For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
What Paul is telling Timothy in his second letter applies to us today. The enemy will attack us with fearful thoughts every day. Every time we encounter fear, we must fight it back and rebuke it standing on this passage.
This is a great promise we must not forget. The power we have been entrusted with is the same one that raised Jesus from the dead, no less. Ephesians 1:19-20 (KJV) says, “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.”
The love we have been given is the very love of God—the love that can do all things. The self-discipline (a sound mind) is what we need to follow Jesus every day, to say no to our flesh and yes to our spirit.
Our spirit responds to God’s Spirit, our flesh doesn’t until we make it. Remember this truth the next time you are in fear.
Excerpt permission granted by Marcia Malzahn.