The Fear Factor
From the beginning of man’s creation, our enemy, the devil has been using fear to spiritually and physically paralyze anyone who would seek to do God’s will. Some things should be noted before we get into this discussion.
- The Devil is a liar
- Fear works contrary to faith
- The Truth will always set you free
Just like everything else, fear has an origin. It came from somewhere. Did God create it? Hosnestly, I don’t want to get into a philosophical discussion about whether God created fear or not. I think we can agree that it exists in THIS world and God has allowed it to exist for some reason. In His sovereignty, God allows fear to exist because it’s power only takes effect when we choose to submit to IT rather than Him and His truth.
In Genesis 3:1-3 we find the first example in history of how the devil uses fear to cause separation between man and God. This separation that fear caused is known to us as sin. The passage says this, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’? The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ’You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die. You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” There is so much in this passage that I’m sure I can’t get to all of it, but I will try to unpack as much as I can without writing a book.
The first thing we can notice is that the “Serpent” was more crafty than any of the wild animals God had created. Yes, at this time, snakes weren’t very scary…even to a woman. Apparently, Eve was not running for her life when the serpent came up to have a conversation. She didn’t go running to Adam requesting his assistance. Instead, she lowered her guard and engaged in conversation with the slithering liar. Why didn’t she run in fear? she didn’t run in fear because fear didn’t exist yet. Adam and Eve, pre-sin, didn’t have a care in the world. They walked and talked with God in the Garden. They lived in paradise. Just like God had intended for man to do. They didn’t go to sleep at night thinking, “I wonder what we’re gonna eat tomorrow?” They didn’t think to themselves, “Oh my goodness, I’m getting fat. I need to work out and cut out the carbs.” They weren’t afraid of failure or rejection either. They were completely cared for and loved by God and eachother. My guess is that they went about their daily work in the garden, discovered new things everyday, enjoyed eachother’s company, and communed with God daily…all the while listening to Bobby McFerrin’s song, Don’t Worry Be Happy. At least that’s how I picture it.
I don’t know if the Devil wore shoes at that time, but if we could get into them for just a moment and observe the scene that was playing out before him I’m sure that we could agree he wasn’t very happy. It may not even have been the first time he had communicated with Adam or Eve. Quite possibly he had been observing them for days, months, even years before he made his move. A very calculated move. One that would cost humanity everything. Such a crafty move it was that it cost Jesus his very life to set things right again. As this particular scene in the human story unfolds we see how powerful fear becomes. The most amazing thing about fear is that it doesn’t require imminent danger to have its full effect. It accomplishes its task with devastating results mostly on probability, supposition, hearsay, and doubt. And let us not be fooled. The devil, who is alive and well, uses the same craftiness with us today to cause separation between us and God.
Fear preys on basic human needs like love, acceptance, and belonging. This is something the devil knows quite well. Just look at the passage in Genesis and see how the serpent twists what GOD has said to strip Eve of her confidence in God’s provision. Just like us, once Adam and Eve allowed themselves to be lured away from the Truth, they became lost and insecure. Notice, that the devil begins his string of lies with the phrase, “Did God really say?” This is so crucial for us to understand. The devil is in the business of discrediting God. If he can get us to doubt God, he can get us to do anything. Our faith, belief, confidence, and trust in God speaks to the heart of our willingness to obey Him. If we believe God never lies and keeps all His promises, whom or what shall we fear? We too are faced with the devil’s question (Did God really say?) on a daily basis. Herein lies the importace of knowing God’s Word. John 8:32 says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” There is no human need under the sun that God has not addressed in His Word. God is not witholding information.
As we move on in the passage we see the lying serpent craftily change his approach based on Eve’s response. She obviously knew what God had said. She was able to quote Him word for word. Unfortunately, knowing wasn’t enough. The devil is not only the father of lies, he is also the master of pride. It was his pride that brought about his demise and expulsion from God’s presence forever. He wanted to be elevated to God’s status. He wanted equal opportunity for the role of Supreme Being, but God would not share His glory with any created being. We have this same desire for control within us and it is driven by FEAR. If we don’t question God’s ability to fulfill His promises then we question His willingness to do so. And, if we don’t question His willingness to come through for us, then we question His ability to do so. Either way, we lose and fear remains.
Is there any greater fear than the unknown? We spend our lives asking, “What if?” What if this happens or what if that happens? What if I don’t and what if I do? So much of our precious time is sacrificed at the altar of FEAR. Look at what the devil says to Eve after she so proudly quotes His Word. “You will not surely die…For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened.” Here is my New International Mag’s Translation for that piece…”What? Are you serious? Do you think God would kill you for eating a fruit? C’mon, God just doesn’t want you to know what He knows…He’s holding out on you.” Talk about wanting to know the unknown. Eve’s eyes must have lit up like a Christmas tree when she heard that. Do you mean to tell me that I can know what God knows and not have to wonder what’s coming next? You mean I can make better decisions ON MY OWN? Sound familiar? It should…we do the exact same thing. Be honest…ever felt like God was keeping you in the dark? Isn’t that a scary feeling? And how do we deal with that feeling? We act irrationally. We rely on our own, limited perspective to make decisions. We whine and complain because He won’t hand over the wheel. We allow FEAR to overtake us. Worst of all, by our actions, we tell God that we don’t believe Him and that He is not able to do what He says. Notice that I said, “By our actions…” we wouldn’t say these things to God’s face. We wouldn’t just come right out and tell God to get lost and and leave the key on the counter. Nah, we’re too smart for that. We’d rather keep Him around for insurance purposes. Just in case we really screw things up.
And looking at the last part of Genesis 3:4 we can see the devil’s craftiness at its height. He says quite casually, “And you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Amazing! Do you realize that he was trying to sell Eve something that she already owned? They were already like God. They were, in fact, created in His image. They were not going to experience death. And, they were living in perfect harmony with God and nature. Furthermore, she had a perfect understanding of good and evil. I say this simply because evil did not exist in their world. They knew “Good” and His name is The Lord! Nonetheless, FEAR took root somewhere deep within her and she gave in. She questioned God. She dismissed His words and promises and chose to believe the lie. FEAR found fertile ground and produced sin. It was watered by doubt and confusion.
Has FEAR found fertile ground within your heart? Do you keep watering it with doubt and confusion? It doesn’t have to be that way. The power of FEAR has been broken by the cross. In 1 John 4:18 we find TRUTH to set us free from FEAR. It says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” Follow me here…God is love. Love drives out fear. Any questions?
Here are some extra verses on fear that you can study:
- Rom.8:15 ”For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
- 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
- Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
- Psalm 27:1 “The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?”
