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And They Were Afraid

By Brother R. G. Stair

"And They Were Afraid." The greatest weapon that is in the hand of the devil is fear. It has caused so many to lose their soul and mind and even the health in their body.

Just think about how the mind and spirit are affected when we hear bad news. The person continues not feeling well and then, in seeking to find out what is wrong, to the doctor they go. He tells them that they have heart trouble, or cancer, or even aids. Fear grips the heart and faith dies.

Let us look at this verse of scripture.
"FORASMUCH THEN AS THE CHILDREN ARE PARTAKERS OF FLESH AND BLOOD, HE ALSO HIMSELF LIKEWISE TOOK PART OF THE SAME;
THAT THROUGH DEATH HE MIGHT DESTROY HIM THAT HAD THE POWER OF DEATH, THAT IS, THE DEVIL;
AND DELIVER THEM WHO THROUGH FEAR OF DEATH WERE ALL THEIR LIFETIME SUBJECT TO BONDAGE." -- HEB 2:14-15

Fear of death; there it is - the very root cause of so many under bondage, held captive by the devil. Now what is the power of death? What is it that cause so many to fear death? What gives death the power to grip men in fear and unbelief? We find it revealed again by the very word of God.

"THE STING OF DEATH IS SIN; AND THE STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW." -- 1 COR 15:56

Fear and unbelief are two powerful sins. They are the forerunners of the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. It is important to know that God will rid His kingdom of this wicked sin and places it alongside the inexcusable sin.

"BUT THE FEARFUL, AND UNBELIEVING, AND THE ABOMINABLE, AND MURDERERS, AND WHOREMONGERS, AND SORCERERS, AND IDOLATERS, AND ALL LIARS, SHALL HAVE THEIR PART IN THE LAKE WHICH BURNETH WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH." -- REV 21:8

The first and greatest commandment of the Father is, "THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME." -- EXO 20:3

"AND THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THINE HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL, AND WITH ALL THY MIGHT. AND THESE WORDS, WHICH I COMMAND THEE THIS DAY, SHALL BE IN THINE HEART." -- DEU 6:5-6

Put God first. Love Him above all others and things. Jesus summed it up with these words:
"AND THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL, AND WITH ALL THY MIND, AND WITH ALL THY STRENGTH: THIS IS THE FIRST COMMANDMENT." -- MARK 12:30

Let us read what love does to fear and unbelief.
"WHOSOEVER SHALL CONFESS THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD, GOD DWELLETH IN HIM, AND HE IN GOD. 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. HEREIN IS OUR LOVE MADE PERFECT, THAT WE MAY HAVE BOLDNESS IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT: BECAUSE AS HE IS, SO ARE WE IN THIS WORLD. THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE; BUT PERFECT LOVE CASTETH OUT FEAR: BECAUSE FEAR HATH TORMENT. HE THAT FEARETH IS NOT MADE PERFECT IN LOVE." -- 1 JOHN 4:15-18

Can you not see with these words that, as we walk in truth and faith in God's love, unbelief and fear cannot remain?

Why is it then that so many are overcome by fear and doubt? Dear one, the one thing that God cannot do is lie. Therefore, Satan, the old serpent, as he did in the garden, seeks to make God a liar.

"NOW THE SERPENT WAS MORE SUBTLE THAN ANY BEAST OF THE FIELD WHICH THE LORD GOD HAD MADE. AND HE SAID UNTO THE WOMAN, YEA, HATH GOD SAID, YE SHALL NOT EAT OF EVERY TREE OF THE GARDEN?
AND THE WOMAN SAID UNTO THE SERPENT, WE MAY EAT OF THE FRUIT OF THE TREES OF THE GARDEN:
BUT OF THE FRUIT OF THE TREE WHICH IS IN THE MIDST OF THE GARDEN, GOD HATH SAID, YE SHALL NOT EAT OF IT, NEITHER SHALL YE TOUCH IT, LEST YE DIE. AND THE SERPENT SAID UNTO THE WOMAN, YE SHALL NOT SURELY DIE." -- GEN 3:1-4