Living Free from the Spirit of Fear

Devotional

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Our text this morning reminds us that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Notice that there is a fear that is not just a temporary emotional reaction, it is a persistent tormenting spirit that seeks to bind and imprison. This fear is the devil’s master weapon, just as faith is God’s.

This spirit of fear often gains entrance through worry and anxiety. That is why the scripture commands us in 1 Peter 5:7 to cast all our cares upon God, and in Philippians 4:6–7 to be anxious for nothing. Worry is the soil in which fear grows. If we allow it to take root, fear will begin to contaminate our faith.

The good news is that believers have been given authority over fear. Jesus declared in Luke 10:19 that we have power over all the works of the enemy, and Ephesians 2:6 reminds us that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places. This authority, however, must be actively exercised. James 4:7 tells us to resist the devil, and the way we do that is by speaking and acting on God’s word.

Fear is rooted in a focus on self: self-preservation, potential loss, and future punishment. God’s perfect love, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), reorients our focus. God’s love changes your focus. When you truly understand and accept that God loves you perfectly and unconditionally and that He is completely trustworthy Father; your attention shifts from your own weakness to His strength. 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

When Jairus received news of his daughter’s death, Jesus turned to him and spoke three powerful words in Mark 5:36: “Fear not, only believe.” That is still the call to every believer today. Fear and faith cannot coexist. To walk in victory, we must deliberately choose faith.

These are practical steps to overcome fear:

Cast your care on God immediately. The moment worry tries to take hold, hand it over to God in prayer. Do not give fear space to grow, cast it out!
Confess God’s word boldly. Declare what God says about your situation, not what fear whispers.
Act on the word. Move forward in obedience even when fear tries to paralyse you.

Tolerating even a small amount of fear is dangerous because it poisons faith. If you find yourself struggling with fear, begin making daily declarations of victory over it. As you establish God’s word in your heart and on your lips, you will learn to live free from fear and stand firmly in faith.

Every morning and evening confess this out loud:

“I refuse to fear. I refuse to worry. I refuse anxiety. God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Fear not, only believe.”

Say it when you wake, before you sleep, when fear creeps in, when worry whispers. Say it until faith feels more real than fear, until it flows from you without effort; until fear is a stranger and faith becomes your closest friend.