"Principality of Fear" - Day 7 - Part 2-3a

[Rev. Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks, PsyD]

”Principality of Fear”

 

* Fears That Torments Us – Part 2-3a

John 3:30 gives us the formula for victory over sin by a proper relationship with our Savior: "He must increase, but I must decrease." After the fear of man, next comes fear of rejection. So many of us feel sorry for ourselves because others reject us. Hebrews 13:6 says, "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I fear what man shall do unto me." Believers should be neither surprised nor troubled by rejection, at least when it's for the right reasons. In Isaiah 53:3, we find that Jesus was rejected of men: "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not." Still, it often hurts to be rejected, even when it's for righteous reasons. Turn to Christ and draw your strength from Him. He says to cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you. On the other hand, if we are rejected because we are worldly, walking in the flesh, we need a change of direction. We need to walk in the Light of Jesus Christ, and let Him defeat the spirit of rejection for us. The Bible says the enemies of a man can often be found in his own house. "For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house" (Micah 7:6). Even prophets have no honor in their own home. "But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house" (Mark 6:4).

The rejection battleground in this war for our minds and hearts is in the family and it spreads to the church, which is no stronger than the families it represents. Cities and nations are made up of families and reflect their strength or weakness. Families are no stronger than their individual members. Weak families populated by weak parents and defeated children are the consequence of homes filled with the fear of rejection. Our Lord is acquainted with our sorrows and our grief; He feels our infirmities. "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). God hears all our words and knows all our thoughts. He is right here with us now. God stands ready to help us withstand abuse and defeat rejection. Zechariah 13 provides strong teaching about abuse; it is a prophecy about Jesus’ enthronement during the millennium.

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God bless you all and keep you all,

Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks