FEAR

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom 12:21)

A common theme I keep hearing in the classroom is almost one of a lack of perseverance and a frustration with the cyclic struggle of good verses evil. “I try but immediately fail. I get discouraged. I want to do what is right, but I often fail. I am a failure.”

One of my favorite movies is “We Were Soldiers” staring Mel Gibson who portrays Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore. While I was doing my own internet based research on the movie I discovered this quote from an involved soldier named, Bill Beck who was a gunner Sergeant and one of two gun-teams that single handedly drove back the Viet Cong and prevented a devastating blow to the American Forces. He was quoted in a report saying, “Fear, real fear, hit me. Fear like I had never known before. Fear comes, and once you recognize it and accept it, it passes just as fast as it comes, and you don’t really think about it anymore. You just do what you have to do, but you learn the real meaning of fear and life and death.”

The first part of this statement is Fear. The innocence of birth is not born in fear. Fear is not known until there is a greater understanding or experience in ones young life. Simply stated, fear is a learned behavior. Why are people afraid of the dark? It could be from a nightmare, a perceived real event in the mind of a child; or a frightening movie or event; or stories heard from others. Why are people afraid of heights? It could be they have heard, seen, or read the effects of falling from such small or great heights.

Yet, we who are created in the image of God, “were not given a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Tim 1:7) We were given power to overcome fear, we were given love to override fear, and we were given the intelligence to recognize fear.

The second part is he tasted and recognized real fear. He recognized a fear so strong and real and yet never known to him before. A frightening awareness of his perilous surroundings; alone, out numbered, and far from friends or family. He tasted the loneliness of fear.

The third and important thing that I think all Christians should take to heart is, he didn’t “think about it anymore” and he just “did what he had to do” and he “learned” what fear was. He didn’t continue to wallow in self-pity and despair. He didn’t continue drinking from the bowels of fear. He didn’t feed his mind with continuous thoughts of death. Instead, he continued to “do what he had to do.” He moved on. He held his ground. He tightened his belt, dug deep into the trench, and he fought. He fought back against the real enemy. He fought back against the “real fear.” In the words of Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4:7) He didn't give up, he fought!

Just like Sergeant Bill Beck, Christians are in battles and skirmishes every minute, every hour of every day. Sgt. Beck didn’t get discouraged that one bullet strayed and missed it’s mark. Sgt. Beck didn’t weep and gnash his teeth in disbelief that once again the bullet did not befall the greatest of enemies. Instead, he hunkered down, aimed intently at the enemy and continued squeezing the trigger. His months of training overriding the core element of fear; which left unbridled will run rampant and destroy any good thoughts or trained efforts of success.

As soldiers in God’s army our mission is to “not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” We are trained in the simplest of defensive and offensive battle tactics. “Study to show yourself approved unto God…rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim 2:15) We should study and know our battle plans, our enemy’s tactics, how to defend against attacks and how to confront the enemy head-on.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension (untruthful or dubious assertion) that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor 10:5) We destroy and throw away any thoughts that argue against the word of God; thoughts that deceive the Christian into thinking that the life led by the Spirit is difficult and full of pitfalls. We recognize those thoughts that desire we conform them to this world and we remove them before they take hold in our hearts. We “take them captive” and hand them over to God, the Chief guard, to take care of and toss to the deepest depths of the sea.

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Do not give the devil a foothold.” (Eph 4:22-24, 27) Do not give up. Do not give in. In the words of Lt. Col. Hal Moore, “there is always one more thing you can do to increase your odds of success.” Are you doing what you “just have to do?” Are you sitting in the school of learning offered by the Comforter and Teacher? (John 14:26) Are you applying what you have learned and have been taught? Or are you hiding in the trench in fear that you may not hit the enemy and you are doomed to death? Choose this day who you will fear; God above or fear itself?