Winning the WarSýnishorn

Winning the War Over the Spirit of Fear

In today's reading, Paul, the author of 2 Timothy, penned these words to his spiritual son, Timothy. while in jail. Amid this time of incarceration and being deprived of his personal freedom, his confidence in God's providence and promise did not waver. Even while locked down in his prison cell, Paul is seeking to inspire his spiritual son, provoking him to get out of the rut that he was in and to stir up the gifts of God which were inside of him. He tells Timothy in verse 7 that God did not give him a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Everyone experiences fear. While it is natural to feel fear, it should be noted that God has not given us the spirit of fear. Whenever we find ourselves operating with fear, we must remember that it did not come from God. 

This passage tells us that fear is a spirit. While fear is an emotion because you feel afraid, it is an emotion precipitated by a spirit. Fear is a spirit, but it is not given by God. Therefore, do not err by only looking at fear as an emotion and never seeing it as a spirit. In doing so, you will never address the cause, and consequently, you will never get to the core. 

In verse 6, Paul reminds Timothy to stir up the gift of God which was in him through the laying on of my hands. He had the spiritual capacity and spiritual ability that he was not using because of fear. Fear had limited Timothy’s performance. He was not maximizing his potential and was not becoming all that he was meant to be. The reason for this was not because he did not have it, but because he did not have it stirred up. In other words, it was inoperative. His gift was not doing what it was supposed to do and he was not being what he was supposed to be because this spirit of fear was eroding him. 

Timothy did not know the capacity of his abilities. Therefore, Paul had to work with him, build him up in the spirit, and build his confidence level because of timidity brought on by the spirit of fear. If the affairs of life have robbed you of your confidence and have taken from you the ability to move on with your life, then may I remind you the thing you are walking around with did not come from God. 

Deposited within you is divine purpose, meaning, significance, greatness, and relevance. If you do not feel it, then the wrong spirit is working. It is the spirit of fear and God has not given you the spirit of fear. 

God gives the combination of power, love, and a sound mind. You have a spirit of power because of divine resources. Every believer has been given spiritual resources that are powerful when used. According to 2 Corinthians 10:4 and 5, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. You are powerfully equipped to the point where you do not have to succumb to the spirit of fear. God has given you the power to overcome your fears.