Fear Born of the Lie

As a follow-up to my last post, I want to touch on the fear that keeps us from coming to God with our whole hearts. It isn’t a fear based in rational thought. The fear that God will be angry and hate me if I tell Him the whole truth of my heart is demonic. It’s a demonic fear rooted in the lie that God is not good. This fear is born out of the original great lie that the Serpent imparted to Adam and Eve.

I’d like to clarify something before I go any further: the fear of God is the ONLY acceptable fear to God. Fear based in rational thought is equally sinful to demonic fear where God is concerned. When Jesus was sleeping in the boat and a fierce storm blew in, the fear that the disciples felt was based in rational thought. Big ocean storms plus boats often equal shipwreck and death. As fishermen, it was not unreasonable for the disciples to fear a watery death in those circumstances. But Jesus didn’t excuse their fear, because He’s not interested in our puny human reasoning. He’s after faith and belief, and fear is forever at odds with those.

I distinguish between demonic and other fear only because demonic fear requires spiritual cleansing and repentance, not just a simple choice to step out in faith. If I’m pervasively filled with demonic fear, then I have an open door to the enemy and it needs to be shut.

An Unreasonable Fear

There is nothing rational or reasonable about fearing that God will hate me if I tell Him the whole truth. Is He not omniscient? And if He is all knowing, then does He not already know exactly what I think and feel about everything? What is rational about hiding something when it’s already been seen? Nothing! It’s completely and totally absurd and ridiculous. It’s demonic fear, rooted in unreality and born of the lie that God is not good.

And it is a horrible, insidious lie.

“Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.”
Isaiah 46:3-4

For God SO LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

We love Him because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

This demonic fear came through a door, and the door needs to be shut. What part of the lie that God is not good am I nursing in my heart? Do I believe that He’s been unfair to me? Treated me harshly? Taken away something I needed? Withheld something I needed? What bitterness has built a nest in my heart that I should be subject to the torments of demonic fear?

My Fear = My Bitterness

Not once has demonic fear in me been brought to the Light without a corresponding tendril of bitterness toward God. Not once! There is always a place where I’m giving God the stink-eye over something. And that something must be confessed and repented of before the open door to fear can be closed.

There is no logical or even sane reason that I should throw up a wall between God and me in relationship. He still sees everything I do, hears everything I say, and knows everything I think and feel. Fear makes me insane! By withholding the full truth of my heart from God, all I’ve done is prevent the cleansing and healing I so desperately need. And that’s both ridiculous and tragic.

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.
Isaiah 41:10 AMP