© Ayo Omolayo
“First thing you need to understand about fear is that it is one of the works of the flesh, so the first thing you need to put in your mind is the fact that for you to handle fear, you mist walk in the spirit. Live according to the desires and dictates of the spirit.
Now the first thing we need to look at in defeating fear is what I call spiritual warfare. The warfare of a Christian. The warfare of a believer. What kind of battle are we fighting? Are we fighting against demons, territorial powers, addictions or bondage?
What exactly are we fighting against? Can you tell me who our real enemy is?”
To be sincere with you, I was getting confused. I had not even understood what she was saying and now a question is directed at me.
But I guess we all know the answer. The devil of course. Who else is our enemy apart from that wicked guy?
“Satan!” I answered.
“The Devil is an enemy, yes. But he’s not our number one enemy. The real enemy is the flesh!” She said and pointed at her hand.
There’s a proverb that says, if there’s no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm. That my dear is the truth.
Samson was completely undefeated, until the enemy outside made a deal with the enemy within. Until they could turn his own best friend and companion against him, he was invincible.
That’s how the devil operates. You can call the devil a wicked man, you can call him a weak man, infact say he’s under your foot. But one thing you cannot call him is a fool. He’s super smart. Besides, he’s been handling humans before you came on the scene. He knows how to beat men hands down.
But thank God for giving us his word. Psalms 119:98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
So once we have successfully identified the enemy, we move on to the next thing. How does satan uses the flesh to attack us?
That’s where we arrive at our next scripture. Open to second Corinthians 10 verse 3.
I quickly opened to the passage and read.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
Verse 4. (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Verse 5 Casting down imagináations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
“Good! How can Apostle Paul call our opponent imaginations? How could be say that every thought that exalted itself above the knowledge of God is our enemy?
That’s what we call SPIRITUAL STRONG HOLD. If can can understand this very well, you would not need to border yourself with the spirit of fear.
I know you would really love to say, spirit of fear get out in the name of Jesus! That’s not the complete cure. The spirit of fear is an ancient spirit that resides in the soul on man. It takes a long time as you grow in God to receive absolute purging in your soul.
It’s just like a porn addict. Even after he or she has given his or her life to Christ, the urge for immorality comes from time to time. What that means is that, his soul is going through the reconfiguration process. So his flesh is till going to try and function in the old pattern, because it is used to it.
But as long as the believer says consistent with the process of feeding his mind with the word of God and consistency in the place of prayers. Slowly but steadily, the desires of the past sinful life will start to die, unknowing to him.
Suddenly, he wakes up one morning and can’t remember the last time he had the urge to masturbate. That’s how it happens. At the beginning it will be a struggle. A serious one to be precise, but the more you resist the devil, the more his grip on you is destroyed.
But we usually don’t like following process. We like quick quick! Fast food!
That’s what I’m saying. It’s going to take a process and a conscious effort on your part to uninstall fear and install the spirit of power.
If you miss this part, you’ll keep commanding the spirit of fear to go away and it would look as if you’re wasting your time. I’m not saying you can’t command it actually. It’s possible to give a command and your fears will melt away as the spirit of fear obeys you.
But what really makes a spirit stick to a person. Open to Matthew 12:43.
I quickly opened my bible to the passage and read.
“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man….”
“Add, when the unclean spirit of fear to the passage, so you can read with understanding,” she suggested.
“When the unclean spirit of fear is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
Verse 44. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
Verse 45. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”
“Why was fear able to possess the man again?”
“Because his heart was empty of God’s word!”
“Good! Your spiritual life is your responsibility. Feeding your mind on a daily basis with the word of God. Meditating on it and allowing it to change your pattern of thinking. That is the first step.
You need to read the bible and allow it to cast down every imagination of fear and every high thing that exalted itself above the knowledge of God. You uninstall that thought that frightens you and replace it with the word of God.
So when you read the newspapers and the hear of people being kidnapped. Then someone at the newspapers stand says, ‘ This country is no longer safe.’
And because you heard that, your heart starts beating fast.
You allow the word of God to reply that negative thought by bringing up a response scripture.
For he shall give his angels charge over me, to keep me in all my ways.
They shall bear me up in their hands, lest thou dash my foot against a stone.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
As you are saying this, Satan will remind you of the man that was killed in your street last week. He’s trying to raise a high thought that would exalt itself above the knowledge of the word of God.
He’s trying to bring into your heart an imagination of you walking on the road and suddenly, you are being kidnapped.
But immediately, casting down every imagination and every thought that exalts itself above the knowledge of God’s word. You reject it and respond with the word of God.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Surely he shall deliver me from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover me with his feathers, and under his wings shall I trust: his truth shall be my shield and buckler.
I shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at my side, and ten thousand at my right hand; but it shall not come nigh me.
Only with my eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
That’s how you reply the spirit of fear with the word of God and it becomes incapacitated.
Then step two will work perfectly. You now open your mouth and command the spirit of fear to get lost. Fear is a spirit and all spirits are subject to us in the name of Jesus. So you’ll command the spirit and he’ll bow.
Infact, it will flee as fast as it can. You’ll discover that while you quote these scriptures, a sudden boldness will enter your spirit.
God’s work is quick and powerful. It is sharper than a double edged sword. It has the ability to energize your spirit in an instant.
When you quote it with authority and conviction. It works immediately and demons are put to flight.
But the problem here is that, how much of God’s word do you know? That’s why every christian must be a student of the bible. It is a must!
There’s a scripture that says, ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’
The word conform means to suddenly begin to change your pattern of living to suit with those around you.
So that means, if you as a Christian do not pay attention to feeding your heart with the word of God and allowing it to transform your life into the life of Christ. You’ll soon discover that your life will look like that of the people who are joining born again, just give it time.
The spiritual life of a Christian demands consistent renewal. I prayed yesterday doesn’t mean I will not pray today. I studied my bible yesterday doesn’t mean I will not study it today.
The life of God in you demands consistent renewal. That’s why a lot of spiritual lives don’t last. Today they’re on fire, tomorrow they are cold. What you were doing to keep your altar burning, who told you to stop it?
You observe your quiet time for two weeks and the next one week, you stopped observing it. Why won’t your spiritual life go down? Why won’t it go down?
Spiritual life is like that lamp given to the ten virgins. 5 were wise and the other 5 were foolish. The wise ones took refill with them, extra oil. But the foolish ones kept going like that. They didn’t border to take care of the fire they received from that meeting where Apostle Selman ignited the fire in their soul.
They didn’t do anything to maintain their fire. They just kept their lamps somewhere and went about doing whatever they wanted to do. While others would wake up in the morning and refill their lamps with oil by observing their quiet time. They are busy sleeping. They don’t have time to take care of the fire God ignites in them through Ablazing Christian stories.
No wonder they keep saying, ‘Today I’m on fire, tomorrow, I’m cold. My spiritual life is not stable. Why won’t the fire go down when there’s no consistent supply of oil?
So if you really want to overcome the spirit of fear it’s going to require diligence on your part. You’re going to sit down with tye word of God like a secondary school student and read it like you’re preparing for your exams.
You will have to cram formulas and spiritual periodic tables. You would have to arm your mind with the word of God by memorizing scriptures. This will help you have what to answer the Devil when he comes to your with lies from the pit of Hell. With imaginations that try to tell you God’s word is a lie. You’ll be able to cast them down.
To be continued……
For you to build your spiritual life is not by wishing to. Even if someone prays for you to receive the power to pray, until you kneel down and get up from that bed, it would not work
Spiritual life cannot be built without discipline. Learn to discomfort your flesh for the sake of your spiritual life
Stop running away from pain. No pain, no gain. Do you want it that bad?
Go for it!
