can also confess that God strengthens your heart. That is where God planted the measure of faith; it is in your heart. For instance Psalm 27:14 says: “Wait on the LORD, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the LORD.”
Psalm 29:11 “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.”
Psalm 31:24: “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”
In addition, as you come to understand God’s character, what His will is for you, what His LOVE is for you, it enables you to walk fear free. When you understand His covenant that you have with Him, His will to have you live a blessed and complete life, then you begin to realize how protected and loved you are. Jesus fought and won our battles so that we don’t have to.
Finally, find the source in your life that may be contaminating your faith. Is it slothfulness in the things of God? Are you spending more time watching TV than you are in the word and promises of God? Is it a friendship where every time you spend time with that person you feel drained of faith afterwards? Are you so busy with the cares of life that you have little time to spend in the word, with God? Then re-order your life so that you are able to carve out specific time with Him. Put God first. As you do, your faith will increase, the fear will go.
If you have done all these things and still continue to battle fear, do not worry. Just stand fast in faith, for: “In your patience possess ye your souls”. Luke 21:19. With Faith and Patience you shall inherit the promises of God. Just choose to believe God no matter what. Speak the WORD only, and eventually your emotions will line up with the word of God and your faith will soar! One day you will look back and realize the fear and doubts that used to seem so real have disappeared. As God is magnified in your life, all the other problems will look small compared to Him.
1 John 3:23
“And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another; as he gave us commandment.”
1 John 4:16-18
“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us, God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 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. We love him, because he first loved us.”
3 John 1:2
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
Hebrews 6:12
“That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
Ephesians 3:16-21
“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
Ephesians 1:17 – 22
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Exodus 14:13a & 14
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day…The LORD will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
Joshua 1:5b, 6a,7 & 9
“…I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage…Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest…Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid; neither be thou dismayed; for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
Psalm 18:1-3
“I WILL love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.”
Psalm 23:4
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
Hebrews 6:17-19
“Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil…”
Isaiah 41:10 & 13
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness… For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”
