Overcoming the Spirit of Fear

Let's examine how we can overcome the ‘Spirit of Fear’ as a born-again Christian.

In my own Christian walk there have been many times when I have allowed ‘fear’ to prevent me from doing things that I know God wants me to do. There have been times when I have not done things because I have had a fear of what other people might think and say about me. There have also been times when I have not done or said things because I have been afraid of failing or because they have seemed to be too difficult for me to do.

In these times I know that I have either robbed somebody of a blessing or robbed myself of being blessed or both. All these things have caused me plenty of heartache and disappointment over the years. But God in His infinite love, grace and mercy gives us plenty of room to keep trying. Try and try again until we get it right! Praise His name!

Now, we all know that there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. But how do we overcome the fear that prevents us from doing the things that we know God wants us to do?

If you are like me then you will find some things easy to do and some things that are not so easy to do and many things that I’ve been too scared to do!

From the below scripture; the Apostle Paul is speaking to his young prodigy Timothy; and through Paul's words to Timothy, revelation came to me from the Holy Spirit from a scripture I had read many many times before true revelation hit me, I came to understand the true nature of fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

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 (AMP)

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].

Let me show you what I believe the Holy Spirit has shown me about this scripture.

Firstly, what did I initially understand by the word ‘fear?’

My own little definition was this: ‘fear is something in me that makes me scared to do or say something.’ I don’t know where this feeling of fear comes from or how to stop it coming! I do know that it prevents me from doing the things I know that God wants me to do and hampers my Christian walk to maturity.

Secondly, what does the verse in Timothy tell me about fear?

It tells me that the fear is a spirit, and this spirit does not come from God (For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear).

So, if fear does not come from God, where does it come from? Well, anything that does not come from God can only come from one other place and if fear is a spirit, as it says in our verse, then the spirit of fear is an evil spirit and thus, in most cases, comes from the devil.

At this point I feel I need to mention that the fear the Apostle Paul is speaking about here is not the fear we should have when we are referring to the fear of God as in the below verse. The fear of God is a reverent fear born out of a genuine desire not to sin or do evil because the consequences of sin are not good for us.

Proverbs 8:13b (NIV)

To fear the Lord is to hate evil;

The fear Paul is referring to in 2 Timothy 1:7 is the fear of things that are destructive and harmful to us. The fear of man that prevents us being compliant with the things of God. The things that are not of the Spirit but are of the flesh!

Now that it has been established that the spirit of fear is from the devil, how do we overcome it? Fear is a state of mind and Satan wants to control our minds by filling them with lies and fear!

We now have to understand that overcoming the spirit of fear is a spiritual battle and is not a fight against flesh and blood.

Ephesians 6:12 (AMP)

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.

Coming back to our verse in 2 Timothy 1:7, what spirit did God give us that will help us overcome the spirit of fear.

He gave us three: Power, Love and Sound Judgement and personal discipline or of a sound mind as some Bible versions say.

Where do they come from and how do we receive them? They come from the Father to the Son and to us by the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16-17 (NLT)

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

John 16:12-15 (AMP)

12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear [to hear] them now. 13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak whatever He hears [from the Father—the message regarding the Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come [in the future]. 14 He will glorify and honor Me, because He (the Holy Spirit) will take from what is Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Because of this I said that He [the Spirit] will take from what is Mine and will reveal it to you.

Let’s examine these three ways to overcome the spirit of fear, Power, Love and Sound Judgement and personal discipline, individually and in more detail.

The spirit of power
The Holy Spirit is the power of God. He is the power of God at the beginning of creation. He is the power of God that created all things through and for Christ Jesus who is the Word of God.

Genesis 1:1-2 (NIV)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

John 1:1-4 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

The Holy Spirit is the power that resurrected our Lord Jesus from the dead, and He is the power of God that will give us our resurrected bodies.

Romans 8:11 (NIV)

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because o] his Spirit who lives in you.

He is the power that helps us overcome the evil one and gives us victory in Christ Jesus. He is the power that when God spoke, He created everything through Jesus and for Jesus.

He is the power that came at Pentecost in tongues of flame and a mighty wind. He is the power that brings miracles, signs and wonders in the Church.

Acts 1:8b (NIV)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;

Acts 2:2-4 (NIV)

2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

He is the power that brings the prophetic word. He is the power that draws man to salvation. He is the power that conforms us to Christ’s image. He is the power that has defeated Satan.

This is the spirit of power that we receive when we are in Christ Jesus. The spirit of fear is from the Devil who has no rights over us unless we invite him into our lives through sin, disobedience to the Word, unforgiveness, pride, bitterness or any other acts of the flesh.

Fear is a mindset that is sewn in our minds by the lies of Satan! Take every thought captive and kick out those that are evil before you put them into sinful action! Fight evil in the power of the Holy Spirit!

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (AMP)

3 For though we walk in the flesh [as mortal men], we are not carrying on our [spiritual] warfare according to the flesh and using the weapons of man. 4 The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your own obedience [as a church] is complete.

The power we receive from the Holy Spirit is linked to the authority that Jesus gives to us as His disciples.

Matthew 10:1 (AMP)

Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority and power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

If the disciples at the time had not taken up this authority and had succumbed to fear, there is no way they could have used the authority they had been given and they would have been ineffective in the world. 

It is the same for us today – we need to appropriate the power and authority that we have in Christ Jesus. When we do this, we will bring glory to His name and we can effectively change the world to His glory!

Fear strips us of the power we, as the Church, have been given. It strips us of the authority Jesus has given us as sons and daughters of God. We have been given the authority to go and preach and do the things Jesus did in freedom!

Matthew 10:7-8 (AMP)

7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

John 14:12 (NIV)

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Fear will close your hands and your minds to the power you have been given in Christ Jesus.

The enemy does not want us to understand the power we have. He will use fear to strip us of our authority. We become so preoccupied with a sense of worthlessness, failure, false humility and everything else we say about ourselves that we can’t accept the authority that has been “freely given” to us.

God wants us free from fear and operating in the spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind. This is our inheritance in Christ Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit!

To be effective servants of the Lord, the true believer cannot operate in human strength and power but only in that supernatural power of the Holy Spirit – the power that is beyond all human understanding! The power that comes to us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. It is Jesus that baptizes us with the Holy Spirit!

John 1:33 (NIV)

And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

The spirit of love

The perfect love of God casts out all fear!

God’s agape love will always be with us when we are born-again, filled with the Holy Spirit and when we walk in the Spirit. When we are walking in the Father’s love, we are then able to overcome the fear and the lies of the enemy. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Romans 8:37-39 (AMP)

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. 38 For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When we repent and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour (being born-again) we have assurance that God lives in us and that His love is always with us. In God’s love there is no fear because His love is perfect and perfect love drives out all fear!

1 John 4:15-18 (NIV)

15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

When we are living in God’s love by living life in the Spirit, we have assurance that we live in His full protection for when God is for us who can be against us?

Romans 8:31 (NIV)

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

The devil is a corrupter of purity whenever he gets the chance, if we look at the way the ‘world’ loves today we will see that it is self-serving and controlling and full of insecurity – it wants something in return. This is the total opposite to the pure agape love of God, the love that gives us complete freedom and expects nothing in return.

One of the ways fear manifests in carnal love is through control. We try to control others because we ourselves are fearful. Our relationships suffer due to fear and insecurities. It can manifest through jealousy, anger, selfishness – and many other ways, all of which are the opposite of the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

However, when fear is removed, we can operate in the spirit of love – God’s agape love. We have the ability to love the unlovable. We can love our enemies. We can love those that do not show grace. When we are free from fear, we can love as we are loved by the One who loves perfectly.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (NIV)

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails.

The Spirit of a sound mind

What is a sound mind? The mind that is governed by the Holy Spirit and not by the flesh, the sinful nature. When we let the Holy Spirit control our minds and not our sinful nature, we will live a life of peace in Christ Jesus no matter what storms we are going through or are surrounded by. The mind governed by the Holy Spirit has nothing to fear!

Romans 8:5-8 (NLT)

5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

When we are living life in the Spirit (Romans 8) we have the mind of Christ so that through the guidance of the Holy Spirit we can be instructed by Jesus.

1 Corinthians 2:15-19 (AMP)

15 But the spiritual man [the spiritually mature Christian] judges all things [questions, examines and applies what the Holy Spirit reveals], yet is himself judged by no one [the unbeliever cannot judge and understand the believer’s spiritual nature]. 16 For who has known the mind and purposes of the Lord, so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes].

The believer who is living life in the Spirit has his mind set on heavenly things where there is no fear, rather than having his mind set on earthly things where fear, instigated by the devil, prevails!

Colossians 3:1-2 (AMP)

Therefore if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value].

The spirit of self-control (one of the facets of the fruit of the Spirit) gives us the ability to maintain the internal environment of our hearts. It gives us the ability to respond to situations as opposed to reacting to situations. The fruit of the Spirit are manifest in and through us when we are walking in the Spirit. This is how we bring glory to the name of Jesus!

The Apostle James tells us how we can exercise self-control which comes from having a sound mind. The spiritual man is a doer and not just a reader of God’s Word. He is a man that is obedient and compliant with God’s Word in every way! We are thus overcomers in Christ Jesus including the ability to overcome fear!

James 1:19-22 (AMP)

19 Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; 20 for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us]. 21 So get rid of all uncleanness and all that remains of wickedness, and with a humble spirit receive the word [of God] which is implanted [actually rooted in your heart], which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth].

As I said before, fear manifests itself in control. When we attempt to control others, it is damaging to them and those around them. However, when we operate in a spirit of self-control, we are only concerned with managing our own hearts. When we do this then the fruit of the Spirit is able to be manifest in us and through us and we become perfect in His love and thus fear is driven out.

Galatians 5:22-23a (NIV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.

Because we are born-again in Christ Jesus, we have the right to call ourselves the children of God and thus become co-heirs with Christ of all that God has for us.

Romans 8:14-17 (NIV)

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Are you living under a spirit of fear or living as a child of God?

Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven
I ask you to forgive me for living under a spirit of fear and I ask that you deliver me from all fear. I repent before you now Father and turn away from all fear that is destructive to myself and to others. I pray Father in Jesus’ name that you would fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to embrace the spirit you have given me as your son/daughter in Christ Jesus, the spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind. Help me, Lord, to live my life in the spirit always, that I may glorify the name of Jesus in all I do, in all I say and in all of my actions. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

Last updated: 2 September 2022.

He suffered and died for me! A poetic tribute to Jesus my Lord and Saviour.

No grave could hold him! Death has no sting! Jesus Christ the firstborn from the dead!

John 3:16-18 (NIV)

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Golgotha’s Dark Hill

Crucify! Crucify!

Was their cry.

But no crime was committed.

Release the murderer! Release the murderer!

Relentless was their cry.

Crucify! Crucify!

An endless, torrential scream.

The washing of hands to signify

Was Rome’s reply that He would die.

The Skull was beckoning,

There was the reckoning.

He went for me, He went for you

True love’s greatest gift!

Through beating and battering flowed His blood.

Man’s darkest hour was here.

Cursing, swearing, mocking

Greeted his mother’s tear.

No fear of God, no understanding!

Man’s ignorance, man’s unbelief!

The road was long,

Hatred lined the throng,

He staggered on

To Golgotha’s dark hill.

His flesh was torn,

Carrion sworn!

He knew His fate,

This was His date

At Golgotha’s dark hill

Nailed to a tree

Shattered hands, shattered feet

Excruciating pain

What was to gain?

Nothing for Him!

Everything for me!

On Golgotha’s dark hill

On Golgotha’s dark hill

He went there our sins to bear.

At His last breath,

His last request was our bequest.

Forgive them Father

They know not what they do.

On Golgotha’s dark hill

From Golgotha’s dark hill

To victory He rose!

Man’s salvation,

The glorious salutation

Death has no sting.

He is alive!

Through Him, we live!

From Golgotha’s dark hill.

Sunrise came

To Golgotha’s dark hill.

Thanks to Him, our Father’s Son

No cross will I bear.

Thanks to Him, our Father’s Son

My salvation is fair.

Thank you, Jesus Son of God.

Light of the world, salvation bright.

Out of darkness and into the light.

No more dark hill but everlasting life

For those that believe!

Behold He is with us always - the King of Glory!

Matthew 28:5-7 (NIV)

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

Roll Away The Stone

Roll away the stone

The King is on His throne

Death has no sting

He covers all sin

 

The grave could not hold him

No decay could scold him

Heaven’s gate is open

Roll away the stone

 

The enemy is cheated

Death He defeated

No decaying bone

Roll away the stone

 

He is not here!

All men can cheer

His dying moan became His throne

Roll away the stone

 

An empty tomb!

An empty room!

Nobody is there!

Roll away the stone

 

Death clothes remain

But where is he?

Not among the dead!

Roll away the stone

 

He is risen!

He is alive!

Surely He is God’s son!

The soldier sung.

Roll away the stone

 

Roll away the stone

Make way for the throne

Heaven’s gate is open

All men are welcome

 

He’s alive for evermore!

Jesus is risen!

Jesus is Saviour!

Jesus is King!

 Roll away the stone

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

The Plank in My Eye - My Personal Testimony

When I first came to know Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, I couldn’t stop talking about him (the first love of the new believer) even though I knew absolutely nothing about him of the Bible. I felt that I was now ready to cut loose and change the world. I was a late bloomer and only gave my life to Jesus in May 1988 two weeks after my 36th birthday.

I had at last found what was missing in my life and my life now had purpose and something to work towards. This is true of course, but I was so lacking in wisdom and guidance that I immediately set off on the wrong track – little realising that I need to do things the right way – His way!

This of course, is all very good and well, but yes of course there has to be a but, besides setting off on the wrong track, I made another big mistake at the same time. I was so busy trying to change others and pointing out their faults, that I neither knew nor even dreamt that God wanted to deal with me first! Ignorance is bliss – but no excuse!

You can imagine the kind of havoc I wreaked on those around me! Within a noticeably short space of time, I became the greatest finder of other people’s mistakes you could ever meet and from the base of complete ignorance of all things spiritual. I was a judgmental finger pointer extraordinaire! Needless to say, I didn’t go down too well with most people including my family!

My wife doesn’t suffer fools gladly, and in my ignorance that’s what I had become – a fool! I’m so glad she loves me with the love of the Lord! After causing the umpteenth argument in only a few months of being saved, I couldn’t understand why nobody was listening to me and why people went out of their way to avoid me. At this stage humility was definitely not one of my strong points.

Proverbs 18:2 (AMP)

A [closed-minded] fool does not delight in understanding,

But only in revealing his personal opinions [unwittingly displaying his self-indulgence and his stupidity].

No prizes for guessing who it was that finally shook me out of my personal crusade to change others and brought me down to earth with a crash. That’s right, Jacqui, my wife! Praise God for Jacqui. She lovingly sat me down and showed me this scripture:

Matthew 7:1-3 (AMP)

“Do not judge and criticize and condemn [others unfairly with an attitude of self-righteous superiority as though assuming the office of a judge], so that you will not be judged [unfairly]. 2 For just as you [hypocritically] judge others [when you are sinful and unrepentant], so will you be judged; and in accordance with your standard of measure [used to pass out judgment], judgment will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the [insignificant] speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice and acknowledge the [egregious] log that is in your own eye?

That’s right God set me aside and drew me to salvation in Christ Jesus so that He could deal with me; refine me in the fire and get rid of the dross that bubbled out of me; so that He could send me out to do the good works that He had predestined me to do in the power of the Holy Spirit and to glorify His name!

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Well, I knew nothing of this! I had never been ‘churched’ before as I had grown up in a home void of God and where the name of the Lord was extensively used only as a curse word. I didn’t have a clue about anything spiritual and had even less a clue of what was in the Bible. I hadn’t even started having a quiet time!

I mistakenly thought that because I had accepted Jesus as my Lord and saviour I had suddenly, overnight become a spiritual giant. I didn’t realise that Christianity is a road that I had to walk on in total submission to God – a road to maturity that will never end! Not only did I have to give my life to Jesus, but I also had to surrender my will too him as well. I needed to follow these immortal words from my Lord himself.

Luke 22:42 (NIV)

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

I thought that because I was now saved and born-again that was it, free access through the pearly gates, job done. All I needed to do now was show other people what they were doing wrong.

I never knew that God now wanted me to change and build a personal relationship with him and be led for the rest of my life by His Word in the power of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of Jesus! I had no idea that there was a path to Christian maturity that I needed to follow every day and that God had a plan for my life that I needed to consult him about!

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (AMP)

11 For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice] and I will listen to you. 13 Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

So, after my initial disastrous start at the beginning of my Christian walk, I learned a lesson that I will always carry with me - if I want to walk in maturity as a Christian, I need to allow the Holy Spirit to work on me and to change me so that I can be more and more conformed to Christ’s image. I have to work on the plank in my own I before I can even have a hope of helping my brother remove the speck of sawdust in his eye!

For me getting rid of the plank in my eye has been a long and oft time painful process and one that even today I have to keep my eye on so to speak. Remaining non judgmental is something I have to consciously work on as I work out my salvation with fear and trembling.

Philippians 2:12c-13 (AMP)

continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ]. 13 For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to ulfil your purpose] for His good pleasure.

In the above verses from Philippians the Apostle Paul had the perfect formula for getting rid of the plank in my eye.

Work out your salvation by:

Cultivating it – tend it with regular doses of the Word and being obedient to it and water it with the continued infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Bring it to full effect by putting the Word into practice in my daily life.

Actively pursue spiritual maturity by humbling myself under God’s mighty hand.

Regularly evaluate myself using the Word as my plumbline and best practice standards, and above all be obedient to all it says and teaches!

• Recognise and give thanks to the Lord that it is only in his strength that I can progress to maturity and fulfil His purpose in my life.

• Actively pursue fellowship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit – live life in the Spirit as Jesus did.

• Ensure that my actions and speech always bring glory to Jesus and are always compliant with the Word!

• Build others up in Christ Jesus. Don’t gossip. If I can’t say anything to build up, then shut up – I’m talking about gossip here! God’s correction is designed to build up not break down!

Over the years of my Christian walk the Lord has taught me many lessons and, thanks be to Jesus, he is still teaching me and will continue to do so – this I know for sure.

At the time of my salvation, I considered myself to be a self-made man. I had a good job. I was well paid. I had a good position. I had a wonderful wife and family. I had done it all.

Yep! You are right I was the original “I”-specialist! I was so “I” orientated that I missed the plank in my eye! And along with the “I” specialist syndrome I carried a huge dose of self-pride!

Of course, God couldn’t leave me this way if I was going to be of any use to him as a true Christian. I’m so glad that Jacqui showed me Matthew 7:1-3. It wasn’t easy for her as I’ve mentioned I carried a huge dose of pride that was easily offended at first but the more the Holy Spirit worked on it the better I became. Thanks be to Jesus who gives me victory!

The answer to pride and stubbornness is:

1 Peter 5:6-11 (AMP)

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, 7 casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. 8 Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.] 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be]. 11 To Him be dominion (power, authority, sovereignty) forever and ever. Amen.

After 34 years of walking this road I still slip but I have learned as well to be quick to repent and to say sorry.

The Christian walk carries many challenges with it. My wife and I have suffered much but the Lord brought us through the death of our eldest son who was killed in a hit and run motor accident when he was thirty one. The Lord brought me through a heart attack when I was just fifty one. We lost everything we had when our business collapsed with misappropriation of funds by our Christian business partners.

Thanks be to God; the Lord has brought us through these times and has restored everything the locust had eaten. Our God supplies all or needs!

Was it easy? No. Did I question God? Yes.

But these scriptures brought such comfort to us in all those times and still does to this day!

John 16:33 (AMP)

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]

1 Corinthians 15:57-58 (AMP)

57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory [as conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].

Do problems still come our way? For sure, the world we live in hasn’t changed! But now I know that when I pour contempt on all my pride and humbly kneel before Him and rely on His strength, he draws me through to victory!

John 3:30 (NLT)

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

God turns all things to His good purpose when we humbly come before Him with true repentant hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to change us!

Romans 8:28 (AMP)

And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.

Let me leave you with these words from King David, a man after God’s own heart!

Psalm 34:12-13 (NIV)

12 Whoever of you loves life

and desires to see many good days,

13 keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from telling lies.

Prayer:
Lord, I pray that you would help me to humble myself under your mighty hand and that my spirit would remain teachable and compliant to your Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I pray that you would help me to put the needs of others before my own and always seek to build others up in their faith and not break them down. I pray that you would put a guard on my tongue so that I will speak no evil that I may bring glory to the name of Jesus. Amen

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

Witchcraft Has Infiltrated Today's Church

 

In this article we are going to have a look at the many subtle ways in which ‘witchcraft’ (and all occult practices) has infiltrated today’s Church and as always, let our reference point be the Bible, the infallible Word of God. The written Jesus!

Let’s start by defining the word witchcraft from modern day dictionaries and then have a look at this from the reference source of all Christian belief, the Bible.

Definition of witchcraft from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/witchcraft

1a: the use of sorcery or magic

b: communication with the devil or with a familiar (spirit) – brackets are mine.

2: an irresistible influence or fascination

3a: rituals and practices that incorporate belief in magic and that are associated especially with neo-pagan traditions and religions (such as Wicca and Yoga)

b: a tradition or religion that involves the practice of witchcraft

The use of the word witchcraft or divination in the Old Testament is translated from the Hebrew word ‘qesem’ – pronounced ‘kehsem’ which, strangely enough, means: witchcraft or divination (the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers).

Let’s have a look at a scripture from the Old Testament that expresses God’s abhorrence of witchcraft perfectly.

2 Chronicles 33:6 (NIV)

He sacrificed his children in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

The above verse is referring to the evil practices of Manasseh, one of the Kings of Judah. Here we see that witchcraft is never manifest alone, it is always accompanied by a number of other evil practices – evil keeps evil company! The end result of this was that Manasseh aroused the anger of God who brought disaster upon him and Judah. Evil practices lead others into the same evil and away from God!

Witchcraft is a powerful corrupter of good character! Bad company corrupts good character.

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

So, from what we’ve just looked at, I think that we can safely say that God takes the sin of witchcraft and its associated family of evil very seriously, in fact so seriously that God describes it as detestable to him.

Deuteronomy 18:10-14 (AMP)

10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire [as a sacrifice], one who uses divination and fortune-telling, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a charm or spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or a necromancer [who seeks the dead]. 12 For everyone who does these things is utterly repulsive to the Lord; and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be blameless (complete, perfect) before the Lord your God. 14 For these nations which you shall dispossess listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners and fortune-tellers, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so.

So, when we look at these Old Testament scriptures, we see that God has very strong feelings about anybody and any nation that follows occultic practices in any way and he deals with them severely.

1 Samuel 15:23 (NLT)

Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,

and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.

So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,

he has rejected you as king.”

In the above verse the prophet Samuel is addressing King Saul as he had rebelled against God’s instruction in not destroying the Amalekites completely. God sees our disobedience of His Word as rebellion and says that rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft. When we reject the teachings of the Bible (God’s Word) we are in rebellion – we set ourselves against God. 

When we rebel against God, not only do we invoke His wrath, but we also open the door to welcome Satan into our souls, as many of the Kings of Israel and Judah did; and more recently as Judas Iscariot did when he sold Jesus out for money!

When we rebel against God, we betray Jesus our Lord and Saviour!

Luke 22:1-6 (NIV)

Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, 2 and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. 4 And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. 5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 6 He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.

John 13:2 (AMP)

It was during supper, when the devil had already put [the thought of] betraying Jesus into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son,

Now, let’s have a look at what the New Testament teaches about witchcraft. Paul gives us a very strong warning in the book of Galatians. Here he gives a list of what is called ‘acts of the flesh’ and if anyone indulges in them, they will not enter heaven.

Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV)

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

And in Revelation, Jesus himself gives the strongest warning of all to those who indulge in evil practices in any shape or form.

Revelation 21:8 (NIV)

“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

And for good measure let’s have a look at the same verse from the Amplified Bible.

Revelation 21:8 (AMP)

But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolaters and occultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

In the above verse we see witchcraft and other occult practices go hand in hand with murderers, liars and idol worshippers and those that practice them have one ultimate fate – they got to hell along with Satan! Eternal separation from God!

Witchcraft is from the devil and anyone who practices it will not enter into Heaven. It is an abomination to God! When you start dabbling in witchcraft you open yourself up to demons and demonic influences which will indeed harm you.

When we examine what we have just read and take a step back, we see this picture emerge. Right from mans fall at Eden, his heart is naturally drawn to evil.

Genesis 6:5-6 (AMP)

5 The Lord saw that the wickedness (depravity) of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually. 6 The Lord regretted that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was [deeply] grieved in His heart.

Genesis 6:11-12 (AMP)

11 The [population of the] earth was corrupt [absolutely depraved—spiritually and morally putrid] in God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence [desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power]. 12 God looked on the earth and saw how debased and degenerate it was, for all humanity had corrupted their way on the earth and lost their true direction.

From the above verses we can see how sin, from Adam onward, had increased over the earth and had infected mankind to the extent that God had to put an end to man by bringing the flood except for one righteous man, Noah, only he and his family escaped the penalty for sin – death!

Now, unfortunately, even after the flood the trend for man to perpetuate evil continued – the influence of Satan working through man continued and is even more evident in the times we are living in right now. Man is probably just as corrupt now as he was right up until the time of the flood, if not even more so. Jesus mentioned this fact himself when he was telling us about the signs of the end times.

Matthew 24:37-39 (NLT)

37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.

In the above verses we see that Jesus knew that the corruption of man would continue and worsen and warns the future Church to look out for the signs of His return!

Jesus knew that the world would continue in its evil ways as we’ve already read earlier in this article what Paul wrote in Galatians 5:19-21.

Jesus himself also warns us about succumbing to evil practices in His prophetic word to the Church that his angel brought to the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation. Let’s take a look at the scriptures and take note of His warning, particularly about witchcraft and other occult practices, and let ourselves be changed and strengthened by the washing of the Word!

Here I think it is well worth it for us to read again this verse that I have already quoted above.

Revelation 21:8 (AMP)

But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolaters and occultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire Iand brimstone, which is the second death.”

Here we see that these same practices that man performed before the flood were continued after the flood and are still being performed in an even greater measure today and have even infiltrated the Church in various cunningly subtle ways.

Right now, you are probably asking yourself how? Let’s have a look.

We have already established that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. Here’s the scripture again for good measure:

1 Samuel 15:23 (NLT)

Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,

and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.

So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,

he has rejected you as king.”

It is now time for us to examine the word ‘rebellion’ in the above verse.

Rebellion in this verse is translated form the Hebrew word ‘meri – pronounced mer-ee.’ It’s root word source in Hebrew is ‘marah’ and it’s expanded meaning is bitterness and most rebellious.

In the verse above we see that King Saul rebelled against God’s Word, he was disobedient and consulted with occult mediums and was thus rejected by God because any rebellion against God and His Word is evil. Rebellion and disobedience lead us straight into the devil’s playground and we open the door for him to enter in to our lives and wreak havoc.

Proverbs 17:11

Evildoers foster rebellion against God;

the messenger of death will be sent against them.

Now, getting back to today’s Church, and here I’m referring to the Church as individual believers (including myself) and in its corporate state, various congregations in various Towns and Cities across the world.

What has happened in the Church say, over the last seventy years or so. What type of ‘movements’ have emerged.

The Prosperity Movement and other such deceptions

Generally speaking, and in a nutshell this movement preaches, “Come to God, give your life to Jesus and you will gain wealth and your troubles will be over.” This movement came to prominence from the 1950’s and, by far, is still the most prevalent to this day because of its appearance of Christianity. 

It encompasses many of the so called ‘mega’ churches and focuses on creating wealth through various ministries and preaches a false doctrine of wordly wealth.

In many of the,se mega Churches lead pastors have gleaned $millions to splash on themselves with lavish and very often lascivious lifestyles and have led many unsuspecting people astray.

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

God has nothing against money or Christians becoming money rich, but he does have a problem when the sole motivation in our Christian walk is money and when we accumulate that money by deceiving and manipulating others to give you theirs! God will supply all your needs even when you don’t have money.

Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:24 (AMP)

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].

1 Timothy 6:10 (AMP)

For the love of money [that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically] is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves [through and through] with many sorrows.

2 Timothy 3:2-6 (AMP)

2 For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, 3 [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.

These false teachings are always accompanied by their brothers and sisters like New Age teachings, Yoga practices, Wicca, so called Christian Dream Interpretation and many more. All of them are deceptions and lies designed by the evil one to infiltrate the Church. They all subtly lead the unwise believer astray and all of them are contrary to the Word of God, the Bible. Most of them will take money from you.

When we deviate from preaching the Word of God, we are being disobedient, and when we disobey God we are in rebellion and we open ourselves up to demonic infiltration. The Bible (the Word of God) teaches that God sees rebellion as sinful as witchcraft (see 1 Samuel 15:23 above). It is through false teaching that witchcraft and its associated occult practices has infiltrated today’s Church. It is impossible for anyone to call themselves a born-again Christian and preach, teach, prophesy and practice what is contrary to the Word of God!

Dream interpreters will sell you cards that will help you interpret your dreams thus negating your need to ask God for yourself. These cards are akin to tarot cards and are just another form of witchcraft. They will tell you what different colours and animals mean in your dreams and what seeing different persons mean – this is all rubbish. 

None of this is found in the Bible! If you feel you need to know what your dream means, go to God and Him alone! Most dreams that people have are merely a sign that one’s mind is not completely at rest – nothing more and nothing less! Does God give us dreams, yes, He does but he will also give their meaning to you as well.

The only time in the Bible where God gave somebody else the interpretation of a another’s dream was to Daniel for Nebuchadnezzar and to Joseph for the wine taster the baker and for Pharaoh, all of whom where unbelievers and thus not walking in the Spirit. All the interpretations were designed to turn the eyes of the pagan world to God’s sovereignty over all the earth and to show them to that God will bring his people into positions of power in Christ Jesus for the purpose of saving His people!

There are no good witches – Wicca is from the devil, just study your Bible and be led by the Holy Spirit.

Do not even associate with things that stem from false religions. Many Christians believe that it is OK to do Yoga stretch exercises and leave out the pagan spirituality of Yoga. No, you can’t Church – what does light have to do with darkness. Yoga is the evangelistic arm of Hinduism, just look at how it has been embraced by an unbelieving world!.

2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

Many deceived people say that you can still be a Christian and practice witchcraft, which is false. It’s so sad that now there is witchcraft in the church and so-called men of God are allowing this to happen. Even today’s worship in song has become entertainment cloned on the way the world does things and has been turned into a multi-million dollar money making industry!

Church don’t come with fancy words, programmes and concerts! I have nothing against praise and worship in our celebrations of Christ – but let it be to lead us into God’s presence and not just to entertain and tickle our flesh! Just preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 

The Church needs to repent from bringing worldly practices into our services and for allowing error to be preached from the pulpit! And for allowing ourselves to be aligned with occult practices, false teachers, false prophets and false doctrines! Anything that is contrary to the Word of God is a false doctrine!

1 Corinthians 2:2 (AMP)

For I made the decision to know nothing [that is, to forego philosophical or theological discussions regarding inconsequential things and opinions while] among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified [and the meaning of His redemptive, substitutionary death and His resurrection].

Wake up you foolish Church for who has bewitched you? False prophets and teachers who preach on how to gain worldly wealth, wealth that feeds the flesh instead of how to store up treasure in heaven, the treasure that feeds the spirit!

1 John 2:15-17

15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

Prayer:
O Lord, protect me from evil, I pray, and keep me on the path of righteousness in Christ Jesus. Lord, do not let me be led astray by the lies of Satan through false teachers, preachers, prophets and doctrines. Let your Word be a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. Lead my feet through the narrow gate and help me to keep on the narrow path. Give me wisdom, Lord. I pray and a discerning spirit that I my test every spirit to see what is good and pleasing to you that I may be led by your Holy Spirit and bring glory to the name of Jesus. Amen.

In many of today's traditional, mainline Churches like Roman Catholic and Anglican, the Bible is no longer preached but man-made liturgies and traditions are followed which are contrary to the Word of God and those that follow them and adhere to them are in rebellion to God and are thus perpetrators of witchcraft and occult practices. 

They teach that man is able to forgive sin when the Bible clearly teaches that there is on one way to receive forgiveness of sin and that is through the name of Jesus and there is only one way to pray to the Father and that is in the name of Jesus.

Acts 4:11-12 (AMP)

11 This Jesus is the stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief Cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].”

John 14:6 (NIV)

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father

In the name of Jesus I pray that you would teach me your ways and keep me from doing evil. Lord, let me not be led astray by the teachings and traditional church practices created by man. Keep me ever rooted in Your Word and lead me by your Holy Spirit that I may keep on the path of Your will for my life that I may bring glory to Jesus my Lord and Saviour. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

Last update: 13 February 2023