“The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” Ps. 46:7

1. We fear not with what happens in this world

Our personality, moral strength or physical strength usually influence how we deal with situations. When we lack the abilities, we feel insecure and insecurity brings fears/anxiety. Anxiety is often sign of lacking trust and dependence on God for Jesus said:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” Mat. 6:25

Fear of losing a partner, fear of facing danger, fear of losing a job, fear of not being able to win a battle against sickness, fear of not being able to provide the needs of the family, fear of death, fear of failing to pass exams…Name it, there’re many reasons to fear in this world. 

Some people have been able to overcome some fears (e.g. spiders, rats) but there’re some kinds of situations that would trigger fears in every human being. What if the very soil where you lay your feet is no longer able to support you? What if the water that is keeping you afloat is totally raging and leaving you with no escape? Where would you flee?

The Psalmist tells us that if God is our refuge and strength, we ought not to fear even though there are calamities everywhere.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” Ps. 46:1-3

The Psalmist tells us not to fear.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth“

But for fear to vanish it necessarily requires faith and trust in God.

“Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.” Ps. 125:1

The remedy to every kind of fear is faith in God. Daniel was left in the lions’ den but he remained calm even though his enemies concocted evil plans against him. God was his shield.

“And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.” Daniel 6:23

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had the same attitude and would not bow down before foreign gods. They trusted Yahweh to save them from whatever evil was plotted against them.

“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” Daniel 3:16

David had several enemies who wanted at all cost to kill him, he went through all kind of dangers and said: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” Ps. 23:4

2. The devil is at work but we do not fear him

One may have the strength to fight against lions, have fire protective equipment to save from a blazing furnace or have money to find a cure to a deadly disease. But no human can fight against the prince of this world. A body builder can helplessly be tormented by the devil, his muscles will be of no use. The richest person on earth will never be able to escape the power of the devil because this is a spiritual battle that cannot be won in the physical realm.

When the devil tempted Jesus, Satan said that everything in this world belonged to him and was under his control (John 4:6).

This is what the devil said: “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.“

John also abound in the same sense that this world is under the dominion of Satan “We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one” 1 John 5:19

So let us not be surprised that the rulers, the judges and law enforcement fail to provide proper justice. They are all under the control of the evil one and we should not be surprised if unfair or immoral decisions are taken by them. Let us not trust in them or be dismayed.

Let us not deceive ourselves, the devil does have power in this world that no man can overcome if attacked by him. Let us not not fall in the disillusion that Satan does not plot anything against us.

“So that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs“. 2 Cor. 2:11

This is why we are warned of the bible to be equipped with the spiritual armors that the world does not have:

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Eph. 6:11

Jesus did say to watch and pray so that we do not fall into temptation. The apostle Peter also warned:

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

The difference between those who are in this world and those who belong to Jesus is this:

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

The followers of Jesus resist the devil and he flees. Those enslaved by Satan have no power to resist the devil, they are possessed and tormented by the devil.

3. He has overcome

The good news is that when Jesus died and rose from the dead, the devil has lost COMPLETE power and authority over His followers.

“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” Col. 2:15

“Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out” John 12:31

Glory to Jesus who said in John 16:33 : “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”, he also meant that the devil also will not be able to have dominion over us.

The Good News (Gospel) is not only about Jesus dying to forgive our sins but also consists of a life of victory over the devil. In fact, this is a very Good News to the evil possessed that they can be set free.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” Is. 61

The devil has no power whatsoever on those who belong to Jesus. We’re the temple of the Holy Spirit and it is impossible that the devil ever have dominion over us because the current that flows within us is too powerful for the devil to have a toe in.

As long as one remains in Christ, there’s absolutely no way for the devil to touch him.

“We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.” 1 John 5:18

This is also what Jesus said:

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one” John 10:28

It is impossible for the devil to overpower God almighty and snatch those who abide in Christ from His hand. This is our eternal security and anchor in Christ, nothing and no one can separate us from God:

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. ” Rom. 8:38-39

God Himself guarantees that no one will be lost. However, in as much that no one can separate us from God, we should continue to abide in Christ (John 15) and remain in God’s hand. “Remain in me and I will remain in you“, Jesus said.

This is what Jesus said about Judas: “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled” John 17:12

If we want to leave God’s protection, He won’t force us to stay. If salvation can be lost, it would not be because God failed to protect and keep but because of one’s decision to turn away from Him.

“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” 1 John 4:4

Soon the Lord will put an end to all the evil schemes and trouble the devil is causing.

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” Rom. 16:20

In the book of Revelation we read that the devil will be casted out and chained in hell forever (Rev. 20:20). His time is counted and until then the devil is still ruling the world .

Jesus said to His disciples:

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” Luke 10:19

The devils conspires to make us fall but thanks be to God that we have an Advocate who defends us before God against the devil’s scheme.

“The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him…Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb” Rev. 12:9

If God is for us who can be against us exclaimed the apostle Paul.

“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?” Rom. 8:31

Christians do sin daily but they do not deliberately keep on sinning (Heb.10:26), as those who do not fear not God. The devil thus use those sins to bring charges/accuse us before God.

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Let us not fear anyone or anything. Let us not fear death, the devil and the powers of this world. They may have power over our body but no power on our soul. God almighty has the power to send the devil and his angels in the lake of fire, so if there’s someone to fear it is certainly not the devil but God.

 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Mat. 10:28

Still the true children of God fear not because they remain in God’s love:

“There is no fear in love. Perfect love puts fear out of our hearts. People have fear when they are afraid of being punished. The man who is afraid does not have perfect love” 1 John 4:18