“What
does the Bible mean when it tells us to fear not / do not fear?”
The Bible’s commands to “fear not” are plentiful and
occur in a variety of contexts. As God’s people, we are not to be fearful. We
have no reason to live in fear.
The Bible often says things like, “Do not fear,” “Do not be afraid,” and “Fear not.” Of course, these commands do not contradict the command to “fear God” (1 Peter 2:17). The fear of God keeps us from sin; the fear of man leads to sin, and that is what we are to avoid:
Proverbs 29:25
“The fear of man bringeth a snare:
but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”
King James Version (KJV)
Also, the
biblical command do not fear does not negate the need for prudence and
caution in this world. We are not to be cavalier but prayerful in the face of
danger.
The fear that the Bible tells us to avoid is concern mixed with anxiety or
dread; it is the feeling of alarm we have when we expect trouble or danger.
Followers of Christ are not to live in a state of anxiety. We have
higher expectations than simply anticipating trouble. In fact, we have the
means to rise above fear:
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.”
King James Version (KJV)
God’s command to “fear not” is applied in several
ways in the Bible. For example, the fear of what other people think should
never prevent us from obeying the Lord (see 1
Samuel 15:24; John 9:22). We should not fear lacking
provision in this world (Luke
12:6–7). We are not to fear the plans of the wicked, even when they rise to
power (Psalm 37:1–2, 9–17, 35–38).
When the Bible tells us, “Do not fear,” it means we
are not to allow anxiety or fretfulness to rule our lives or take root in our
hearts. We are not to be people of panic. We are to be people of faith.
Having been justified by God, we need not fear
divine condemnation (Romans 8:1). Having been chosen by God, we
need not fear His rejection (Ephesians
1:4–6; Luke 12:32; Jude
1:24). With Christ as our Shepherd, we need not fear the valley of the
shadow of death (Psalm 23:4). With the Maker of heaven and
earth watching over us, we need not fear anything (Psalm
121).
Psalm 91 speaks of the one who “dwells in the shelter of
the Most High” and who says of God, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God,
in whom I trust” (verses 1–2). Those who trust in God can live fearlessly: “You
will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the
pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will
not come near you” (verses 5–7). There is a direct correlation between faith
and the confidence to face the dangers of life: “If you say, ‘The Lord is my
refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent” (verses 9–10). We rest in God’s promise:
“‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him,
for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will
be with him in trouble’” (verses 14–15).
Matthew’s account of the resurrection of Christ presents two very different results of that miracle. When the angel descended to the tomb and rolled the stone away,
Matthew 28:4
“And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as
dead men.”
King James Version (KJV)
The angel let them lie there. But later, the angel spoke to the women who visited the tomb:
Matthew Chapter 28
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
With one group, God takes away their fear; with the other group, He allows fear to overwhelm them. The difference was one of belief versus unbelief.
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“What is the key to not being afraid according to the
Bible?”
Everyone is afraid sometime, about something. We live in a
world that offers plenty of chances to fear, and we can be rather creative in
thinking of new things to be fearful of. Maybe that’s why one of the most
oft-repeated commands in the Bible is do not be afraid. Of course, the
Bible does more than issue the command; it gives us good reasons why we do not
need to be afraid.
Here are some biblical keys to not being afraid:
Trust in God. This has to be the starting point. Do we trust God or not? The psalmist models the proper choice: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Psalm 56:3). Faith overcomes fear (Mark 4:40). We remember that our Good Shepherd is with us, even “through the darkest valley” (Psalm 23:4). We do not need to be afraid because He will never, ever forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He is our salvation, our strength, our defense, and “he has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2). In trusting God, we pray to Him, we believe His Word, and we obey His commands. Scripture abounds with reasons we should not be afraid, based on our trust in the Lord (see
Deuteronomy 31:8; Psalm 27:1;
34:4;
118:6;
Isaiah
41:10; Matthew 10:28; John 14:27;
Romans
8:38–39; 2 Timothy 1:7).
Deuteronomy 31:8
“And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee;
he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not,
neither be dismayed.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Psalms 27:1
“(A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my light
and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my
life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Psalms 34:4
“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from
all my fears.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Psalms 118:6
“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can
man do unto me?”
King James Version (KJV)
—————————————–
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.”
King James Version (KJV)
————————————–
Matthew 10:28
“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 soul and body in hell.”
King James Version (KJV)
——————————————
John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give
unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Romans Chapter 8
—————————————-
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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Trust in God will counteract the effects of fear. The
Bible’s admonition to not be afraid naturally implies faith in God. As
Scottish minister Alexander McLaren put it, “Faith, which is trust, and fear
are opposite poles. If a man has the one, he can scarcely have the other in
vigorous operation. He that has his trust set upon God does not need to dread
anything except the weakening or the paralyzing of that trust” (from “The Heath
in the Desert and the Tree by the River” in Triumphant Certainties: And
Other Sermons, Funk and Wagnalls Co., 1905, p. 247).
Don’t focus on the fear. We choose what we dwell on. To focus on the source of fear is to engender more fear; to focus on the One who takes fear away is to find solace. We can choose to fix our thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.
Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there
be any praise, think on these things.”
King James Version (KJV)
As Jairus the
synagogue ruler was bringing Jesus home to save his daughter, he received news
that his daughter had died (Mark 5:35).
Immediately, Jesus told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe” (verse 36). In
other words, Jairus must forgo the natural focus on the tragedy and fear and
focus instead on faith and the Lord’s nearness. In choosing to not be afraid,
we remember that “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the
world” (1 John 4:4).
Choose to praise the Lord.
“How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting!” (Psalm 147:1).
Praise is an antidote to fear, and gratitude negates worry. Habakkuk the
prophet was fearful of the invasion of his country, and he described his fear
vividly: “I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay
crept into my bones, and my legs trembled” (Habakkuk
3:16). But in the following verses, the prophet handles his fear in a godly
manner: he “waited patiently” to see the Lord’s intervention (verse 16). He
acknowledged that difficult times could be on the way (verse 17). He purposed
to praise the Lord (verse 18). And he focused on the Lord’s power and promises
(verse 19). In that focus, Habakkuk learned to not be afraid. And that’s how he
ended his book, on a note of praise to the Lord.
Remember the future God has promised His children. We should not worry about tomorrow, Jesus clearly taught (Matthew 6:34). In this life, we have God’s promise to meet every need His children have (Philippians 4:19) and to accomplish His work in us (Philippians 1:6). As David passed the throne to his son, he encouraged Solomon in the knowledge of God’s plan for him:
“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid
or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or
forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is
finished” (1 Chronicles 28:20). In the next life, the redeemed have an
even greater hope: “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living
hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an
inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in
heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming
of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1
Peter 1:3–5). Jesus’ gentle words gladden the hearts of all who tend to
fear: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give
you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
Combat the temptation to fear. We are in a spiritual battle, and one of the enemy’s tactics is to promote fear. In His grace, God has given us spiritual armor to wage a successful battle.
We have:
Ephesians 6:16
“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall
be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
King James Version (KJV)
There’s a wonderful promise here. The shield we wield extinguishes
the flames of all the devil’s darts, including the temptation to fear.
Faith overcomes fear of any kind, and it is with confidence in God that we take
our stand (see verse 11). Part of combating temptation is following the path of
wisdom and obedience, which always brings good results: “When you lie down, you
will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet” (Proverbs
3:24).
John Newton’s hymn “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds,”
first published in 1779, expresses the hopeful spirit within the believer:
“How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.”
Recommended Resource: Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear by Max Lucado
