\u201cFor God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and a sound mind.\u201d II Timothy 1:7<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is the spirit of fear? Where does it come from?\u00a0How do you know if you are dealing with the spirit of fear?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have clearly established in early devotionals that godly fear can be our friend. It can be a tool to protect us and keep us from harm. It can provide us with wisdom and cause us to put guardrails in place\u2013to ensure that we do not shipwreck God\u2019s plan for our lives. There is one type of fear, however, that the Bible warns us against; it is called the \u201cspirit of fear.\u201d This fear is designed to keep us from fulfilling our destiny, to make us timid, and to cause us to flee from opportunities that God places before us.\u00a0The source of this fear is the devil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The spirit of fear is not our friend. It is not from God.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n After reminding Timothy of the gift of God within him, and the call upon his life, Paul goes on to state that God has not given him the \u201cspirit of fear.\u201d What is the spirit of fear?\u00a0The spirit of fear is an overwhelming emotional sense of danger that is not based on reality, but fueled by past experiences or imagined negative consequences.\u00a0<\/em>This fear is often fueled by facts but devoid of faith.\u00a0It is irrational, unpredictable and demonic. This fear causes us to cower, freeze, and ultimately, to give in to the enemy.\u00a0It takes away our confidence and makes us forget our one true authority and identity. It causes us to become timid and deny the power of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The spirit of fear has one objective; to stop us from fulfilling our destiny.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider a time when the \u201cspirit of fear\u201d has reared it\u2019s ugly head in your life. For most people, it\u2019s not hard to recall examples! This sort of fear appears when we are considering pursuing a major project or assignment, a key employee threatens to leave, an investor considers pulling an investment, a competitor threatens to slander or sue, or a customer threatens to flee. This fear appears when the government threatens to fine us (or in some cases, even take us to prison) when we stand our ground for Christ and His righteousness. These examples also remind us that fear often stems from the imagined consequence of disconnection<\/em> and shame<\/em>. This fear is designed to cause us to fall into compromise\u2013to give in<\/em> and fit in<\/em>to the world\u2019s expectations.\u00a0It makes us weak, fragile, and faithless.\u00a0But how do you know if you have succumbed to the spirit of fear?<\/p>\n\n\n\n You will know that you have given in to the spirit of fear when a decision you made did not give you peace<\/em>, but rather made you feel safe.<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yikes. What now, you ask? Even if <\/em>you become aware of a decision made in the spirit of fear, you still might not have the courage to challenge it.\u00a0You may believe that your \u201csafe\u201d decision is a smart or humble one. You may not believe that God can see you through. That is the real danger with the spirit of fear!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The spirit of fear makes you weak, not meek<\/em>.\u00a0It is not from God.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.\u201d Proverbs 28:1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is it possible to simply be bold and avoid fear altogether? Bren\u00e9 Brown, a researcher who has studied issues related to fear and shame for over a decade, says \u201cno.\u201d Brown claims, \u201cAs long as people are hardwired for connection, the fear of disconnection [shame] will always be a reality.\u201d The spirit of fear is rooted in a fear of Man, rather than a healthy and reverent fear of God. When we give in to the spirit of fear, we allow the enemy to convince us that we are \u201cnot enough\u201d to truly succeed or belong if we pursue our destiny. Yes, the spirit of fear will always exist, because it is the devil\u2019s tool to intimidate you into \u201cbelonging\u201d in the \u201cworld,\u201d rather than claiming your right as co-heir with Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Christ, we are fully known and fully loved\u2013so we will always<\/u> belong.<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOwning our story can be hard, but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it\u2026not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy\u2014the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.\u201d -Bren\u00e9 Brown<\/p>\n\n\n\n My prayer for you is that God will give you the wisdom to recognize the spirit of fear and the boldness to resist it.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cFor God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and a sound mind.\u201d II Timothy 1:7 What 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auto;}}\";s:2:\"js\";s:0:\"\";s:18:\"current_block_list\";a:3:{i:0;s:14:\"core\/paragraph\";i:1;s:10:\"uagb\/image\";i:2;s:10:\"core\/image\";}s:8:\"uag_flag\";b:1;s:11:\"uag_version\";s:10:\"1774656004\";s:6:\"gfonts\";a:0:{}s:10:\"gfonts_url\";s:0:\"\";s:12:\"gfonts_files\";a:0:{}s:14:\"uag_faq_layout\";b:0;}"],"_uag_css_file_name":["uag-css-10914.css"]},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"post-thumbnail":false,"gform-image-choice-sm":false,"gform-image-choice-md":false,"gform-image-choice-lg":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"EC Admin","author_link":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/author\/ecmembersadm-2\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"\u201cFor God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and a sound mind.\u201d II Timothy 1:7 What is\u2026","comments_count":0,"content_native":[{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" \u201cFor God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and a sound mind.\u201d II Timothy 1:7<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":" \u201cFor God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and a sound mind.\u201d II Timothy 1:7<\/p>"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{},"backgroundColor":"#eeeeee"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" What is the spirit of fear? Where does it come from? How do you know if you are dealing with the spirit of fear?<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"What is the spirit of fear? Where does it come from? How do you know if you are dealing with the spirit of fear?"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" We have clearly established in early devotionals that godly fear can be our friend. It can be a tool to protect us and keep us from harm. It can provide us with wisdom and cause us to put guardrails in place--to ensure that we do not shipwreck God\u2019s plan for our lives. There is one type of fear, however, that the Bible warns us against; it is called the \u201cspirit of fear.\u201d This fear is designed to keep us from fulfilling our destiny, to make us timid, and to cause us to flee from opportunities that God places before us. The source of this fear is the devil.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"We have clearly established in early devotionals that godly fear can be our friend. It can be a tool to protect us and keep us from harm. It can provide us with wisdom and cause us to put guardrails in place--to ensure that we do not shipwreck God\u2019s plan for our lives. There is one type of fear, however, that the Bible warns us against; it is called the \u201cspirit of fear.\u201d This fear is designed to keep us from fulfilling our destiny, to make us timid, and to cause us to flee from opportunities that God places before us. The source of this fear is the devil."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" The spirit of fear is not our friend. It is not from God. <\/strong><\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"The spirit of fear is not our friend. It is not from God. <\/strong>"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" After reminding Timothy of the gift of God within him, and the call upon his life, Paul goes on to state that God has not given him the \u201cspirit of fear.\u201d What is the spirit of fear? The spirit of fear is an overwhelming emotional sense of danger that is not based on reality, but fueled by past experiences or imagined negative consequences. <\/em>This fear is often fueled by facts but devoid of faith. It is irrational, unpredictable and demonic. This fear causes us to cower, freeze, and ultimately, to give in to the enemy. It takes away our confidence and makes us forget our one true authority and identity. It causes us to become timid and deny the power of God.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"After reminding Timothy of the gift of God within him, and the call upon his life, Paul goes on to state that God has not given him the \u201cspirit of fear.\u201d What is the spirit of fear? The spirit of fear is an overwhelming emotional sense of danger that is not based on reality, but fueled by past experiences or imagined negative consequences. <\/em>This fear is often fueled by facts but devoid of faith. It is irrational, unpredictable and demonic. This fear causes us to cower, freeze, and ultimately, to give in to the enemy. It takes away our confidence and makes us forget our one true authority and identity. It causes us to become timid and deny the power of God."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" The spirit of fear has one objective; to stop us from fulfilling our destiny. <\/strong><\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"The spirit of fear has one objective; to stop us from fulfilling our destiny. <\/strong>"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Consider a time when the \u201cspirit of fear\u201d has reared it\u2019s ugly head in your life. For most people, it\u2019s not hard to recall examples! This sort of fear appears when we are considering pursuing a major project or assignment, a key employee threatens to leave, an investor considers pulling an investment, a competitor threatens to slander or sue, or a customer threatens to flee. This fear appears when the government threatens to fine us (or in some cases, even take us to prison) when we stand our ground for Christ and His righteousness. These examples also remind us that fear often stems from the imagined consequence of disconnection<\/em> and shame<\/em>. This fear is designed to cause us to fall into compromise--to give in<\/em> and fit in<\/em>to the world\u2019s expectations. It makes us weak, fragile, and faithless. But how do you know if you have succumbed to the spirit of fear?<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Consider a time when the \u201cspirit of fear\u201d has reared it\u2019s ugly head in your life. For most people, it\u2019s not hard to recall examples! This sort of fear appears when we are considering pursuing a major project or assignment, a key employee threatens to leave, an investor considers pulling an investment, a competitor threatens to slander or sue, or a customer threatens to flee. This fear appears when the government threatens to fine us (or in some cases, even take us to prison) when we stand our ground for Christ and His righteousness. These examples also remind us that fear often stems from the imagined consequence of disconnection<\/em> and shame<\/em>. This fear is designed to cause us to fall into compromise--to give in<\/em> and fit in<\/em>to the world\u2019s expectations. It makes us weak, fragile, and faithless. But how do you know if you have succumbed to the spirit of fear?"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" You will know that you have given in to the spirit of fear when a decision you made did not give you peace<\/em>, but rather made you feel safe.<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"You will know that you have given in to the spirit of fear when a decision you made did not give you peace<\/em>, but rather made you feel safe.<\/em> <\/strong>"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Yikes. What now, you ask? Even if <\/em>you become aware of a decision made in the spirit of fear, you still might not have the courage to challenge it. You may believe that your \u201csafe\u201d decision is a smart or humble one. You may not believe that God can see you through. That is the real danger with the spirit of fear!<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Yikes. What now, you ask? Even if <\/em>you become aware of a decision made in the spirit of fear, you still might not have the courage to challenge it. You may believe that your \u201csafe\u201d decision is a smart or humble one. You may not believe that God can see you through. That is the real danger with the spirit of fear!"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" The spirit of fear makes you weak, not meek<\/em>. It is not from God. <\/strong><\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"The spirit of fear makes you weak, not meek<\/em>. It is not from God. <\/strong>"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" \u201cThe wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.\u201d Proverbs 28:1<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"\u201cThe wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.\u201d Proverbs 28:1"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Is it possible to simply be bold and avoid fear altogether? Bren\u00e9 Brown, a researcher who has studied issues related to fear and shame for over a decade, says \u201cno.\u201d Brown claims, \u201cAs long as people are hardwired for connection, the fear of disconnection [shame] will always be a reality.\u201d The spirit of fear is rooted in a fear of Man, rather than a healthy and reverent fear of God. When we give in to the spirit of fear, we allow the enemy to convince us that we are \u201cnot enough\u201d to truly succeed or belong if we pursue our destiny. Yes, the spirit of fear will always exist, because it is the devil\u2019s tool to intimidate you into \u201cbelonging\u201d in the \u201cworld,\u201d rather than claiming your right as co-heir with Christ.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Is it possible to simply be bold and avoid fear altogether? Bren\u00e9 Brown, a researcher who has studied issues related to fear and shame for over a decade, says \u201cno.\u201d Brown claims, \u201cAs long as people are hardwired for connection, the fear of disconnection [shame] will always be a reality.\u201d The spirit of fear is rooted in a fear of Man, rather than a healthy and reverent fear of God. When we give in to the spirit of fear, we allow the enemy to convince us that we are \u201cnot enough\u201d to truly succeed or belong if we pursue our destiny. Yes, the spirit of fear will always exist, because it is the devil\u2019s tool to intimidate you into \u201cbelonging\u201d in the \u201cworld,\u201d rather than claiming your right as co-heir with Christ."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" In Christ, we are fully known and fully loved--so we will always<\/u> belong.<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"In Christ, we are fully known and fully loved--so we will always<\/u> belong.<\/em> <\/strong>"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" \u201cOwning our story can be hard, but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it...not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy\u2014the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.\u201d -Bren\u00e9 Brown<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"\u201cOwning our story can be hard, but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it...not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy\u2014the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.\u201d -Bren\u00e9 Brown"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" My prayer for you is that God will give you the wisdom to recognize the spirit of fear and the boldness to resist it.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"My prayer for you is that God will give you the wisdom to recognize the spirit of fear and the boldness to resist it."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}}],"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"bb_access":{"can_access":true,"restrict_message":null},"app_access":{"can_access":true,"restrict_message":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10914\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}