2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
How many need a sound mind today? Come on, it’s God’s choice for you. Hallelujah. How many need some love today? It will help you to love like you’ve never loved before. Amen? How many need the power of God today in your life? You have the power of God with the Holy Ghost. If you don’t have the Holy Ghost, you can have it today. Hallelujah.
You know you can’t serve God if you fear. You have to have faith. Amen? I want to speak to you today about Satan’s attacks with fear and doubt when you’re stepping into your purpose. He’s going to attack you, folks. You have a purpose. How many believe that today? Now, it’s easy to say it, but we have to live it.
When you’re stepping into that purpose—whether it’s giving your time, your talents, your efforts, or your finances—when you step into that purpose, he’s going to come at you with fear. He’s going to come at you and try to get you to doubt. I want us all to step into our purpose. We need to tell the devil he’s a liar. You can be seated.
Have you ever found yourself in a season of hardship? That hardship where trials seem endless, where trials seem hopeless, making you feel like the hope of God is out of reach? Ever been there? If not, you’ll get there. Maybe you’ve lost someone, or lost something dear to you, and the pain pierces your heart like fiery darts, hurting so bad.
Ephesians 6:16
“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
In these moments, when your strength and faith are at their lowest, remember: you are not alone in your battle. Scripture teaches us the reality of spiritual warfare.
1 Peter 5:8
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
The devil roams the earth, watching and waiting for moments of weakness. Just like a boxer studying an opponent for an open spot to strike, the devil is looking for your weak spot.
Job 1:7
“And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
He studies you. He is the accuser of the brethren.
Revelation 12:10
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
When you step boldly into your God-given purpose, the enemy takes notice. Satan hates nothing more than those who stand with Jesus in waging spiritual warfare against darkness. To win battles, you need to know your enemy and his tactics.
Our number one enemy is Satan. He is a liar, the father of lies (John 8). He wants to steal souls, using our weaknesses to cause us to sin and stray from God. But the Bible reveals his tactics and tells us exactly how to resist him so he will flee. We are victorious in Jesus Christ!
One of his main tactics is fear and doubt. Fear is the belief that something poses a threat—the anticipation of danger, real or imaginary. It can be crippling and controlling. Satan uses fear because:
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It diminishes courage and causes us to retreat.
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It steals our peace of mind.
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It influences rational thought and leads to negative actions.
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Most importantly, fear is in direct opposition to our faith.
2 Timothy 1:7
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
If you feel anything other than power, love, and a sound mind, it is not coming from God. Most of what we fear isn’t a real threat or will never happen, yet we allow worst-case scenarios to paralyze us.
Satan wants to stop or slow your spiritual growth, decrease your faith, confuse your calling, and control you. But God continually commands us throughout Scripture to “Fear Not”:
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Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
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Psalm 34:4: “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
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Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
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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.”
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Hebrews 13:6: “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
Satan also uses doubt, just as he did in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 3:1–4
“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.”
Eve allowed the enemy’s words to sow doubt and influence her actions. We must learn to stand firm on the Word of God when doubt creeps in. Be honest about your doubts, take them to God in prayer, fill your mind with His Word, and speak the Word just as Jesus did.
Look at Zacharias in Luke 1:11–20:
“And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John… And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God… And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.”
Doubt breaks the heart of God.
James 4:7
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
James 1:6
“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.”
The cure for both fear and doubt is faith. Affirining God’s Word reminds the enemy that he has no power over you.
The enemy isn’t afraid of your past—he’s afraid of your purpose! God is creative; Satan is not. Satan’s greatest strategy is to discourage you from becoming who the creative God created you to be.
Acts 1:8
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me…”
That is your purpose: to be a witness for God! Stop listening to fear and doubt, stand up, and start walking in your God-given calling today.