Fear can be overcome. Even very fearful Christians can become brave. In my own experience of overcoming fear, I've found wisdom which I hope, dear reader, will help you to find victory in your walk with God.

The Effect of Fear on the Believer

God wants his children to do his will. However, fear can interfere with our trust in God; Men can act in disobedience, and even go completely astray because of fear. They can doubt whether they should trust God's leading. They wonder, for example, "Will God protect me in witnessing?" or, "Is he really leading me to tell this person about Jesus?" or, "Does he really want me to call my estranged sister?"

When God speaks clearly to a man, saying "Do this." or, "Go there." or, "Stop doing that." in that moment, it is certain that God has spoken. Yet, along comes fear. The man asks, "What will happen?" Doubt then follows. He wonders, "Did he really tell me to do that?" So, the man stumbles; he leaves the work unperformed, losing the narrow way. As his stumbling continues, his fear settles in, and a pattern of fruitlessness emerges in the man's life.

Hebrews 10:36-39 "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."

My Own Experience in Defeating Fear

I had this same experience early in my Christian walk; for nine years I was in fear, fruitless, and running from God. But, I battled my fear and overcame it totally. I returned to God, and found the narrow way.

Today, I've witnessed to thousands of people; I've served God unceasingly for more than five years, in complete victory over all of the power of the enemy. I write this to evidence to you, dear reader, that the cycle of fear and doubt can be broken.

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

You can totally defeat your fear. By trusting in God and doing his will, you'll grow increasingly sure of your footing along the narrow way. Your works along the way will bear good fruit for all men. You'll live rejoicing in the satisfaction of truly serving God.

I'll show you how I overcame my fear; hopefully, my method will work for you, too.

Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

John 15:14-16 "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."

Praying Unto God for Boldness, Bravery, and Strength

Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

God can save you from your fear. You need only to pray for bravery in doing his will. God will hear your reconciliatory prayer for bravery, with confession of the fear. I encourage you to pray such a prayer today, in faith, dear reader.

With believing prayer in request for boldness, bravery, and strength, God's voice will again be made clear to you. Importantly, this is the time to begin obeying God's leading – the moment his leading is clear is the one to trust and follow him.

Bravery is an excellent virtue of man. This virtue can be built in the heart of even the most fearful men; I have further wisdom in this, that I've learned of God. There is a method to establish bravery in your own heart, which I'll share with you now:

We Become Brave by Doing Brave Things

Overcoming fear requires this simple technique: when you fear doing a thing, you must do it. Bold people often fear too. But, they know from experience that God is faithful, so they push through the fear, trusting God, triumphing over fear completely.

On Breaking Down Fear

As a man walks the narrow way facing down his fears, carrying out the will of God, he attains the mastery over the fear – it weakens. Continuing in this way, fearfulness can ultimately be totally overcome.

All fear of doing good has it's root in lies; you must either rule over your fear, or it will rule over you. God is trustworthy. I exhort you, do trust him, and live in service to him.

The apostles are our best example of boldness, powerfully exhibiting their faith in God. The book of Acts shows the efficacy of valor for God, as the apostles saved many men by their trust in the Father. Boldness can produce similar fruits in your own life, dear reader.

The First Time is the Hardest

We all start out inexperienced. Unfamiliar works are new to the believer, making the fear especially strong. This is a vital time to trust in God. He sees all things; he is our loving Father; all things are held together by him. Though you cannot foretell what will come by obedience to his will, he knows the good outcome. Pray to him for boldness, while you are certain of his leading, and carry it out before fear and doubt creep in. Act on God's leading. It will bear good fruit, and the fear will weaken.

I want to tell you, I've found that serving God in good works is the most satisfying experience in life.

God is Worthy of Our Trust

The root of fear is lack of faith in God's trustworthiness. Doubting God. But, God is worthy of our trust; he loves us dearly. He upholds every believer with all that is needed to serve him. We need only to trust in him. Strength comes from trust in God. With God's help we can overcome anything.

1 John 3:18-24 "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us."

1 John 4:16 "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."

Closing Prayer

I pray dear reader, that God blesses you with all bravery, boldness, and strength, that you will trust in him, that your relationship with him will forever deepen, that your love in him will increase, and that you will successfully attain unto eternal life.

I pray that all who read any part of this article receive these things, that God's will be in done in the lives of all, and that all men come to love our LORD God. Amen.