"Dealing With Your Fears"

February 3, 2005


As I work with folks who have asked me to pray deliverance over them, I often run into those who are troubled by fear to one degree or another. I looked up the word "fear" and discovered that there are four different meanings of the word as used in Scripture. I found this very interesting.

The first meaning is "reverence or awe." Scripture tells us to "fear God." I must confess that I find this somewhat lacking in our church culture today. I haven't figured out all of the reasons, but perhaps some folks haven't been taught enough about His greatness, holiness, power, love, knowledge, presence, forgiveness, and on and on. I feel many lack a true reverence and awe of God. If they really loved God and kept His commandments, there would be little opening for Satan to take advantage of them, hence little need for deliverance. God's commands are given to us out of love and for our own good.

The second meaning is "to be startled." This reflects the sudden jolt felt by a person when a loud noise, such as a horn blast from a nearby semi truck, warning of immediate danger, occurs.

The third meaning is "that which causes flight." This happens when there is a healthy fear of some dangerous thing, such as a rattling snake -- truly enough to make one head off in the opposite direction with great speed. It is sudden fear of harm that causes immediate action.


THE TROUBLESOME TYPE

The fourth translation of fear comes from the Greek word "phobeo," from which we get the word "phobia." This time it means "to have a sudden gripping fear, alarm, be scared, frightened, dismayed and filled with dread, intimidated, anxious and apprehensive."

It is this fourth type of fear that can be troublesome at times. It can stick with a person for a long time.

Fears can also be specific. For example, we have a daughter who developed a fear of enclosed places, especially flying in an airplane. She seriously dreaded enclosed places where she would be confined for a period of time.

In dealing with a person who has a gripping, constant, debilitating fear, the first thing we ask is, "What exactly is the fear and when did it start?" A huge culprit at the root of many such fears is trauma.


IDENTIFYING THE TRAUMA

As a matter of fact, this is what happened with our adult daughter. It did not make sense that a missionary kid who had spent countless hours in lengthy overseas and domestic travel should have a fear of flying. So upon probing, we discovered why she was afraid of enclosed places. This fear cropped up when she was accidentally locked inside a walk-in freezer where she had been called to do some welding. (Yes, I said welding! She is an auto mechanic and welder by choice.) She panicked, but then was rescued in due time. As a result of that trauma she could not stand being in an enclosed place again.

I prayed, addressing the spirit of trauma that had entered during the panic attack when she was in the freezer. I commanded the spirit of fear to leave, in the name of Jesus. It did.

We recently had occasion to travel with her from Denver to Philadelphia (a three hour plane fight), and I asked her how she felt. She said, "Not only was I not afraid, but I really enjoyed the trip!" Clearly, it was a case of a spirit of fear that had attached itself to that severe trauma, but it had to go when it was found out and was commanded to leave, in the name of Jesus.

TRAUMA CAUSED BY VICTIMIZATION

A second common entry point for a spirit of fear is the trauma caused by being victimized.

I have had to learn far more than I care to, about violence and trauma caused by actions such as assault with a deadly weapon, rape, and child sexual molestation. These kinds of experiences often leave the victim filled with many different demons that have taken advantage of that traumatic experience. Let me name a few that I have met along the way: fear of the dark, anger, violence, unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred, a man- or woman-hating spirit, lust, severe rejection, self-hatred, a desire to die, and a myriad of fears depending upon the circumstances of the trauma.

When another person is responsible for the trauma, Satan takes further advantage of the situation by locking those emotions into fear, unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred, and anger. These conditions often prevail for the rest of the victim's life if deliverance and inner healing do not take place. What's worse yet is that the demons attached to the trauma often entice the victim into victimizing others in the same way. Often victims become so distraught that they resort to suicide as hopelessness overtakes them.


FORGIVENESS

The first, and very difficult, step for the victim to take is forgiveness. Forgiveness does not condone the action - it simply removes the dreadful burden of pain from the victim. As frequent readers of this column have heard over and over, forgiveness is a mighty weapon in deliverance. When forgiveness is extended, the above-mentioned demons must leave when they are commanded to do so, in the name of Jesus. Then, inner healing of the wounded soul can take place through prayer.

A third major entry point for spirits of fear that I have encountered is involvement in witchcraft and the occult. This can be caused by curses of witchcraft or freemasonry, or by the lies that the victim believes when told that they can never leave the occult because they have made an eternal choice by their involvement. Fear of leaving behind occult friends and practices and vows often keeps individuals in bondage, especially to fear.

But, nothing is impossible with God. He has given us the tools to set captives free from spirits such as fear. They can be dealt with and dispatched. Our daughter will tell you that life is much more enjoyable being free from her fear of flying.

by Doris Wagner
Global Harvest Ministries
www.globalharvest.org


 

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