- 1Timothy 1:18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight,
- 1Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
During my recent morning prayer times, a phrase has come to mind about the warfare we often find ourselves in which God is using to both give me hope, and pray for others: “We are in a fight and may at times feel dominated by doubt, but just because we are fighting, doesn’t mean we are failing!”
Fighting Fear Is Not Failure; It is an Invitation to Draw Near to God.
Across the Scripture we are instructed to resist fear with phrases like, “do not fear” 58 times, “fear not” 4 times, “do not be anxious” 11 times, “do not be afraid” 47 times, “do not worry” 7 times, “do not be shaken” 5 times, and “be courageous” 18 times. When it says these things, it is not to shame us, but to help us and invite us to draw near to God, who is “our peace.” They are not as harsh commands, but as loving proclamations from a Father who knows our frame.
We can mistakenly think that we only have faith when no feelings of fear or anxiety are present. We must always remember, especially in these types of battles, that FAITH ISN’T A FEELING; IT IS BOTH AN ENABLEMENT AND INVITATION to draw near to God, rise above it, and move forward in Him.
“Anxiety, worry, and fear are signals that it’s time to draw near to God. If we do not, it’s like being stuck in an uncomfortable rocking chair: lots of painful, exhausting motion, going nowhere, and only making ourselves more miserable.”
Worry, Anxiety, and Fear are Misuses of our Imagination.
Here is an essential and revealing truth: worry, anxiety, and fear reveal a misuse of the imagination God gave us.
One reason God gave us an imagination is to see eternal things, to see Him, to meditate on His promises, and envision His faithfulness. But worry hijacks that gift.
Worry imagines a future where God is not present! It is like the twelve spies in Numbers 13. They didn’t imagine what God could do against the impossible; they only imagined what they couldn’t do against impossible opposition. They lost focus and forgot that God was already in the land ahead of them (Exodus 13:21-22, Deuteronomy 9:3, 31:3).
When we are dominated by worry and anxiety, we create a fantasy world without God. A world where “what if,” not God, rules the day: What if this does not work? What if God doesn’t come through? What if I lose my job? What if I am unable to pay the bills, etc.?
Worry is not just emotionally exhausting, it’s spiritually suffocating. The English root of “worry” means “to strangle.” It’s a lie that chokes your soul. When we are dominated by worry and anxiety, the awareness of God gets choked out of our present experience.
God’s instruction in facing worry, anxiety, and fear.
- Philippians 4:6-9 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (7) And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (9) The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
- 1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your care on Him, because He cares for you.
- Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all who are weary… and I will give you rest.
Anxiety, worry, or fear are invitations, even though unpleasant, to draw near to God, who is “our strength and peace.” This isn’t religious theory, but real life, and it begins with a perspective shift: God is not asking you to control your future. He is inviting you to draw near and walk with Him today.
Two essentials that drawing near to God amid anxiety does in us.
1. It freshly fills our minds with an awareness of Him and His truth.
You don’t overcome anxiety by emptying your mind (that’s Eastern meditation). You overcome it by filling your mind with God and His truth. Biblical meditation isn’t checking out—it’s checking in with God:
- Meditate on His Word (Psalm 1:2).
- Fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).
- Set your mind on what is true, noble, and pure (Philippians 4:8).
2. It strengthens us to keep moving forward in the things God has called us to.
When Paul wrote the above verse in Philippians, it was not from pleasant circumstances. He was in prison, not knowing if he was going to get out or die. Yet, right in the middle of this great challenge, he was moving forward to advance God’s Kingdom.
- Philippians 1:12-21 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, (13) so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, (14) and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear…(18) What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice… (20) according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (21) For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Feeling anxious or doubtful doesn’t mean you’re failing; it means you’re in the fight, “the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12). We don’t sit and wait until the fear is gone before we move forward; we push through fear into God’s presence. Fear, worry, and anxiety aren’t signs of no faith; they’re misuses of our imagination when we picture a future without God in it.
Instead of imagining “what if” without God, we are called to fill our minds with truth, thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6-8), and the God who goes before us. Like Paul in prison, we can still move forward with purpose, even amid hardship, and see His Kingdom expand.