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Fear's favorite "sidekick" is doubt, sometimes translated "unbelief" in the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

Actually, doubt is fear's "advance man." An advance man is one who goes on ahead of someone, some group, or some ministry to prepare the proper reception for the ones he represents. Doubt almost always makes an appearance in your thinking before fear comes along. Doubt's job is to prepare you to receive Mr. Fear when he arrives.

One of the best biblical examples of how doubt runs interference and results in fear can be found in Matthew chapter 14. This is the account of Jesus walking on the water.
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. The disciples panicked, thinking they were seeing a ghost. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
(Matt. 14:25-31)
We all too often need to hear this as well as the disciples. And Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." So Jesus said, "Come." That's when Peter got out of the boat and actually walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Keeping Our Focus
In those verses, Jesus clearly attributed Peter's fear and failure to doubt. Keep in mind that giving attention to the Word of the Lord puts you in the realm of the law of life. As long as Peter was focused on Jesus' word, "Come," he was able to operate in the realm of the miraculous.

But when Peter shifted his focus to the waves and the wind, removing his focus from Jesus and the Word He had spoken, he stepped out of the law of life and entered the domain of sin and death.

What was the result? Peter got wet and began to fear that he was going to drown.

What caused this shift in Peter's focus? According to Jesus, doubt shifted Peter's focus from faith to natural circumstances. Doubt pulled up alongside Peter and said, "Take a look at the size of those waves, will you?"

And, Peter, choosing to operate by his senses rather than the Word, paid attention to doubt and looked at the waves.

Then doubt whispered, "You're a pretty good swimmer, but if you were to sink in wind and waves like these, you surely would drown!"

At this point, the advance man, doubt, had done his job. Peter was primed and ready for fear to make its appearance. Peter no longer was focused on Jesus and the Word He had spoken. He had moved from faith to doubt and from doubt to fear. All that was left for him to do was yell, "Help!"

In a like manner, many believers get hold of a little bit of the Word and begin to learn how to walk on top of the waves of their circumstances. As long as they focus on Jesus, the Word of God, and the covenant they have with the Lord through the new birth, they walk in victory.

What they do not realize is that the devil will use the same strategy on them that he used on Peter. A demon will try to get them into doubt, so that fear can have an invitation to enter.

Basically, Peter fired faith and re-hired fear, and so do many Christians.

Satan's strategy actually was initiated in the Garden of Eden. This trick was successful in getting Adam and Eve to betray God.

The Origin of Doubt and Fear
Adam and Eve had a Word from God telling them they could eat of all the trees in the Garden except one. Eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would be absolute disobedience to God's Word and rebellion against the Most High. This act brought death into the world, which God had warned them would be the case (see Gen. 2:16-17).

The way Satan approached Eve was to cast doubt on God's Word.

He said, "Did God really say this? Yes, but what was God's motive? Why won't He let you eat of this wonderful tree?" (Gen. 3:1).

Adam and Eve listened to Satan and then acted on the doubt and disbelief in God that had been seeded into their minds. Once they moved into doubt, they were easy prey for sin. As always, the end result was death and bondage to fear.

"And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself" (Gen. 3:9-10).
  • The devil wants you to doubt God's promises
  • The devil wants you to doubt God's faithfulness
  • The devil wants you to doubt the power of the Word and the power in Jesus' name
He knows that, when you are in doubt, the door is wide open for fear. When you are into fear, you have moved right back under the domain of the law of sin and death. Then you have problems.

Perhaps you have made that journey from doubt to fear. If so, you probably are sinking right now.
  • You may be sinking in debt
  • You may be sinking in sickness
  • You may be sinking in marital or family problems
Whatever the case, I have good news for you. Jesus is as merciful and patient today as He was in Peter's day.

Shout It Out
Cry out, "Lord! Save me." Then purpose to get your focus back on Jesus and the Bible. Choose to operate only in the law of life in Christ Jesus.

Say, "I'll no longer be moved by what I hear, see, or feel. I'll no longer be subject to the laws that govern the natural world. I choose not to be governed by the law of sin and death. I'm free!"

If cancer comes calling, and a doctor tells you that you only have three weeks to live, say, "No! I'm not going to operate in that law. I am going to operate above cancer."

The key in maintaining that position of faith is to resist doubt. If the devil cannot get you to doubt God's promises and His Word, fear does not stand a chance. As long as Peter was focused on Jesus' telling him to come to Him, then he strode above his circumstances.

When you get a Word from God, hold on to it like a pit bull and never turn loose. Symptoms and circumstances may be screaming for attention. Doubt may be shouting in your ear. But, no matter what is going on, stay on the Word.

If your stormy sea is financial get a word like, "God will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory" (Phil. 4:19).

If you find yourself in a hurricane of sickness, latch onto I am the God that healeth thee (Ex. 15:26), and do not let go.

Resist doubt. Resist it with all your being. If you can remain standing on the Word of God, the victory is yours. Remember that you have Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27), not the hope of disaster.

Do not walk in fear.

Do not walk in doubt and open yourself up to fear and disaster.

Making the Decision
You must decide once and for all to uproot the destructive spirit of fear from your life. Doing that requires a quality decision. Why the urgency? If everything we have seen in the world up to this point is not reason enough for driving fear from your heart, simply do it because God said for us to "fear not."

He said this over and over in Scripture. Take Isaiah 43:5, for example: "Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west."

Or how about 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."

All of these statements are "covenant statements." When you understand the strength of your covenant with God and get a revelation of His covenant faithfulness, you will not be afraid even in the most overwhelming of situations.

What do you think gave David his confidence when he faced Goliath? Look at what he shouted at the giant: "... For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? (1 Sam. 17:26).

Circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant with God. David was saying, "I have a covenant with Almighty God, and this guy does not. I don't care how big he is, he does not stand a chance against me."

That is precisely the attitude God wants you to have. To attain this type of confidence, you must recognize that you too have a covenant with God (a better one with better promises, according to Hebrews 8:6).

David's covenant was backed up by the blood of bulls and goats. Your covenant is backed by the very blood of Jesus Himself. Also, you have His mighty name backing you up—a name at which every knee must bow. (Phil. 2:10.) You have all of the authority and power of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit backing you up.

Furthermore, as a believer, you have the right to dwell in "the secret place of the Most High."
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
(Ps. 91:1-2)
Source: Uprooting the Spirit of Fear by Creflo A. Dollar
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers

Author Biography

Creflo A. Dollar
Web site: World Changers Church International
 
Creflo Dollar is a founder and senior pastor of World Changers Church International (WCCI). He's a world-renowned Bible teacher, sought-after conference speaker, and bestselling author with hundreds of books, CDs, and DVDs in distribution worldwide. Recognized for his cutting-edge revelation and humorous, pragmatic approach, he enables thousands to experience grace, restoration, healing, and financial breakthrough by applying simple, biblical principles to their lives. He is the author of such game-changing books as "The Radical Life of Grace" and "Why I Hate Religion", and his award-winning Changing Your World television broadcast reaches nearly 1 billion homes. His ministry includes an app available on mobile devices and smart TV's, a dedicated YouTube channel, and the Changing Your World Network, a 24-hour online channel. A thriving social media presence has allowed him to connect with World Changers worldwide.
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