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UNDERSTANDING THE ROOT CAUSE OF FEAR

  • Spiritual attacks and opposition can also trigger fear. Goliath came to attack the people of Israel, and because he had been a warrior from his youth, he used it to weaponize fear in the hearts of the Israelite army, including King Saul’s heart. Even when David came into the scene, the opposition from his own camp (Brethren) almost triggers fear. 1 Samuel 17vs1-58. We must understand that whenever we are close to our breakthrough as children of God, fear always intensifies. Strong opposition often indicates strong purpose, and breakthroughs are on the way.
  • Fear grows in emotional and spiritual isolation. Isolation and silence are other tools that the devil is using to trigger fear in the lives of people of God. For instance, Elijah feared after victory because he withdrew (1 Kings 19vs1-end), and it caused him to run from Jezebel. Know that when you disconnect from fellowship and prayer, fear will gain ground. Stand up, do not give him a foothold.
  • Matthew 14vs22-23 gives us insight into another thing that can trigger fear. Peter was walking on the sea successfully, not until he shifted his focus from looking unto Jesus to focusing on the wind before he started sinking. Misplaced focus will trigger fear. Fear is often born from focusing more on circumstances than on God.
  • Another thing is sudden life transitions. New jobs, marriage, relocation, ministry assignment, or new leadership roles will often trigger fear because they demand unfamiliar growth.

Our knowledge of the above points will lead us to the next thing, which is why the Devil chooses fear as a weapon against the children of God. The devil uses fear because fear attacks the Christian at the core. Let us look deep into it.

  • The devil knows that fear opposes faith. Faith is the currency that we will spend as children of God in the realm of the spirit (God’s Kingdom). Hebrews 11vs6; and the devil knows that if he can weaken your faith, he will be able to hinder your progress. Fear is faith placed in negative outcomes.
  • The devil uses fear to paralyze obedience. The enemy does not always need to destroy you as a child of God; all he needs is to make you delay in obedience. Many destinies remain unfulfilled not because of wrong moves or doing, but because of fear. Fear will always hold one not to move into action; it will cause delayed obedience till the time or season passes. Ecclesiastes 3vs1
  • The devil always uses fear to change ones identity even before the battle began. Fear distorts perception. The spies in Numbers Chapter 13 saw themselves as grasshoppers; they had seen themselves as losers even before the fight began. The Devil uses fear to make you forget who you are in Christ.
  • Fear produces self-preservation instead of kingdom focus. Instead of asking “what does God want?”, fear will make you ask irrelevant questions such as “what if I get hurt”, “what if I fail again”; all these are to shift your attention from being in purpose mode to survival mode.
  • The Devil uses fear to drain spiritual authority. Because he knows that a timid Christian will rarely exercise authority in prayer, evangelism, or in leadership. The devil prefers intimidated Christians over defeated ones.