Defeating The Giant of Fear

The expression "frozen in fear" is descriptive for more reasons than one. Not only does it accurately describe fear's paralyzing effect, but it captures the way that moment tends to freeze in our memory.

"The sin is not to be afraid; the sin is to not take our fear to God. Even David prayed, 'What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee' (Psalm 56:3)."

A fear of surgery: As my wife prepared for her surgery earlier this year, we talked about the fear we both were facing.

Although I still felt fear after that, I also felt confidence that every time I brought my fear to God, making the choice to trust him despite the circumstances, I was exercising faith.

What we did discover is that victory over fear does not come from not having nothing to fear, but from reckoning that God can be trusted with our fear.

Fear is one of the most powerful emotions we experience. It comes in many shapes and sizes: worry,

• Panic: A sudden, overwhelming sensation of fear that dominates reason and logical thinking, causing frantic agitation and a fight-or-flight reaction.

• Anxiety: A feeling of uneasiness, tension, or worry about a future threat or uncertain event, often accompanied by physical symptoms like restlessness and muscular tension; it is a future-oriented mood state involving anticipation of danger.

• Concern: A state of worry or care about a particular issue or situation, typically less intense than anxiety and focused on specific matters (implied from general usage and related terms).

• Doubt: A feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction about the truth or reliability of something (common usage inferred as no direct definition provided).

• Dread: A strong fear or apprehension about an anticipated event or danger, more intense than simple worry or apprehension, involving anticipation of something very bad happening.

• Terror: An intense, overwhelming fear that is more extreme than fear or anxiety, often associated with immediate and extreme threat (implied from hierarchy of fear-related terms).

• Foreboding: A strong feeling or sense that something bad or harmful is about to happen; an uneasy apprehension or premonition of danger.

• Somatic complaints: Physical symptoms or bodily sensations (such as muscle tension, nausea, or tightness) that arise from or are associated with psychological distress like anxiety.

• Rumination: Repetitive and persistent thinking about distressing situations or thoughts, often contributing to anxiety and worry

Each of these carry a hundred shades. So although we share the common emotion of fear, we don't all experience it in the same way.

Victory over fear does not come from having nothing to fear, but from reckoning that God can be trusted with my fear.

Many people live in an ongoing state of fear. It's not just one event or moment that seizes their emotions; it's every event and most moments. Fear can be overwhelming. Paralyzing. Consuming. But here is the good news: fear can also be overcome.

Through Christ, we can develop a resilience that rises above fear. Yes, we will sometimes feel fear, but we don't need to be controlled by fear or held in its grasp.

Christians defeating fear and providing a vision for others comes from the work of missionaries globally, serving among the world’s least-reached communities. Many of these believers face significant risks, including persecution, isolation, and uncertainty.

THE BATTLEFIELD OF FEAR

When David arrived at the battlefield where he would ultimately defeat Goliath, he wasn't even intending to engage in battle. The Israelites were facing their the Philistines. David's older brothers, like all able-bodied Israeli men over twenty years of age, had been drafted to the battle. David's father called David, his youngest son, from the pastures where he had been watching the sheep to go check on his older brothers and bring them food.

As it happened, however, David's arrival on the battlefield coincided with the Philistine's champion Goliath taunting Israel to settle the war by sending one soldier for one-on-one combat.

Goliath was intimidating.

His name meant “splendor," and from a worldly standpoint, he was splendid. He was nine and a half feet tall— taller than any Israelite. He had a helmet of brass and a coat of mail with greaves of brass. His spear weighed about eighteen pounds. And Goliath threw the full weight of his intimidation in defiance against the people of God.

Worse than Goliath's defiance, however, was Israel's response. From King Saul to the lowest ranking soldier, the entire army shrunk in fear.

The Bible says

"When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid" (1 Samuel 17:11).

To be dismayed means "to be shattered, broken." It is to be unable to stand because of fear.

The first verse I usually think of when I hear the word dismayed is God's reassurance in

Isaiah 41:10:

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

We who know Christ need not be shattered or overwhelmed by the circumstances or pressures in which we find ourselves. We need not fear the what ifs of tomorrow or the uncertainties of the future.

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).

We need not fear the what ifs of tomorrow or the uncertainties of the future.

Like Goliath, Satan, the peddler of fear.

He seeks to intimidate God's people and silence them before a world who needs the message they have. This happens in a hundred ways. Perhaps you have seen the intimidating work of Satan in the public spheres of life and social media. The world specifically singles out those who dare to stand for biblical truths.

They bully, criticize, and cancel men and women of conviction.

But intimidation isn't Satan's only arrow.

He seeks to inject fear into our hearts in a variety of ways.

Whether that be fear of moving forward in a direction we know God has placed on our hearts, fear of incurring more hurt as we work to rebuild a God-given relationship, fear of sharing the gospel with a coworker, fear of rejection or the future or of failing.

... In every way, shape, and form, Satan's intent is to seize our hearts with fear.

When Satan scores a fear victory in one person's life, it always affects others as well. We see this so clearly in 1 Samuel 17. It wasn't just Saul who felt fear. It was Saul "and all Israel" who were "dismayed, and greatly afraid."

When a crisis arises and no one is willing to step forward to resolve the situation, fear spreads. It's contagious.

Goliath stood before them daring them to fight him, but for forty days, the entire army-down to a man-was paralyzed in terror.

Ultimately, fear and faith are incompatible. Fear will cancel out faith, or faith will cancel out fear.

Of course, there are times when we feel fear but choose faith. Eventually, that choice will overcome our fear. As our confidence in God grows, we can then say, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid" (Isaiah 12:2).

THE PERSPECTIVE OF FAITH

Fear warps our perspective. It sees the obstacles instead of the possibilities, and it makes the obstacles bigger than they really are.

Saul and the Israeli army were looking at Goliath and wondering how God could help. David was looking to God and wondering how Goliath could stand a chance. What was the difference? Faith.

What we fear shapes our perspective.

This is why Proverbs 29:25 warns,

"The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."

When we fear men— their power, position, influence, or disapproval-we become entrapped in cycles of trying to please them. And we usually do things that dishonor God.

But when we fear the Lord-having an accurate view of His power, position, love, and approval - we walk by faith in what He has said.

Fear sees the obstacle, but faith sees the victory.

While the rest of the men ran to hide,

"David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26).

You can almost hear the incredulous tone in David's voice as you read these words. It's like he's saying, "Guys, really? You are running? Have you heard what glory and wealth the man who defeats him receives? And who is this ungodly man that he should be able to stand before us? Do you not remember that we serve a living God?"

Fear FOCUSES the BATTLE, but faith SEIZES the VICTORY.

You and I serve a living God too. Yes, we live in a fallen world with real challenges, real threats that make our hearts tremble. We face unknown and uncertain outcomes. But whatever fear we face, God is greater.

This truth doesn't mean that our worst fears won't be realized.

Even godly Job wrote,

"For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me"(Job 3:25).

We live in a sin-cursed world.

We get sick. We become tired.

People we love make self-harming choices we hate.

We lose jobs

reputations

and money.

God has not promised us health, wealth, and nonstop prosperity, He has promised us His presence.

If you know Christ as your Savior, you serve a living God who abides in you and gives victory to rise above the onslaught of fear.

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

WHEN YOUR FAITH IS OPPOSED

If you didn't already know the story of David and Goliath, you might have assumed that when David first began showing a willingness to take on Goliath that everyone around him, especially his older brothers, would have celebrated his courage. But that's not what happened.

A. David was immediately met with - criticism.

I can relate.

What surprised me, however, was how quickly I started receiving criticism. It took some time, but eventually I realized that much of the criticism was driven by jealousy. I needed their prayers and encouragement, but instead I received their criticism and censure.

Something similar happened to David as his oldest brother accused him of pride:

"And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle" (1 Samuel 17:28).

It's not hard to guess why Eliab was so harsh.

He was angry because his own fear had been revealed by David's courage.

Eliab had been there at the battle for forty days and had done nothing. Twice each day, he had to watch Goliath curse his God and humiliate the people of God. And Eliab, with the other soldiers, ran to hide. Now his kid brother comes and does what he should have done all along. But instead of celebrating David's courage, Eliab accused him of false motives.

How did David respond?

"And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" (1 Samuel 17:29).

David focused on the need in front of him.

He wasn't being proud in suggesting someone fight Goliath. He knew there was reason to stir up vision and faith and offer to fight, and he remained laser focused on that reason.

When you attempt to step out in faith and do something for God, you can expect others to question your motives. Godly vision and the determination to accomplish it always invites criticism.

Sometimes vision makes people feel as though they are losing control. Sometimes it is an indictment on their lack of vision and willingness to lean into the status quo. Don't let the criticism of those who should be encouraging you stop you from fulfilling God's calling on your life.

David's courage was mentioned to King Saul who sent for David.

B. It was there before Saul that David was met by another form of opposition - doubt.

"And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth" (1 Samuel 17:33).

The contrast here between David and Saul is stark. David had no experience, no resources, no responsibility to that moment, but he had a heart of faith to defend God's name and fight the giant.

Saul, on the other hand, was an experienced warrior, with the full resources of an entire army, and had every responsibility to lead his nation in battle, but he had a heart of fear. He had the title of king, but he didn't have the courage to lead.

Only faith in God can give us the confidence to press forward through whatever criticism or doubt comes our way.

SECRET BATTLES

When Saul told David that he was too young and inexperienced to take on a battle-tested warrior (not to mention, a literal giant), David didn't flinch.

Rather, he recalled and related to Saul two previous life-threatening battles from which God had delivered him.

“And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.” (1 Samuel 17:34-37)

David learned from previous battles that God would give him the victory. Even though no one else was there to witness David's courage in those earlier moments of struggle, God saw it, and David's faith grew through it.

God doesn't waste trials in our lives. Sometimes we're up against difficulties that are not only fear-inducing, but they seem pointless. Perhaps no one sees the courage it takes for you to get up and face another day, sacrificially give to missions, serve in an area of ministry that pulls you far outside of your comfort zone, commit your wayward child to the Lord, speak up for Christ to your boss, or go back to the clinic for another round of chemo. But God sees, and God uses these private choices of faith to grow your faith and prepare you for future needs of faith.

Don't minimize the significance of the private battles of your life. Speaking of this passage, Warren Wiersbe wrote, "If we are faithful in the private battles, God will see us through the public testings.

Too often God's people faint at the smallest test that comes their way, little realizing that the little tests' are but preparation for the bigger battles that are sure to come."

MISUNDERSTOOD WEAPONS

It wasn't just David's inexperience that Saul doubted; it was also David's weaponry. More specifically, it was David's lack of weaponry. "And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his armour" (1 Samuel 17:38-39).

It's comical, really, to picture Saul's armor on David, especially knowing that Saul's height was one of his most impressive characteristics. Twice the Bible records that he was head and shoulders taller than any other Israeli (1 Samuel 9:2, 10:23).

Saul's armor would have swallowed David up and been in his way. And as valuable as Saul's sword may have been for Saul, David didn't have experience using it. So he discarded both the oversized armor and unfamiliar sword and picked up his own trusty slingshot. He opted for what he had “proved" —what was familiar to him and what God had used to bring previous victories.

The weapon of faith for Christians will always be the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). Yes, it is a sword, but like David's slingshot, it requires faith on the part of its handler-faith to use it and faith in the God who works through it to accomplish His purposes.

Sometimes Christians look at the battle around them and assume they need something more than the Bible. They say things like, "Yes, the Bible is good and even important, but I just think my situation is unique."

The weapon of faith for Christians will always be the Word of God.

Consider the sufficiency of Scripture as you read these verses:

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The Bible provides doctrine - what to believe.

It provides reproof and correction-showing us where we are wrong and how to adjust to get back on track.

It provides instruction in righteousness— direction in how to live a godly life.

And it does it all so that we can be wholly equipped to follow God and serve others.

God's Word is sufficient to fight your fears. Use its promises as a sword.

THE OBJECT OF OUR CONFIDENCE

Goliath had a similar idea as David approached him. Insulted by David's very presence, Goliath resorted to psychological warfare and hurled out insults to throw David off his game.

And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. (1 Samuel 17:42-44)

Satan uses similar tactics.

He sends fiery darts in an attempt to scare, intimidate, and belittle God's servants. He messes with our minds planting thoughts of doubt and unbelief. His ultimate goal, like Goliath's, is our complete destruction.

This is why 1 Peter 5:8 warns, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

At these times when Satan seeks to instill fear into our hearts, we can take a page from David's playbook.

Rather than yielding to the fear that Goliath attempted to stir, David ran toward Goliath — and the entire Philistine army-with full confidence in God.

"And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine" (1 Samuel 17:48).

What was the source David's confidence? Was it youthful ignorance? A lack of self-awareness? Blind anger?

Actually, we don't have to guess because David told Goliath exactly why he was taking him on:

"Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied" (1 Samuel 17:45).

The people who know God trust God.

David's trust in the Lord was the key to his victory. David believed that God was greater than Goliath. His focus was on the Lord, and his confidence was in his God.

What happened next on the battle field that day surprised everyone-except David.

"And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth" (1 Samuel 17:49).

Goliath fell. David won. Faith triumphed.

Goliath's fall was the visible proof of God's power.

But long before Goliath fell, David had already won the battle with fear. Because of his confidence in God, his faithfulness to fight his private battles, and then his willingness to step forward when all others cowered in fear, David saw the victory and honored God.

Do you want to build your faith? Do you want to grow your trust? Build your relationship with the Lord and grow your knowledge of who He is.

That's what Psalm 9:10 tells us: "And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee." It's the people who know God who trust God.

When the world is collapsing around you, remember that your God is greater than the world, greater than Satan, greater than any source of fear you face. "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

FAITH IS THE VICTORY

I couldn't help but reflect on the journey we had been through. There were many things the Lord taught me through this journey. I have notebooks full of them. But one of the truths I hope I'll never forget is that God is greater than our fears.

Faith, as 1 John 5:4 tells us, is the victory: "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."