Defeating The Enemy-- 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.

There are those within our country that desire to exert as much control as possible over the American citizens. Their primary means for establishing control are through promoting fear, secrecy, and polarization, and through distracting people from their spiritual duty to seek first the Kingdom of God. When these factions gain greater power and control, our freedoms and liberties are lost sometimes without our even realizing it. We find ourselves not only in bondage to elements that are enslaving us but into a spiritual bondage that will destroy us.

Fear is used as a powerful tool of control by these factions of the powerful elite. "The terrorists want to kill us all. Your job, home, and retirement are no longer secure. Your life is threatened by the lack of health care. You are either for us or against us. We might be attacked at any time." All of these messages push us towards fear.  And by encouraging us to focus blame on others such as terrorists and "evil" leaders, or even the "rich" the power brokers push us away from feeling in control of our lives and towards the role of powerless victims, so that we look to them for protection. The more we slip into fear and being victims, the easier it is for us to be manipulated.  As Christians we should not have fear but peace.  But more often than not we fan the flames of fear by allowing ourselves to become “prisoners of hope” without the faith needed to change our lives.  We are waiting on the mountain top of our expectations for the Lord to come and take us out of this mess.  Well, I am saying it time to stop being a “prisoner of hope” and become a “messenger of hope.”

I understand we are placed in a position of fear when we are unaware of the truth. Secrecy leads to control through preventing the exposure of hidden agendas, and through breeding distrust, suspicion, and paranoia in the world. In the name of "national security," we have been told daily that we should not know what is happening behind closed doors in government. Yet we are asked to keep vigilant watch over our neighbors, over those who question the government, and over those who look or act different from us, as they could secretly be a terrorist’s sleeper cell. Rampant suspicion and secrecy causes us to lose touch with the common humanity we share with all around us.  How can I show compassion and mercy on those I fear?  How can I make a difference when I am always blaming someone for my problems?

There are those who have divided this country to the point of immovable polarization.  We have a national mind set of “them against us.”  As long as we are focused on blaming and attacking one another we will not solve our problems.  Those controlling our attention on issues that have polarized us are taking our freedoms and right away from us as we fight one another.  The basis for our destruction is believing the lie of those who wish to have absolute control over us.  Our country has been served a steady diet of greed, violence, empty sex and broken relationship to the point we condone them as normal.   Our attention has been subtly diverted from our spiritual life to the more superficial attractions of sex, consumerism, sports, and money.

When we succumb to fear, secrecy, and polarization, and when we lose touch with our sense of spiritual purpose in life, the manipulators are able to exert ever more control over our lives and world.

So what do we do?  Stop the fear mongering.  The national fear, the secrecy, the polarization of our country and the loss of our spiritual life all have allowed those who would control us the power to subvert our country, take away our rights and freedom.  When we cast out the fear from our hearts and make a true commitment to renew our spiritual life and encourage others to do the same—we are changing the direction away from destruction.

Where do we start?  First, I must start with myself.  As individuals we need to develop a spiritual purpose in life.  To live the life with abundant joy-- it is important to have purpose and direction.  By choosing to live with a spiritual purpose and direction and focusing my life on “seeking first the Kingdom of Heaven” then my life will no longer be controlled and manipulated by the evil of those who seek to destroy me.  This new direction will weaken the seduction of media hype that distracts me from my spiritual purpose and direction.

Perfect love will cast out fear.  The prayer of Jesus was that we have joy and have it more abundantly.  We can also transform our fears by learning to know and understand the evil that surrounds us and its potential to destroy us.  We are children of the day not of the night.  The daylight exposes the evil while the night hides it. We are to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. We must be attentive to all that is around us knowing the danger and where it comes from.  

So what do we do?   Stop allowing ourselves to be the victim and instead become the solider of the Cross as we have been called to be.  Stop blaming others for our problems, and take the responsibility for allowing evil to use us to accomplish our own destruction. Start to demand openness and transparency of our leaders.  It is time we start to focus on ”good vs evil” rather than “us vs them.  This is a spiritual warfare we are in, fighting the forces of evil that seek the destruction of all that is good, holy and righteous.  So stop sitting around and fight the good fight of faith!