Snares Of The Devil: Fear, Doubt, And Worry
We're going to take a look at some of the snares of the devil, some of the main avenues which Satan uses to entrap and enslave God's people. The devil is relentless, and some of the most insidious ways in which he can infect our minds are through fear, doubt, and worry. Satan's influence can not only affect our self image, but also the way in which we perceive others. We'll begin by looking at the inceptions of our sin, the very roots of our falling away from God. These are the foundations of disobedience, the underlying concepts which separate us from God and from His will for our life. These dividing influences include fear, doubt, and worry. We'll look at these from a biblical perspective, as God's word is to be our defining article, our proving ground. So, let's take a look at each of these influences and some verses which will provide us with God's perspective on them...beginning with fear.
We read in Psalms 118:6..."The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" These profound words were spoken by David, and are among the most reassuring and edifying thoughts found in the entire bible. David was under extreme duress, as his life was in jeopardy many times, with enemies on every side, and yet he put his hope in the Lord. He was in more peril throughout his life than most of us will ever know, and rather than choose to have fear control him, he chose to put his trust in God. David chose the fear of
the Lord over the fear of man, and this is a choice which we all must make. Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:28-31..."And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." It is no coincidence that there are 365 separate instances throughout the bible in which we are told not to fear. That's one for every single day of the year. We read in Hebrews 13:5-6..."Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." God does not want us to live in fear, but rather, to live by faith. Jesus reassures us in Luke 12:32..."Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
Doubt is a very deceptive emotion, as it comes upon us disguised as self preservation. When doubt creeps into our minds, we often think of it as a type of defense mechanism, a cautious reminder not to be too trusting. This can prove to be very beneficial at times, but not with regard to God and His love and provision for us. If we, at any point, find ourselves in doubt of God's existence, or His love for us, we know that this is a snare of the devil. One of the most treacherous ways in which the devil separates us from God is by intensifying our focus on the things around us, the troubles and problems that we face on a daily basis. The devil knows that faith cannot coexist with doubt, and so his intention is to put as much doubt into our minds as possible. We read in James 1:5-8..."If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." If we have doubt in our minds about the love and provision of God, we must ask Him to remove our doubt and strengthen our faith, for it is our faith, our belief, which motivates God. He has given us this faith as a gift, and He is ready and willing to fortify our faith so that doubt will no longer control us. Doubt can be a very powerful demotivating influence, and a paralyzing force in our lives, but with God's help, our doubt can be dissolved by the renewing of our faith.
Worry is a debilitating condition brought on by a lack of confidence in one's sense of well-being. It is extremely toxic to our relationship with God, because it is the polar opposite of faith, and contradicts it in every way. I saw a plaque once which read, "Worry is the misuse of imagination", and this is exactly the case. For us to spend our time entrenched in worry is to waste our time and energy, and a sinful waste it is, for worry is nothing more than putting our faith in what the devil has the power to do to us. Faith cannot exist where there is worry, as the one nullifies the other. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4-7..."Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Paul, along with the Christians of the first century, were persecuted relentlessly by the Romans as well as the Jews. Many Christians were killed for their faith. Paul himself was imprisoned, beaten many times, and ultimately killed because He refused to give up his faith. Yet, we never see Paul in a state of fear, or doubting the goodness and mercy of God. In fact, here he boldly states that we are to "be careful for nothing." He is telling us that we are not to allow worry to cloud our minds because "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Peter was another apostle who suffered much persecution at the hands of the Romans, and was also killed for his faith in Jesus. Yet, he also chose not to be crippled by fear, doubt, or worry, as we read in 1 Peter 5:6-11..."Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
Let us have no misconceptions, we are living in perilous times. Christianity, as a whole, is under attack. Christians are being persecuted and killed around the world, and there may come a time in the near future when we, as Christian Americans, are persecuted as well. However, we cannot allow the paralyzing effects of fear, doubt, and worry to stifle and neutralize our faith. Jesus tells us in Revelation 2:10..."Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." We read the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10..."We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body." Although the devil will do all within his power to destroy us, we must stand firm on our faith, for we know that we have a crown laid up for us in heaven when this life is over, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:10..."Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
We cannot underestimate the incapacitating effects of fear, doubt, and worry, or the damage that they can do to our spiritual well-being. They undermine our dependence upon God, as they weaken the very fibers of our faith. In fact, the common thread among these three toxic influences is their ultimate destruction of our faith. However, just as these malicious forces are able to corrupt our minds if we allow them to, God's gift of faith is the key to their eradication. Fear, doubt, and worry cannot survive where faith is present. We read in James 4:7-8..."Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you..." In all that we do, in our day to day lives, let us pray for our faith to be strengthened, that we would not be subject to the negative influences of fear, doubt, and worry, but rather, that we would be dependent upon the grace and mercy of God, and that we would live by faith. Finally, we read the encouraging words of Paul in Philippians 4:13..."I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Doubt is a very deceptive emotion, as it comes upon us disguised as self preservation. When doubt creeps into our minds, we often think of it as a type of defense mechanism, a cautious reminder not to be too trusting. This can prove to be very beneficial at times, but not with regard to God and His love and provision for us. If we, at any point, find ourselves in doubt of God's existence, or His love for us, we know that this is a snare of the devil. One of the most treacherous ways in which the devil separates us from God is by intensifying our focus on the things around us, the troubles and problems that we face on a daily basis. The devil knows that faith cannot coexist with doubt, and so his intention is to put as much doubt into our minds as possible. We read in James 1:5-8..."If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." If we have doubt in our minds about the love and provision of God, we must ask Him to remove our doubt and strengthen our faith, for it is our faith, our belief, which motivates God. He has given us this faith as a gift, and He is ready and willing to fortify our faith so that doubt will no longer control us. Doubt can be a very powerful demotivating influence, and a paralyzing force in our lives, but with God's help, our doubt can be dissolved by the renewing of our faith.
Worry is a debilitating condition brought on by a lack of confidence in one's sense of well-being. It is extremely toxic to our relationship with God, because it is the polar opposite of faith, and contradicts it in every way. I saw a plaque once which read, "Worry is the misuse of imagination", and this is exactly the case. For us to spend our time entrenched in worry is to waste our time and energy, and a sinful waste it is, for worry is nothing more than putting our faith in what the devil has the power to do to us. Faith cannot exist where there is worry, as the one nullifies the other. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4-7..."Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Paul, along with the Christians of the first century, were persecuted relentlessly by the Romans as well as the Jews. Many Christians were killed for their faith. Paul himself was imprisoned, beaten many times, and ultimately killed because He refused to give up his faith. Yet, we never see Paul in a state of fear, or doubting the goodness and mercy of God. In fact, here he boldly states that we are to "be careful for nothing." He is telling us that we are not to allow worry to cloud our minds because "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Peter was another apostle who suffered much persecution at the hands of the Romans, and was also killed for his faith in Jesus. Yet, he also chose not to be crippled by fear, doubt, or worry, as we read in 1 Peter 5:6-11..."Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
Let us have no misconceptions, we are living in perilous times. Christianity, as a whole, is under attack. Christians are being persecuted and killed around the world, and there may come a time in the near future when we, as Christian Americans, are persecuted as well. However, we cannot allow the paralyzing effects of fear, doubt, and worry to stifle and neutralize our faith. Jesus tells us in Revelation 2:10..."Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." We read the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10..."We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body." Although the devil will do all within his power to destroy us, we must stand firm on our faith, for we know that we have a crown laid up for us in heaven when this life is over, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:10..."Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
We cannot underestimate the incapacitating effects of fear, doubt, and worry, or the damage that they can do to our spiritual well-being. They undermine our dependence upon God, as they weaken the very fibers of our faith. In fact, the common thread among these three toxic influences is their ultimate destruction of our faith. However, just as these malicious forces are able to corrupt our minds if we allow them to, God's gift of faith is the key to their eradication. Fear, doubt, and worry cannot survive where faith is present. We read in James 4:7-8..."Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you..." In all that we do, in our day to day lives, let us pray for our faith to be strengthened, that we would not be subject to the negative influences of fear, doubt, and worry, but rather, that we would be dependent upon the grace and mercy of God, and that we would live by faith. Finally, we read the encouraging words of Paul in Philippians 4:13..."I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
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