Fearless: His Love Eradicates Fear

 

“Then I looked, and I heard a single eagle crying loudly as it flew through the air, ‘Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world because of what will happen when the last three angels blow their trumpets.” (Revelation 8:13)

Like rage is the extreme of anger, terror is the extreme of fear. It is rooted in torment. 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

Fear entered man’s hearts in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. When they sinned, fear entered their heart and put them in bondage. It began the process of judgement that leads to death [for to be carnally minded is death, Romans 8:6] and separation from God. Almost immediately they covered themselves in shame, further moving into sin and hiding from God.

Fear and inequity go hand-in-hand. In Proverbs 26:13, one who continually fails to engage in their purpose due to laziness (inequity), will fear disaster at every turn. Fear also can have to do with the sins of others creating trauma in our lives. Unhealed trauma can lead to reliving the situation and fearing disaster.

Decisions made in fear, lead to sin. Fear has to do with being unbelieving and therefore is the opposite of trust and faith. Living in fear is a place of bondage and torment. When I used to have anxiety attacks at 3:00 am every morning, it felt tormenting. I feared disaster at every turn due to unhealed trauma and past inequity from before being saved that I had buried and not repented of.

Torment is the Greek word kolasis, Strongs #2851, and means dread of punishment. We see torment frequently associated with demonic forces and also hell. When the man who was afflicted and in anguish (being tormented) by a legion of impure spirits, they cried out to Jesus and begged Him not to torment them (Mark 5:1-20).

Torment ultimately is eternal punishment that results from being separated from God. And 2 Thessalonians 1:8, it speaks of “inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.”

It says about this in Revelation 14:9, 11 that anyone that worships the beast will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur. It says, “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

But as we see with demonic oppression tormenting people, and more extreme cases of fear, torment is not reserved to hell and eternity. As we read in Revelation and the plagues, we hear more of this terror that is coming to torment people. During the trumpet blasts of warning, in the first terror, locusts descend on the earth to torment those who are not sealed on their forehead. These locusts look like horses prepared for battle, with gold crowns on their head and armor of iron. Their wings roar like an army of chariots rushing to battle and their king is Abaddon—the destroyer. (Revelation 9:1-12)

This army of locusts is also spoken of in Joel 2, bringing desolation as they charge forward like a mighty army moving into battle. It says about it, “Fear grips all the people; every face grows pale with terror.” (Joel 2:6)

These locusts were released on His people in Joel. But then after, the Lord promises to restore what these locusts have eaten and devoured. Since this prophecy is before the promise for the pouring out of the Spirit of God upon all flesh in Joel 2:29, what this means is this verse in Joel is one of the past and not of the future. It means that the people of God experienced a time when the promises of God were devoured before them and they were left desolate of them because of their sin.

The time of the locusts in Revelation, however, is during tribulation right before the return of the Lord. Considering these locusts who were dressed for war, first of all, this speaks to a spiritual war. And locusts speak of devouring, destitution, famine and judgement coming at an unexpected time. There is a time in the unseen world, before the return of Jesus, where demonic forces are released with strategic force. They descend upon those who do not know Jesus with the purpose of escalating fear in their lives and separate them from life, love, joy and the goodness of the presence of God and tormenting them with disease, plagues, fear, anxiety, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, confusion and depression.

Ever have a loved one that is feeding an addiction and you wish they would just hit bottom so they would come to the end of it, turn around and start making different choices? Not holding these forces back is a form of judgement that, like in the time of the plagues, were ultimately meant to help people turn out of ways that are harmful for them and come know the Lord and get freedom. Yet, we know from the Word that not all repent. Some become bitter and hard and they blame and curse God.

We see more and more of a release of fear, anxiety, helplessness, hopelessness, confusion and depression in today’s world. We see a significant increase in serious mental health issues, confusion, significant anxiety, depression, drug use, homelessness and suicides. According to USAFACTS, drug overdose deaths alone grew from $16.9K in 1999 to $91.8K in 2020. Wow, think about that escalation of not only doubling but multiplying. This statistic alone is evidence of an increase in demonic torment that tells us that this army of locusts has already been released in the unseen realm.

A few years back (about three) at a conference for my work, I heard God speak something related to this. This woman from another state who was part of a sister organization, stood up to speak in tongues in the middle of one of the services at the ministry event. No one stood up right away to interpret. This is probably because God had given me the interpretation and I didn't want to stand up because I was new at my work and among peers. I missed the opportunity of speaking something that could benefit others out of fear.

The Lord had said that a mud slide was coming and there would be an influx of people coming our way. We were forged for such a time as this and needed to plant our feet and grab hold of them and pull them in to the Kingdom. We were to grab hold and pull despite they were slippery from being covered it mud (mental health issues due to being tormented) because if they slid by, it would often lead to their detriment. He spoke that we were forged for such a time as this, He took such delight in us, and not to worry that they were covered in mud because He would meet us with His power for healing and deliverance in a much more immense way.

Torment is not only seen in this significant increase in mental health issues we see that people are suffering with. I recently had a divine appointment with one of my neighbors who has cancer and is on hospice with only weeks to live. Him and his wife had both been tormented with nightmares. He had nightmares about suffocating and she had nightmares about tornados that overtook them. Not knowing Jesus, their lives had been open to fear and being tormented by their tremendous difficulties.

As I visited him, I shared about the good news of Jesus and eternal life. I prayed for his healing and also dreams or visions of heaven after we spoke about the promises that the Lord gives us in the Word. Tears streamed down his eyes and his mouth opened in awe as he heard the incredible news that was for him related to eternal life as we talked and prayed together. His wife cried in my arms while receiving prayer and thanking me.

One of the verses that I shared with him is John 3:16, “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish [be cut off, destroyed, or tormented], but have eternal life.”

It says in His Word that we have not received a spirit of fear when we receive Jesus, but of power, love and sound mind. What this says is that the power for the enemy to torment us has been cut off as we are marked as children of God-- adopted and loved.

Romans 8:15 says, “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

It is perfect love that casts out all fear (John 4:18). Fear has to do with punishment and brings demonic torment as a result. But who the Son sets free, is free indeed! There is no longer any fear of punishment. Rather, we are under grace. We are forgiven, redeemed and the price has been paid. We are partaking of the Tree of Life that breaks the curse of fear and death from the letter of the law—eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil.

The Kingdom of God is rooted in trust and love, fear and torment has no place in them. The more we move away from the kingdom of the world and demonic forces, moving toward God, the more peace, joy and overflowing love we experience. We become healed and delivered so that we can live out of the fullness of His Kingdom. The fullness of His Kingdom reign brings perfect love and unity.

On that day, it says that some experience fear and torment as a result of their iniquity and refusal to repent and willingness to come to receive the Lord’s forgiveness. However, a remanent it says will be protected in the midst of it-- encircled in His love. In that remanent, those who experience fear and anxiety due to past trauma, will experience an overflow of the Lord's love and healing as they seek Him. And this remnant will prosper in the midst of the difficulty, receiving the Lord’s kindness.

In Zephaniah 3:12-13 it says, “Those who are left [remain steady and trusting] will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord [rather than fear]. The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will never tell lies or deceive one another. They will eat and sleep in safety and no one will make them afraid [torment them with terror as they are divinely protected].”

It goes on to declare some my favorite verses in Zephaniah 3:14-17, “Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! For the Lord will remove His hand of judgement and will disperse the armies of your enemy [the tormenting spirits that devour and make desolate]. And the Lord Himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster.”

Perfect love will overtake everything and cast it out. Love will overcome fear, healing every trauma, comforting our souls, and we will be fully restored to a place of trusting obedience in awe and wonder of the glory in our midst.

Something to think about that this love that He pours out, has the power to dispel all fear and torment. It establishes loving obedience out of trust. Full maturity brings full unity because love overtakes every division.

While the previous trumpet blasts are one of warning of the enemy coming in an onslaught, bringing increasing terror and torment, the Lord has the final word. The last trumpet blast is that of victory. There will be no more fear or torment as the Lord is in our midst. Revelation 11:15 says, “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: ‘The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.’”

There will be no more pain, crying, or torment when He comes as all things will be enveloped in His love. Ultimately, as the Lord of Glory, the Bright Morning Star who signals the end of the night and the beginning of God's perfect day come, there will be established a new order. It will be the end of an order dominated by power and control that is rooted in fear and distrust [Egypt] that has overtaken the world. It will be the end of confusion and demonic oppression. It will be an order of righteousness, peace and joy as the people of God walk out the fullness of pure love filling them and overflowing their lives.

Just like demonic torment and rampant fear is not limited to hell, either is overflowing love and healing. It says in the word that the Lord raises a standard against the enemy. When demonic forces increase, so does the power available through the Kingdom of God. The more darker the world becomes, the more light and love are available to His people to bring His Kingdom forth. It is not intended for us to be defeated but overcome in victory.

We are the Light on a Hill that reflect His glory. And where the Kingdom is established, a culture of inspiration, preferring others, honor and trust in the Lord will be the fruit from the ground being drenched with love. We will fully live in the spirit and truth of being adopted children of God having the fullness of the Kingdom available to us.

Lord, what incredible news and a reason to sing and rejoice that You are in our midst! I can see where fear and self-protection have sometimes led me out of your perfect will. Forgive me. Help us to stay in a place of loving trust, knowing that You will protect and be there for us at every turn. Let us bring the good news of freedom from fear and torment to all who need it in this hour.

Some concepts take from:

Bunyan, John. The Fear of God. Puritan Paperbacks. The Banner of Truth Trust, Carlisle, PA. Reprinted 2021.