20/20: God's Vision For My LifeSample

False Evidence Appearing Real

By Linda Godsey

I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

Did you know that behind every fear there is a lie? I once heard someone say that the letters of the word fear stand for False Evidence Appearing Real. In other words, fear comes from believing lies.

Some fears are rational, God-given natural responses—like when your physical or psychological safety is threatened. These kinds of fears keep you safe and alert to danger. They are sensible, cautious fears. By contrast, irrational fears have no reason or basis, and the Enemy uses them to establish strongholds in your mind. A lot of spiritual bondage is rooted in irrational fear. The Enemy lies to you about who you are, who God is, and what others think about you. A divine unwrapping of these lies is necessary to experience true freedom.

It’s not that you won’t feel fear at times; it just means that you don’t run or flee out of fright when faced with a challenge. It also means you don’t draw back or hesitate to go to the next level God has called you to. Refuse to believe the Enemy’s lies that keep you from your divine destiny.

But how do we resist the Devil’s lies? According to James 4:7, we simply have to “submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee.” Ask yourself, “What does God’s Word say about this issue that I’m fearful about? What is God’s truth?” To experience freedom from fear, you must first learn to see through the filter of God’s perspective rather than through your own human limitations or the Devil’s lies.

Years ago, God showed me that the areas where I struggle with fear are the places where I don’t know and experience His love. According to God’s Word, He has my best interests at heart…He has my back! Scripture tells us, “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” (1 John 4:18). That is one of the most tender scriptures in the Bible, and it’s God’s heart for you and me.

When my family lived in California, a man with a strong prophetic gift ministered to the staff of the church where I worked. I remember vividly the words he spoke over me. He called me by name and said, “God is going to deliver you from a spirit of fear.” Then he quoted 2 Timothy 1:7 over me, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” While I believed what he said, I didn’t fully understand the degree of bondage in my life. In the days ahead, I sought the Lord through prayer and fasting to discover what he meant.

During my fast, God gave me a vision of a long, black, slithering snake wrapped tightly around my body that prevented me from any movement. He showed me that fear had immobilized and incapacitated my life. In my case, fear initially entered my life generationally—I was born into a fear-based family. And then, events and experiences throughout my early life secured those strongholds. I had no idea how much the Enemy had robbed me of my God-given destiny. By His grace, God set me free from a spirit of fear, and I began my journey of walking out that freedom…a journey that I’m still walking out today. My heavenly Father continually exposes lies and deception where the Enemy seeks to trap and rob me of God’s blessings.

Several years ago, I read this quote that wonderfully sums up what God showed me about fear more than 25 years ago:

Fear is a thief. It erodes our faith, plunders our hope, steals our freedom and takes away our joy of living the abundant life in Christ. Phobias are like the coils of a snake—the more we give into them, the tighter they squeeze. Tired of fighting, we succumb to the temptation and surrender to our fears. But what seemed like an easy way out becomes in reality a prison of unbelief—a fortress of fear that holds us captive. (Neil Anderson, Freedom from Fear)

The apostle Paul tells us not to be ignorant of the Enemy’s devices. I learned early on that the Enemy often comes to you disguised as you! Regularly ask the Lord to identify your fears. What events have taken place in your life that have opened the door to that fear? What lies have you believed?

Ask the Lord for a “divine exchange”—a replacement of your fear with God’s love. As you earnestly seek the Lord for your freedom, He will hear and deliver you from all your fears.

Do the thing you fear the most, and the death of fear is certain.
~ Mark Twain

Memory Verse

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17