As I work with folks who have asked me to
pray deliverance over them, I often run into those who are troubled
by fear to one degree or another. I looked up the word “fear” and
discovered that there are four different meanings of the word used
in Scripture. I found this very interesting.
The first meaning is “reverence or awe.” Scripture tells us to “fear
God.” I must confess that I find this somewhat lacking in our Church
culture today. I haven’t figured out all of the reasons, but perhaps
some folks haven’t been taught enough about His greatness, holiness,
power, love, knowledge, presence, forgiveness, and on and on. I feel
many lack a true reverence and awe of God. If they really loved God
and kept His commandments, there would be little opening for Satan
to take advantage of them, hence little need for deliverance. God’s
commands are given to us out of love and for our own good.
The second meaning is “to be startled.” This reflects the sudden
jolt felt by a person when a loud noise, such as a horn blast from a
nearby semi-truck, warning of immediate danger, occurs.
The third meaning is “that which causes flight.” This happens when
there is a healthy fear of some dangerous thing, such as a
rattlesnake – truly enough to make one head off in the opposite
direction with great speed. Being startled is a sudden fear of harm
that calls for immediate action.
The fourth translation of fear comes from the Greek word
phobeo,
from which we get the word “phobia.” This time it means “to have a
sudden gripping fear, alarm, be scared, frightened, dismayed and
filled with dread, intimidated, anxious and apprehensive.” It is
this fourth type of fear that can be troublesome at times. It can
stick with a person for a long time. Fears can also be specific. For
example, we have a daughter who developed a fear of enclosed places,
especially flying in an airplane. She seriously dreaded enclosed
places where she would be confined for a period of time.
In dealing with a person who has a gripping, constant, debilitating
fear, the first thing we ask is “What exactly is the fear and when
did it start?” A huge culprit at the root of many such fears is
trauma. As a matter of fact, this is what happened with our adult
daughter. It did not make sense that a missionary kid who spent
countless hours in lengthy overseas and domestic travel should have
a fear of flying. So upon probing, we discovered why she was afraid
of enclosed places.
This fear cropped up when she was accidentally locked in a walk-in
freezer where she had been called to do some welding. (Yes, I said
welding! She is an auto mechanic and welder by choice.) She
panicked, but then was rescued in due time. As a result of the
trauma she could not stand being in an enclosed place again. I
prayed, addressing the spirit of trauma that had entered during the
panic attack when she was in the freezer. I commanded the spirit of
fear to leave, in the name of Jesus. It did.
We recently had occasion to travel with her from Denver to
Philadelphia (a three-hour plane flight) and I asked her how she
felt. She said, “Not only was I not afraid, but I really enjoyed the
trip!” Clearly, it was a case of a spirit of fear that had attached
itself to that severe trauma, but it had to go when it was found out
and was commanded to leave, in the name of Jesus.
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A second common entry point for a spirit of fear is the trauma
caused by being victimized. I have had to learn far more than I care
to about violence and trauma caused by actions such as assault with
a deadly weapon, rape, and child and sexual molestation. These kinds
of experiences often leave the victim filled with many different
demons that have taken advantage of that traumatic experience. Let
me name a few that I have met along the way: fear of the dark,
anger, violence, unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred, a man or
woman-hating spirit, lust, severe rejection, self-hatred, a desire
to die, and a myriad of fears depending upon the circumstances of
the trauma.
When another person is responsible for the trauma, Satan takes
further advantage of the situation by locking those emotions into
fear, unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred, and anger. These conditions
often prevail for the rest of the victim’s life if deliverance and
inner healing do not take place. What’s worse yet is that the demons
attached to the trauma often entice the victim into victimizing
others in the same way. Often victims become so distraught that they
resort to suicide as hopelessness overtakes them.
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The first, and very difficult step, for the victim to take is
forgiveness. Forgiveness does not condone the action, it simply
removes the dreadful burden of pain from the victim. Forgiveness is
a mighty weapon in deliverance. When forgiveness is extended, the
above-mentioned demons must leave when they are commanded to do so,
in the name of Jesus. Then, inner healing of the wounded soul can
take place through prayer.
A third major entry point for spirits of fear that I have
encountered is involvement in witchcraft and the occult. This can be
caused by curses of witchcraft or freemasonry, or by the lies that
the victim believes when told that they can never leave the occult
because they have made an eternal choice by their involvement. Fear
of leaving behind occult friends, practices and vows often keeps
individuals in bondage, especially to fear.
The good news is that nothing is impossible with God. He has given
us the tools to set captives free from spirits such as fear. They
can be dealt with and dispatched. Our daughter will tell you that
life is much more enjoyable being free from her fear of flying.
Doris Wagner, along with her husband Peter Wagner, founded
Global Harvest Ministries. Doris serves as Executive Vice President.
She authored many articles to equip believers and specializes in
training up the Body of Christ for the ministry of deliverance.
Visit www.globalharvest.org for more information.
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