Fighting Fear with the Word

Luke 4 tells the story of Jesus’ 40-day stay in the desert and the assault Satan launched in an attempt to convince him to turn his back on God the Father. It’s a familiar passage. But recently, my husband and I were discussing it in relation to fear. It provides so much hope in the practice of battling fear (and temptation) with Scripture.

Each of Jesus’ responses is fueled by the very words of God. He doesn’t try to logically explain things. There’s no intellectual argument. He’s not fighting alone. Jesus relies on the power and promises of God’s words to battle the accusations and temptations of Satan.
It stands to reason, then, that when I face the little and big fears of life, Scripture would be my mightiest weapon. But it’s not always that easy. It’s a battle to believe that his words will speak life to my fears. It’s a battle for me to trust that God’s promises are for me. It’s a battle to trust God.

God’s Word Has Power

In Luke 4, Jesus’ response to Satan begins with, “It is written …” (Luke 4:10, 4:8). Commentator Matthew Henry writes, “[He uses these words] to show that he came to assert and maintain the authority of the scripture as uncontrollable, even by Satan himself. And though he had the Spirit without measure, and had a doctrine of his own to preach and a religion to found, yet it agreed with Moses and the prophets, whose writings he therefore lays down as a rule to himself, and recommends to us as a reply to Satan and his temptations. The word of God is our sword, and faith in that word is our shield; we should therefore be mighty in the scriptures, and go in that might, go forth, and go on, in our spiritual warfare, know what is written, for it is for our learning, for our use.”

The example Jesus gives should fuel our faith. The word of God is our sword—a sword that has power to fight our temptations and fight my fear. And faith in those words is our shield. Isn’t that where it can be hard? Really believing that speaking truth to our fears and temptations will guard our hearts and minds? It’s a part of the battle, to be sure, but it’s not one that can be lost. God helps even our unbelief.
I’m often reminded of my three-year-old’s faith when my faith is low and the battle seems harder. She has just a little bit of truth and she boldly proclaims it. Over her fear of bugs, she says, “Jesus, keep me safe.” Over her fear of the unknown noise while trying to fall asleep, she says, “Jesus, protect me.” Even my younger daughter has learned to say the name of Jesus when she’s scared. Childlike faith in the power of God’s name and Word will dispel our fears.

God’s Word Has Promise

An ungodly fear speaks irrational thoughts and empty promises into our circumstances and minds. It’s the motivator of the rabbit trail we go down when we try to figure out what life will look like—and we forget God. Fear is devoid of God and all he has promised to us as his children. And when Satan convinces us to forget God’s promises, God’s Word can seem to lack power in our lives. That’s whyI have to keep Scripture constantly in front of me. Most recently, I’ve meditated on Isaiah 33:2, which says, “O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.”

Verses to Fight Fear

There’s no substitute in life for memorizing and applying Scripture. If I want to fight fear, Scripture must be deeply rooted in my mind and heart. The Holy Spirit will help to bring it to mind, but it’s our job to make sure it’s even there to begin with. Here is a short list of verses that have helped me to battle fear:
Psalm 16:1–11
Psalm 56:3–4
Isaiah 41:10
Isaiah 43:1–3
Romans 8:31–32

I want my faith to imitate that of my daughters—that at the very mention of the name of Jesus, my fear is gone. It’s this kind of faith that magnifies God by exalting the power of his Word and believing the promises he has spoken in his Word.

by Erin Radano