As long as you are in this world there is a battle or the other to fight; one of such battle is secret fear (2 Cor 10:3-5). Fear comes to everyone of us because the world we live in is full of fear, and fear is increasingly multiplying every day. Every one of us in spite of our status nurse some amount or element of fear. Fear is a reality! It is a fact of life. The fear I am talking about here is secret fears; also known as personal fears. This is the kind of fear you can’t or don’t want to disclose to anybody. This is the kind of fear you have developed an environment around so as to cope with it; this method is called coping mechanism. Fear has the ability to destroy. It can destroy our relationship with God and man, our family, and even the future. Your secret fear is capable of making a slave out of you.
Job 1:1-12 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. And that man was perfect and upright, and one who feared God and turned aside from evil.
And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
And his possessions were seven thousand sheep and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
And his sons went and feasted in the house of each one on his day. And they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
And when they had gone around the day of feasting, Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. So Job did always.
And a day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah. And Satan also came among them.
And Jehovah said to Satan, From where do you come? Then Satan answered Jehovah and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
And Jehovah said to Satan, Have you set your heart against My servant Job, because there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil?
And Satan answered Jehovah and said, Does Job fear God for nothing?
Have You not made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock have increased in the land.
But put forth Your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse You to Your face.
And Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only do not lay your hand upon him. And Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah.
Job 3:24-26 For my sighing comes before I eat, and my groanings are poured out like the waters.
For the thing which I greatly feared has come upon me, and that which I was afraid of has come to me.
I was not in safety, nor did I have rest, nor was I quiet; yet trouble comes.
God and Satan were discussing over the subject – Job. Job, the man in question was living in fear, indeed, secret fear. He tried to preempt the sins of his children by offering sacrifices to atone for unknown sins. Despite his fear, trouble did not stop coming. Know this, God only work by faith, while the devil works by fear. The devil cannot carry its assignment without first causing fear in the heart of its victim. Satan attacks through fear. God says I work by faith, the devil says I work by fear. Fear is never okay; it is ungodly. It is never profitable to afraid.
Deut. 20:1 When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots, a people more than you, do not be afraid of them. For Jehovah your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
In the days of old, the armies of Israel don’t go into a battle with the people that are afraid, because the fearful loses the battle even before it begins. There are 365 “fear not” in the Holy Scriptures signifying one per day. Fear not in the scripture is not an advice, it is a command. You must dispel fear before faith can work. Fear and faith cannot co-exist.
Secret fear is not normal. It is not a one off fear. It gradually develops and it is nursed over time until it takes residence in a person. It sits in the deepest consciousness of man. Sometimes, it is taken for granted. It could be the fear of a disease, poverty, a gloomy future or a person. Some sources of secret fear are listed below:
- The news you hear or listen to.
- Past experiences.
- Unsolicited prophecies.
- From dreams (basically nightmares).
- From the flesh. This fear is based on the environment, places you visit, or the food you eat.
TYPES OF SECRET FEAR
- Fear of people; husband being afraid of his wife, subordinate afraid of superior, pastors afraid of members, and vice versa.
- Fear of public opinion, Jer 1:8.
- Fear of the unknown.
- Fear of poverty; even the rich are afraid of being poor.
- Fear of failure; this is behind people not venturing into new territories.
- Fear of sickness.
- Fear of death; it is not the fear of death that kills but you accepting it.
- Fear of satan, demons and witches.
- Fear of change; people you are afraid of change grow old early.
HOW SECRET FEAR OPERATES
- It operates by exaggerating the problem.
- It operates by binding and paralyzing the mind, the faculties, the spirit and the soul, Rom 8:16.
- It prevents people from doing the will of God because it takes courage to do the will of God, Matt 1:20, Jos 1:2, 6, 7, 9, and 18.
- Fear operates by weakening your resistance to satan, Pro 28:1.
- Fear operates by opening the door to satan.
- Fear operates by putting you in bondage.
HOW DO YOU EFFECT YOUR DELIVERANCE FROM SECRET FEAR?
- You must recognize and acknowledge that you have fear.
- Remember His words, Ps 23:4, 27:1.
- Rebuke the spirit of fear. Fear is a person; speak to it, 2 Tim 1:7.
- Seek deliverance when your faith and strength is not enough, Isa 41:10-16.
Isa 41:10-16 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.
Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
Thou shall seek them, and shall not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shall thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shall make the hills as chaff.
Thou shall fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shall rejoice in the LORD, and shall glory in the Holy One of Israel.
Conclusion
Secret fear can destroy your self esteem and confidence. When you are afraid of God you can’t be afraid of people. Nothing good comes out of fear, so deal with it. When you remember God’s word you will conquer fear. You can’t conquer fear with psychology or in your mind because fear is a spirit; just use the Word (the Spirit) to conquer it. You only use the Spirit to conquer the spirit. Don’t allow your fear to paralyze you, only allow your faith to mobilize you.
Prayer
By faith, say it out, I will fear no evil!
God bless you.
Quote
If you are not dead yet God still has something good for you.
