Fear: The Enemys Weapon
by Mark Nickles

            One of the most powerful weapons Satan uses against people is fear. While it’s true that fear can be a good thing, keeping us from taking dangerous risks and contributing to self-preservation, fear can also cripple us, causing us to be unwilling to step out of our “comfort zone” altogether. After all, there are risks in life that we SHOULD take, especially when it comes to a life following Jesus Christ.

One of the advantages of the Christian life is that it can keep us from being ruled by our fears. In 2 Timothy 1:7 we read, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” This is great news! It means that, as a result of our new nature in Christ and having the Holy Spirit reside in us, giving in to fear isn’t even a part of our spiritual makeup. We were meant for much more. In fact, far from being victims of fear, Romans 8:37 says we are “more than conquerors through him who loved us”, meaning Christ. If you are in Christ, fear does not have to be your master.

            The greatest fear that a life in Christ liberates us from, however,  is the fear of death. For the Christ-follower, what happens after death is no mystery. John 3:16 says that God has prepared “eternal life” for those who believe in (meaning to follow) Jesus Christ. Speaking of heaven, 1 Corinthians 2:9 tells us, “But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him’”. In other words, heaven is beyond our earthly imagination. Additionally, in John 14:2, Jesus told his disciples that his Father’s house contained many rooms, and that he was going to “prepare a place” for them, giving them the assurance that they would be with him when their earthly life was over. We know this to be a promise for ALL followers of Christ, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that to be “away from the body” was to be “at home with the Lord.”

            Would you like to be free from fear? A life in Christ is the only real way to do so. Surrender your life to him today, and you can begin living a NEW life.



Mark Nickles is a husband, father of three, and a pastor in Northeastern Oklahoma. Copyright, Mark A. Nickles.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com







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