Dear Friends,

It’s time to set aside your fears, march out in the name of Jesus Christ onto the battlefield of life, and fight!

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Give fear a chance

But wait! We all know some fear is good. In fact, “fear-” and “afraid” appear a combined 717 times in the King James Bible…and many of these references are favorable. Did you know that even God feared something…more than once? I’ve spent a lot of time studying “fear” in the Bible recently, and, God willing, I’d like to dive into it in a later post. But today, I have a burden to talk about victory over fear.

Believing is overcoming

Christianity is a religion for overcomers. Every time you step out in faith over fear, you have won a victory:

[1Jo 5:4-5 KJV] 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

But, as you will find in Hebrews 11, that victory through faith can take different forms. Hebrews 11:28-35 tells of what we might call “Joshua victories”–those epic face-offs where the enemy blows a bunch of smoke and makes a lot of noise and then gets royally smacked down–and Hebrews 11:35-38 transitions to the “Jesus victories”–the ones that are majestic and beautiful and might cost you your life, but are totally worth it.

I’m going to spend almost all of this post talking about some Joshua victories I have had, and I may try to address “Jesus victories” in a later post…but for now, I’ll leave you with one additional passage regarding Jesus victories. I like it because it mentions conquering…and because it tells us that our final victory is guaranteed:

[Rom 8:36-39 KJV] 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Onward!

Below, you will read my own true story, using figurative language, of victory over fear. None of the adversaries described in this story represent human beings; rather, this is a spiritual war:

[Eph 6:12 KJV] 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].

I.E.:

[2Co 10:3-5 KJV] 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 

One last preparatory verse!

[Psa 59:16 KJV] 16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

God told me “Go”…

…but the Dragon told me “No”.

I said “Uh-oh.”

“That’s right,” said the Dragon. “If you go, I will destroy you, your wife, and your children.”

Maybe I could go later.

“Yes,” said the Dragon. “You can go later.”

But God told me “Go.”

But the Dragon kept staring at us with vengeful anticipation.

But I didn’t want to end up bitter and defeated.

I remembered the bear

So I thought. And I prayed. And then I remembered him…that savage bear who stood in my path many moons ago. I remembered the way he stood between me and the kids. I remembered the way he roared and bared his teeth at me, and lashed out at me with his claws. And I remembered that, in the name and power of God, I drew my sword and chopped his head off. Finally, I remembered the deep gratitude and spirituality that my children demonstrated afterwards.

I remembered the lion

God said “You can.”

The lion said “You can’t.”

“But I was singing a song about God moving mountains. What about that?”

“You’ll embarrass yourself, you irresponsible fool,” replied the lion. “And I’ll eat you.”

“No, God will move the mountain,” I replied. So, I did it. I put my treasure chest on top of the same rock that the lion was standing on. His gigantic paw was now only inches from my face. He leaned his massive head so close to mine, I could feel a blast of hot air each time he exhaled.

Then, it happened. How to describe it? I’ll give you both barrels…a simile AND a metaphor 🙂

It was like the end of Behind Enemy Lines (I don’t recommend the movie as a whole; separate topic), where the downed American pilot is surrounded by enemy forces, but two United States Marine Corps AH-1W Supercobra helicopter gunships (1) suddenly rise into view at the edge of the cliff.

Yes, it was that epic. As I stood there, helpless in my own power, one casual swipe of his paw away from death, a treasure chest came hurtling down out of the sky. It was much larger than the one I had put on the rock…and the lion never saw it coming. Now I stared in wonder at a bruised, mangled, broken mess that had been the lion…and the sparkling diamonds and jewels that spilled out of the cracked chest directly into my hands.

Not one flame was breathed

Like a Magic Eye picture suddenly coming into focus, the choice became clear. I looked at the Dragon and said, in no uncertain terms, “I’m going now.”

Now, don’t misunderstand what happened next. I’m not saying to be complacent or let your guard down. I’m only making a statement about the vast gulf between what the dragon said would happen to me and what actually happened to me.

In that moment where I unequivocally marched forward with my sword drawn, what looked like a Dragon just a moment ago now seemed more like a yelping chihuahua. It was such a vivid illustration of the true balance of power between God and the Enemy.

[Psa 59:8 KJV] 8 But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

I didn’t even have to kill him. After a few more yelps, he was gone…I had taken the field in the name and the power of God.

Yes, my friends, “Joshua victories” still happen…

…because Joshua’s God is still alive and well!

Thanks for reading and God bless you! I’ll sign off with perhaps the most classic rebuttal against fear:

[Psa 23:4 KJV] 4 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.

Links:

(1): If you like cool military stuff