How to Overcome Fear According to the Bible

9/28/2019 22 Comments

How to overcome fear according to the Scriptures

Distressful events that happen in a person’s life, especially if they happen during childhood, normally leave a negative impact on his outlook in life, on his impression of other people, on his attitude, and in some other aspects of his personality. More specifically, he usually develops fear and anxiety, and distrust towards other people.

Examples of these distressful or traumatic events are death of a loved one, domestic abuse – be it verbal, physical, or emotional, separation of parents, natural calamities, and rape, among others. And indeed, it takes time before one is able to recover from these experiences.

A young girl, for instance, who had been sexually abused by her own father, or by her step-father, would find it difficult to forget and get over that hateful experience. It’s not only fear and distrust in every man that is developed in the victim but also the feeling that all men are bad. What is worse, there is the possibility that she might think that God has allowed such loathsome thing to happen to an innocent child like her.

And these negative thoughts and feelings will not be readily erased unless she gets a strong support system and unless she learns the ways on how to overcome such fear from biblical pronouncements.

First of all, the Bible tells us that there are six or seven things that are abomination to God.

PROVERBS 6:16-17 (KJV) says,

16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

Let us pay special attention to that portion, “that shed innocent blood.” The term “innocent blood” does not only refer to somebody who is not sinful, or somebody who is not guilty of something. In the Bible, “innocent blood” was first applied to children.

PSALMS 106:38 (KJV) says,

And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

This verse proves that the Bible used the word “innocent blood” to refer first to the children, to the babies that some Israelites offered to their idols in the land of Canaan. To sacrifice children or to let them pass unto fire to be sacrificial offerings to false gods is an abomination to the Lord.

JEREMIAH 19:5 (KJV) says,

They have built also the places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:

The Lord confessed that such an abominable act did not even enter His mind; and He did not even think that the Israelites, His own people, would do such thing because He had shown them too much compassion, especially to the children. Hence, during the time of Solomon, relative to what happened in Canaan, the six or seven things that are hateful to God were written.

PROVERBS 6:16-19 (KJV)

16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

There are seven things that are unforgivable for God; they are abominations in His sight. And one of them is the shedding of innocent blood, or abusing children. So, definitely, abusing children is against the will of God.

But how can a victim of an abuse be able to overcome the fear, or the trauma it created? The answer is simple: Trust in God. Trust God because God protects them that trust in Him.

If you are that person who had been abused, sexually or otherwise, during your childhood, try to look at it from a different perspective. Maybe that thing happened to make you more God-fearing and more trusting in God.

The Bible tells us that if we are children of God and if we will trust in Him, He will never leave us.

HEBREWS 13:5 (KJV) says,

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

God promised, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” However, it doesn’t mean that when a young girl was raped, or something bad was done to her, God has forsaken her. No, no! Let us not look at it that way. Do not forget, GOD CARES!

1 PETER 5:7 (RSV) says,

Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.

Maybe we cannot see God caring for us personally because He is a Spirit but He works in a silent manner. Actually, the reason why we are still alive is because God cares for us. And the clearer manifestation that He cares for us is, He calls and makes members of the Church of God even those who became victims of abuses during their childhood.

ISAIAH 41:4 (KJV) says,

Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginnings? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.

It is God who calls from the beginning to the last generation. And when God calls a person, he is called into the Church.

As written in 1 CORINTHIANS 1:9, 2 (KJV),

9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord.
2 Unto the church of God which is in Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, . . .

The word “church” or “ekklēsía” in Greek means the calling out. Wherever you may have come from, if it is God that calls you, He calls you unto the fellowship of His Son in the Church of God, like what happened to the brethren in Corinth. They were called in the Church to be saints.

Why am I mentioning this? If a woman who happened to have experienced a traumatic incident in her childhood becomes a member of the Church of God, it means that God called her unto the fellowship of His Son. So, if she believes that she was called by God and God cares for her, and if she loves God, all the deep-seated fear in her caused by an unpleasant experience will all vanish.

1 JOHN 4:18 (KJV) says,

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

If you will develop the love for God foremost of all, and also love for your fellowmen, even for your enemies, the word of God which says, There is no fear in love, will not fail. The moment you acquire the virtue of loving God above all and your fellowmen, you become under God’s protection.

If you love you have nothing to fear because that very love that you are feeling is God.

1 JOHN 4:8,16 (KJV) says,

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath for us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Have the love that the Bible teaches and you will not fear anymore. Be steadfast in faith, learn how to forgive, and trust in God’s power that will take care of you.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 (KJV) says,

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Instead of fear, you will experience peace. Not just an ordinary peace but the peace of God which passeth all understanding. The peace of God transcends all understanding on earth; it shall keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

You have nothing to fear if you love God. God is all-powerful that He will protect you from all harms and abuses.

Speaking of God’s protection and deliverance, I, myself, have experienced lots of it in many occasions. One instance was when leaders of one religious organization tasked a member of their liquidation squad to assassinate me. The assassin went in one of our congregational gatherings and he was just waiting for the right moment to carry out his mission. As it was my practice to walk closer to my audience while preaching, unknowingly, I came quite near to where my supposed assassin was. He was all set to assault me. But when he was already standing at my side, he couldn’t execute his plan because, all of a sudden, he couldn’t see me. I got lost from his sight but I was actually there being seen by everybody, yet he couldn’t see me. So the assassination plot did not materialize. He, himself, confessed it to us later on because he eventually got converted and became a member of the Church.

Another instance was when a group of NBI agents went to our central office to apprehend me for a libel case that was filed by our enemy in faith. What I considered a miracle was, when I was alighting from my car, an NBI agent approached me and asked me, “Where is Soriano? Where is Soriano?” How can that be, I asked myself. Isn’t it that most of the time arresting officers have photos of the person that they are going to arrest? How come was he asking me “Where is Soriano?” So I told him I do not know, and I calmly got off my car and went straight to my office. In other words, they were not able to arrest me because they couldn’t find the Soriano that they were looking for, who in truth was the very man whom they asked, “Where is Soriano?”

There was also a time when the officers who were supposed to arrest me called me up to tell me that they were coming for my arrest. Somehow they were indirectly giving me a signal to leave right away because they were coming. They did not hesitate to forewarn me because they know that I am not an evil person.

All of those are wonderful works of God. They are His acts of deliverance.

What might have really happened? Maybe just like what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah when some men were trying to get the two angels in the house of Lot. They were blinded so as not to see the men, who were actually angels, that they wanted to get and rape.

Those maybe are simple miracles but they mean a lot.

The Bible tells us not to fear because we have a keeper, and our keeper is the peace of God. And all our fears, whether they were caused by some distressful experiences in the past or by some other factors, will be dispelled if we trust in God and if we love God above all else.

May God bless us all!

22 comments:

  1. Fear is an unpleasant emotion brought about by any imminent danger or threat to one’s life or limb. To overcome fear, one should develop self confidence to face any form of danger and this is possible through faith, trust, and love of God. To God Be The Glory!

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  2. this makes me feel strong..Thanks be to GOD

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  3. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

    2 Timothy 1:7
    King James Version with Strongs Dictionary

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  4. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

    Matthew 10:28
    English Standard Version

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  5. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

    Ecclesiastes 12:13
    English Standard Version

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  6. Wonderful. I was also a victim of a sexual assault by a man in his 30s way back in 1995 when I was 15. I guess it wasn't rape since no penetration occurred, but it was quite traumatizing nevertheless. Right after the incident I thought why did God let it happen. I was crying while asking this question and reminiscing the thought that despite my resistance and supposed escape, the man was just stronger and extremely driven to execute his purpose. A little later, I went through all that has happened in my life; all the memories both good and bad. And in an instance, I realized the fact that prior to being sexually abused, I, at such a young age I wasn't naive anymore to sexual things. I extraordinarily had a sexual awakening very early in my life even younger than 10 years old, I already had quite a number of one way sexual experiences involving unconcious men which were either sleeping or just pretending to be. And many more at an age that's supposed to be free from corruption and on the flipside teeming with innocence. So in such a very short time in a matter of hours, I thought I was made to realize my own evils; the sexual impulses that perhaps I couldn't overcome or didn't choose to overcome, whichever the case. And the need to forgive my perpetrator for the act that in a little varying circumstance but was nearly the same acts that I did to others, came much easier. I was somehow taught a lesson that I needed to be fair and forgive because I too need to be forgiven for all my iniquities. And it's all because God is good and just at all times.

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  7. Thanks be to God for this Bro. Eli.
    Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to know God more.. May God bless you po.

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  8. Ang pagkakaroon ng banal na pagkatakot sa panginoon ang mag aakay at magliligtas sa kanyang mga libgkod

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  9. most sensible preacher indeed in this christian dispensation...love all bro. Eli's blogs..

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  10. Thanks be to God...
    I'm asking for a favor bro. Eli, to include my father's recovery from his illness (dementia) to your prayers... at this moment, we are honestly in fear but with God's word through your preachings, our faith to God is bigger than our fears. Thanks be to God.

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  11. This is very helpful. Thank you!

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  12. Gracias a Dios por Nuestros predicadores fieles que siempre hablan la palabra de Nuestro Señor, A Dios Sea La Gloria

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  13. Reading this has strengthened my faith even more. Thanks be to God. To God be the glory!😇🙏

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  14. HEBREWS 13:5

    Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

    I almost forgot this bible verse, where we are reminded not to have fear, bacause God cares about us.

    My fear has start when I was hospitalized because of hypertension, then it develop to something that I always fear of getting out of my house, that the only places I went was house and work, nothing more because I feared that something might happen to me outside. I also develop fear whenever I feel something like headache, anything pain in my body would also mean a big thing, that O could again brougth to hospital, or worse death, I am alone on my house. These until I heard bro. Eli telling that this kind of fear is a sign of not trusting our God. And now I read this article, it is a reminder to us that fear should not suppose to be part of us, but more so the trust to our Lord. Another healing words for me and for everyone that has fear or anxiety. I hope more people read this, it is a big help especially in the midst of pandemic where people lives in fear of the virus and many problems.

    To God be the Glory!!!

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