Growing as an Enneagram Six: The Guardianনমুনা

Wrestling with Fear

There’s no list of “seven deadly sins” in the Bible, but Christians have referenced them for ages. The classification of seven deadly sins that we know today was first penned by a monk named Evagrius Ponticus who lived from AD 345–399.

When these seven sins are paired with specific Enneagram numbers (plus two extra sins to make nine), they give us a better idea of the specific vices that may be tripping us up again and again. For Sixes, the deadly sin you struggle with most is fear.

We are not talking about instinctual fear or anxiety disorders. Fear isn’t so much a sin as it is a tool that Satan uses to create distrust in God, and a yearning for control that doesn’t belong to you. Fear can be a healthy thing if it is drawing us closer to our Creator, but if we don’t respond to it that way, it can be sinful.

Satan tempts us with fear by whispering things like:

· “If you don’t control this, something horrible is going to happen.”

· “You need to step in; obviously, God has better things to do than to keep an eye on the ones you love.”

· “You need to take care of yourself because God doesn’t have a good plan for you.”

Have these been words you’ve listened to and even acted on in the past or present? If so, you gave in to the temptation to fear and tried to take control into your own hands instead of having faith in God. This is a sin.

Fear is a lie, and when we flirt with fear, we are believing the lie that “God is not in control,” or “Even if God is in control, He’s not loving.” That is, in essence, believing that even if there’s a God, He is not who He says He is. This is not faith; this is the appearance of faith without believing in the power of God. (See 2 Timothy 3:5.)

Fear keeps Sixes from their God-reflecting purpose because fear will cause you to lean ultimately on yourself; constantly failing yourself will lead to low confidence, slavery to fear, and ultimately needing more and more control. All of this distracts from God’s reflection that shines through you as a Six: steadfastness, loyalty, and guardianship, all of which you present so beautifully to the world when you’re resting confidently in Him.