Faux Real: Fear Or Faith, You Choose.Sample

Tell Fear, This Is War. 

Fear happens to be the number one tool that the enemy uses against believers, but it is not always as evident as you think.  That’s because fear doesn’t always manifest itself as a heart palpitating, throat thickening visceral response. In fact, fear draws its power from perception and it operates in the landscape of our thoughts and minds bringing our own identity into question.

The way you perceive your situation or even the perception you have of yourself can determine your confidence level and how you respond in circumstances of life. There is so much power in perception that if mismanaged or left unattended, it can be dangerous to the believer. 

But what if we were to declare war on fear?

In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul challenged perceptions with a military strategy, not of this world, concerning the complaints against him. 

There were those in the church who thought he seemed strong in letter but weak in person. Paul could have easily allowed their perceptions of him to determine his influence as a leader; however, Paul had a different plan. 

Understanding that he was commissioned by God to bring the gospel to the Gentiles he knew this would be met with opposition. So instead of conforming to their perception of him, he adjusts their perspective. 

The apostle knew that how you perceive someone is how you receive them, so an adjustment of perspective was critical for Paul. This is often the battleground of a believer. If fear can get you to second guess yourself then it has already won the battle. 

This is called spiritual warfare. It is predominantly a matter of perception around one’s identity and is, in fact, what we have been fighting for since the garden when Adam lost dominion and as Eve’s identity was questioned. 

Engaging in spiritual warfare is not just having an overly mature prayer language but obtaining a correct perception of the power and authority of Jesus. 

The devil does not possess the power to keep you out of the kingdom of God, but if he cannot keep you out, then he certainly wants to prevent you from progressing in your walk with God. This is because the enemy knows that as the believer grows in their knowledge of God, they develop a correct perception of God and themselves. 

A stronghold simply refers to the lies and deception of the enemy that have been allowed to build up in our minds creating a fortified wall against ourselves. These wrong thoughts and negativity only perpetuate a deeper fear as it clouds our judgment concerning ourselves. 

As Paul indicates in this passage, the way to overcome these strongholds comes from identifying the truth amidst the chaos: identifying the weapons you have that are divine, or better still, allowing God to give you His perspective of you.