Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha
Fear incapacitates, immobilizes, stagnates and
brings about loss of vision and direction. Fear is a tool that the enemy enjoys
using against believers to truncate the plans and purposes of God in their
lives. A number of Biblical examples include:
The use of fear against the army of Israel by
Goliath is an interesting case study. Through Goliath’s intimidating stature
and boastful words, the devil succeeded in instilling fear in the hearts of the
soldiers of Israel. A well equipped and well prepared army of hundreds of
thousands able men who left their homes to fight the Philistine army cowered in
fright because Goliath, a giant boasted of his might. What a shame especially
when a mere youth who had never served in the army brought Goliath down. So it
was not necessarily Goliath’s stature that incapacitated and immobilized the
army of Israel. It was the fear he spewed out through his intimidating words.
Please see 1st Samuel Chapter 17.
Fear was also the reason Lot took a decision to go
live in a cave in the mountains instead of Zoar where he escaped to safety from
Sodom and Gomorrah. Living in a cave alone with two grown up daughters led to
the incestuous union that produced Moab and Ammon. Fear births wrong decisions.
The Israelites at a time in their history threshed
wheat in winepresses because they were afraid of the Midianites whose pastime
was to destroy the livelihoods of the Israelites in order to impoverish them.
God empowered Gideon with great faith to overcome fear and destroy the
Midianites. Please see Judges Chapter 6.
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