God wants you to be free from fear. He doesn't want you to be afraid of anything. There is only one thing that will free you from fear: allowing the fullness of God in your life.

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim. 1:7).

A young woman in Chattanooga was afraid of many things, particularly of staying home at night by herself. Her husband worked the night shift from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. She told me that she never really knew what she was afraid of.

The devil is stupid. He makes you do things, and you don't know why you do them. The devil twists your mind. I prayed for this young woman and told her to listen carefully. I told her how to cast the devil out of her life so she could be delivered from her fear.

I told her, "The devil can't have power over anyone who is born again by the Spirit of God, unless you give him power. But if you resist the devil in every area of your life, he has no power whatsoever."

I took authority over the spirit of fear that was tormenting her. I broke its power in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I commanded it to leave her. I took authority over the devil, and in the name of Jesus, I commanded the devil to flee from her.

I told the spirit of fear; "You are not going to work against her anymore, because I bind you in Jesus' name. I command you to not work against her anymore. I bind you foul spirit of fear. You are not going to make her afraid again. She will never be afraid of you again because you can't operate through her anymore."

Mark, chapter 1, relates what Jesus did when He met a man in the synagogue with an unclean spirit.

And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
(Mark 1:25-27)

Was that authority only for Jesus back in the Bible days? No.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." (John 14:12)

God has called us to be overcomers and to resist the devil. Rebuke him. Our God is greater!

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4)

Source: Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled by Norvel Hayes
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers