The subject is not a pleasant one: Fear. Fear has torment; tormenting fear is one of the devil’s great weapons he uses against mankind. He operates by fear and with fear, but God operates through love. First John 4:18, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.

Paul writes, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7). The spirit of fear does not come from God. He gives blood power and blood love. What do blood power and blood love bring? A sound mind. When you come to Calvary, the blood of Jesus takes out the fear; and pure love rushes in. Remember, perfect love casteth out fear.

As a child of God you need have no fear; fear is not your heritage. Yet everywhere I go, I find many Christians are not only bound with fear, but they think they have to stay that way. Because of fear they are depressed, oppressed, frustrated and despairing.

The Weapon of Divine Blood

Don’t fear the devil; Jesus conquered the devil for us. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:14). It was the divine blood Word that Jesus used to defeat the devil, showing us how we, too, could defeat him. Read in Luke’s Gospel the fourth chapter how three times Jesus defeated the devil with “It is written…it is written…it is written.” How wonderful to know what Jesus did for us! But many Christians today don’t realize that they have that power, that great weapon from Heaven—divine blood—to defeat the devil.

In teaching His disciples to trample devils underfoot, Jesus introduced this weapon of the power of divine blood. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19). And Jesus also said, In my name shall they cast out devils (Mark 16:17). In His blood name it is done.

The Prayer of Faith

The Lord taught against fear, for He knew exactly what hinders people, what takes their strength. Fear weakens any child of God. It weakens your prayer life, your Bible study, and your fasting time. Fear weakens you spiritually in every way.

God gives you faith to get rid of fear: God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith (Romans 12:3). You can’t be a child of God and not have faith because faith is what enabled you to accept salvation in the first place, not human faith, but blood faith, the same faith that Jesus used. However, you cannot possibly have that kind of faith in a great way if you hold on to fear constantly. Blood faith in God without fear knows that God heals the sick as well as casts out devils. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up (James 5:15).

A Sound Mind

Some of you are afraid because a relative in your home reached the place he or she couldn’t remember, couldn’t think right. More and more fear closes in on you, making you imagine you will eventually lose your mind, too. Never think such things; never let the devil make you believe it. Take on the mind of Jesus and overcome that fear. If your mind needs a healing or even a re-creation, know that God is the one to do it.

We’re promised the mind of Jesus, the same mind He used when He was here. All the divine ingredients that made up His mind, that filled it up, are ours. The Bible says so: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5).

You don’t have to be afraid; a sound mind is one covered by the blood. When the enemy whispers that you’re losing your mind, tell him you have already lost it in the blood. Not only did you lose your mind in the blood, you found a new one at the same time. Don’t fuss with the devil.

If you possess something, it is all yours; you don’t have to prove it. If you have a million dollars, you know you have it; you don’t need to convince skeptics. It won’t hurt your millions at all if others don’t believe it. So when you have this great salvation, this power over the devil, it doesn’t matter what the devil tells you or what people might say to you; it’s all yours.

I don’t want to debate over the Word of God. If you don’t want to believe it, you’re not forced to believe; it’s up to you—but everyone will be a believer in hell. Everyone walking down the Avenue of Glory will be full of the Lord’s faith, blood-washed, blood-bought, pure, clean, holy, and free from all sin.

Don’t Give in to Fear

The Bible is filled with examples of man’s fear and the devil’s fear; but it is also bubbling with the overcoming faith of God. In the Word, the Lord put enough examples of fear that belongs to the devil for you to always recognize it. Open your eyes to God’s power and don’t let the devil deceive you at all.

Fear will cause you to fail God. After man fell from grace in Eden, fear took over and has been holding on to people down through these thousands of years. But Jesus brought perfect love; no heart that receives His perfect love has to fear—unless the person gives over to it.

Don’t give over to fear; it’s not part of your heritage in the Lord. Faith is your heritage—divine faith. The Lord is not serving fear; when the Bible says to fear the Lord, it refers to awesome respect and love, not the kind of fear the devil brings. God serves power-faith, blood-faith, and love. God so loved the world that He gave you Jesus, all the perfect love that you need to get rid of fear.

Don’t Expect to Be Ill

Some people bring sickness upon themselves again and again because they expect it; illness runs in their family. But through God they can cut it off so it won’t run into another generation.

Fear makes it easy for the devil to bring afflictions. Many people fear cancer. I know a person who although she didn’t have cancer had a great fear of it. She kept saying she was afraid she had cancer until one day, sure enough, it happened; fear did it. She kept opening the door, and finally cancer came in.

Don’t fear diseases. Know that the blood of Jesus is greater than all diseases. With the blood of Jesus, the Bible says, we have physical healing just as through His blood we have forgiveness of all of our sins. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

If cancer runs in your family, it’s time to get it stopped. Where? With you if you have it; if not, get it stopped before it gets to you. It’s true that diabetes and heart trouble also run in families, but good health is running in God’s family and that’s what counts. I’ve been all through the Bible and never have found anywhere that it states you have to die with a disease. One old servant of God simply leaned over on his cane and went to glory. By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff (Hebrews 11:21).

Our Way of Escape

The Bible tells us of two men who didn’t die but went to Heaven alive: Elijah and Enoch. The Bride of Christ is getting ready to leave the same way in the Rapture. Praise God, we’re not going to take time to die; our bodies will be changed from clay to glorified bodies. In a moment and a twinkling of an eye the change will come. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (I Corinthians 15:51,52).

Some people are fearful of the Rapture. One woman had that fear—bless her heart, I’ll never forget her. She was a businesswoman—and had been for years—who helped me in the beginning of this work. I’m glad God took her on to Glory because there was one thing that obsessed her: fear of the Rapture. She had received the Holy Ghost in the first tent meeting services that I had held here in Akron; however, if she knew I was going to preach on the Rapture her seat would be empty. She let me know the Rapture frightened her beyond words. The Lord was gracious and took her home by way of the grave. But I’d rather go to Heaven the way of the Rapture if it be God’s will for me; what about you?

Put Fear under the Blood

This Bible throbs with divine love, divine faith, divine peace, divine joy. Why let fear take you over when you have everything in the Lord to defeat fear? Why let one speck of fear linger on the inside? Turn your fears over to the blood; put them under the blood into the hands of the Holy Spirit. He’ll take your fear; He knows how to handle it; He knows exactly what to do with it.

If you have received salvation, you have received divine love with that salvation. Heaven’s salvation is wrapped with love, seasoned with love through and through, pure, perfect love. God’s love makes you love everybody, even the souls of your enemies. True salvation does so much for you that you don’t carry grudges, envy or strife.

If you hold on to any of the devil’s thoughts, you walk with fear. It’s terrible to be tormented, but always remember that perfect love casteth out the torment of fear.

How often have you been needlessly tormented with fear? You have a pain, and the devil frightens you almost to death with it. You cough two extra times and the devil tells you it’s TB. Feeling a pain around your heart, you picture yourself dying before another day passes. It has to be heart trouble, the devil whispers. Don’t you feel the shortness of your breath? You grow so frightened that it becomes harder and harder to breathe until the death angel moves in through fear. That’s a lot to think about, isn’t it? But perfect love will cast all that away from you.

Perfect in Love

He that feareth is not made perfect in love (I John 4:18). If you want to know why fear seems to be a constant companion, here’s your answer: You’re not made perfect in love. The Lord gives us perfect answers for all questions, but sometimes we’re not ready to accept them. They go against our grain, and we don’t like it.

Jesus in His great Sermon on the Mount said, Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48). What did He mean? He meant to be perfect in love. Jesus was the love gift come down from Heaven. Accept Him and you will have the Father’s perfect love; in other words, you’ll be perfect in His love.

Some people say we can’t be perfect, but Jesus tells us otherwise. In love you can be perfect—although you won’t be perfect to some people no matter how close to God you are. If you were to sprout two wings, have a glistening halo over your head, there still would be people who would have things to say against you. Being perfect in God’s eyes is what counts.

Satan Unloads Fear on People

The devil can use people to put fear into others, to unload fear on them. He may have someone walk up to you and tell you that you don’t look too well, that a relative died with a terrible disease and you have that same appearance. That person would not be a good friend. I don’t let my enemies tell me I look awful, much less my friends. Why should you put up with fear others can bring?

Don’t be like people who want sympathy more than they want to get rid of their fear. I know a person who would be happy until a member of the family came by. Suddenly she would lose all joy and take on a pitiful expression. She wanted the family member to ask what was wrong so she could complain how bad her head hurt, or her eyes, her throat. Suddenly she was in terrible shape, although she had been fine just a moment ago. In her quest for sympathy, she was helping the enemy make her sick and keep her sick.

Rise Up with Faith

Rise up with faith, faith that moves mountains. Faith in God’s love will move out fear. Why would you want to make room in your innermost being for one speck of the devil’s fear? Clean out the basement; clean out the attic. Be a good spiritual housekeeper using the blood of Jesus to help.

Job said, The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me (Job 3:25). Job feared that he would lose everything; he feared he would lose his children, and he did. Are you like Job? No matter how much God had blessed Job, he was afraid it would all be swept away. Job’s wife was no help. Her solution was to curse God, and die (Job 2:9). There are a lot of sister Jobs in this world; if you meet one, run for your life.

It’s time to get rid of all fear. Jesus said, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me (John 14:1). Believe in all the promises of Jesus. He was not tormented with fear when He was here; He walked without fear. Jesus didn’t come to Earth to live in fear. He came to show us how the Godhead had planned for man to live when man was first created. Man was never to have experienced fear, never to have known what fear or torment were. He was meant to live forever in a state of bliss in Eden—but sin entered and changed everything.

John Came Back

Fear caused the disciples to flee in every direction in the Garden of Gethsemane when the mob from the chief priests and Pharisees came to arrest Jesus. They all forsook him, and fled (Mark 14:50). Most of the disciples had already left Jesus some time earlier because they didn’t like what He was teaching, From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him (John 6:66). Now there were just eleven left, and in the Garden of Gethsemane they fled.

But John came back; he was at the foot of the Cross when Jesus died. Closer to Jesus than the rest, John had been the one leaning on His breast during the Last Supper. Jesus and John experienced true fellowship, a great heavenly love between them, and that perfect love cast the fear out of John.

But for the moment John was swept along with the disciples when they fled. Were you ever with a group that suddenly started running? You didn’t know what it was all about, but you ran too. Before long, however, you began to wonder why you were running. The disciples ran because they thought their lives were in jeopardy. But love for Jesus overcame John’s fear and he went back, ready to lay down his life for the Master. Never before had John known a friend like Jesus whose great love dispelled his fear.

Jesus left His mother in John’s care. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother…When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home (John 19:25-27). Jesus didn’t want someone full of fear to take care of His mother. Don’t expect God to use you in any great way in this final hour if you’re a fearful person; you won’t be a great asset to evangelize the world or a blessing to your unsaved kin.

Jesus Brings Peace

Are you afraid of the dark? How much love do you have on the inside to light up your life, to give you confidence? Again I say, God rules with love; He directs with love, and Jesus came in love.

Jesus gave us this wonderful message of peace: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27).

The fourteenth chapter of John opens with these words: Let not your heart be troubled (John 14:1). Jesus didn’t bring fear to His disciples; He taught them not to be afraid of what life might bring.

But then one stormy night the disciples actually saw Jesus coming toward them walking the waters, and they cried out in fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid (Matthew 14:27). Simon cried out, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come (Matthew 14:28,29). The voice of Jesus took away all the fear momentarily. Fear can vanish in an instant through the anointing of Jesus. Fear is conquered for you if you’ll use God’s faith.

Peter stepped out onto the rough waters. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt (Matthew 14:29-31)? Peter saw the waves coming, and he listened to the voice of the devil saying, You’re going down Peter! You’re going down! But as he began to sink, he had sense enough, faith enough to cry: Jesus, help me! And the Lord reached out and pulled him up.

Simon Peter Was Shaken

Yes, Simon Peter had feared for his life out there on the water. Even though he had seen the Lord do great things, he hadn’t received the blood love that he needed, didn’t have enough divine blood love to conquer his fear. Although with Jesus he had been in grave danger again and again, he had felt he was all right because Jesus had been there, too. But then he saw Jesus in another light: arrested, judged, and sentenced to die. The devil shook him to his very foundation, and fear caused Simon Peter to fail the Lord.

Then took they him [Jesus], and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly (Luke 22:54-62).

When one does not have faith in the Word or in the blood of Jesus, fear takes over. Some people are afraid of life. Worrying about old age from the time they entered their twenties, they ask themselves again and again, What am I going to do when I get old?

I decided years ago I’d never get old; I’d just have birthdays and be happy. I count the years and smile at them; they just mean more candles to make the cake look prettier.

All those candles simply demonstrate that you’ve been on Earth long enough to be full of wisdom and knowledge to be a blessing to the young. Teach the young that they don’t have to be afraid of anything, but to fear God in holy respect. Fearing God, I say again, is respecting Him, being in awe of Him in love and not in torment.

You Are Not Promised Tomorrow

Don’t fear tomorrow. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself (Matthew 6:31-34).

Why be afraid of tomorrow? You’re not promised tomorrow. Ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away (James 4:14). You don’t know if you’ll ever see tomorrow, and yet you’re worried about what might happen. Fear takes you into dark places, dungeons, into fearful things, robs you of true heavenly happiness. The Lord came to give you joy, peace, faith, wisdom, knowledge and the ability to walk without fear. When your heart begins to be troubled—unless it’s the burden for souls—it’s not your heritage. The Lord wants you to carry the burden for lost souls.

Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth (Luke 21:26). Considering God’s great love, some people don’t believe He will bring judgment, don’t believe what the Bible tells us about hell. Jesus Himself described hell as a place of fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:43,44).

Read God’s Bible and find out what He will do as He lifts His hand in judgment; see Jesus Christ when He turns from the loving personality of the Lamb of God to the fierce Lion personality of judgment in the Tribulation Period. The world has never known fear like the terror that will come during that time.

When Jesus said men’s hearts would fail them looking at things coming upon the earth, He wasn’t referring to the hearts of the children of God. Why should we who are saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit be afraid of what’s coming upon the earth? The Bride is promised the Rapture. We’re getting out, haven’t you heard? Saved, baptized in the Holy Spirit and obedient to God in every way, the Bride will not be here for the Great Tribulation Period foretold in both Old and New Testaments, or for that horrible last war called Armageddon. Why worry about all of that?

One flight out and you as a member of the bridal company have your reserved seat, your passport, your ticket blood-stamped, blood-sealed. Let the promise of Christ’s return make you secure instead of afraid and fearful at heart.

Be steadfast in the Lord like one of Gideon’s three hundred, not like one of the twenty-two thousand who turned back. Gideon said, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand (Judges 7:3). Today if Gideon were here to say the same thing, there still would be a lot of people turning back, afraid to fight this war with the devil, afraid to meet the devil head-on.

Witchcraft Binds with Fear

I travel into different countries, places where the people are bound with witchcraft and fear. Witchdoctors use fear, fear, fear. Many, terrified of the witchdoctors, have no love for them. Fear gives the witchdoctors power to put people in the bondage of the devil. I tell the huge crowds that attend the foreign crusades in Africa that witchdoctors can’t put a spell on a child of God.

I talked to a man who after having been a witchdoctor for many years turned to God. He didn’t know how many people he had put to death through witchcraft. He was in witchcraft deep, deep, deep; but the Lord reached down with love, delivered him from that fear and set him free. He became not only a child of God, but also a preacher and a sponsoring pastor of one of my big crusades in Uganda. I wanted to know how he had felt when he was still a witchdoctor and met people who were really born again with the blood of Jesus in their heart. He said the witchdoctors couldn’t do a thing with them, not a thing. Isn’t that wonderful! I knew that was true, but I wanted him to verify it. He said my book The Deceit Of Lucifer was absolutely right.

After the witchdoctor had been saved, the devil tried to keep fear in his home. The demons of witchcraft took his son over, and for a number of years, I believe it was ten years, the boy almost drove them out of their minds. They couldn’t do anything with him.

Then one night as I was coming to a crusade service in Uganda, I saw many men trying to hold a boy who was struggling like a wild animal. I walked to him and laid a gentle hand on him. When I touched him the blood power of Jesus went through him and every devil went out; that’s all that was necessary. He stood before me calm, delivered and as normal as any boy you have ever seen; and he’s still free today. I’ve heard from the father, and thank God he’s still free. His deliverance changed that home completely.

Fear, fear, fear…don’t be afraid of the power of the devil. When you’re with God and on God’s side, you’re blood bought. People in witchcraft come by the thousands to my services; I teach them that they don’t have to be afraid of the witchdoctors. Many witchdoctors have been delivered on the spot, completely set free; and some have had thousands of devils in them. People bound with the devil are set free by the hand of God if they want to be free.

Voodooism is terrible; it, too, is of the devil and binds with fear. People involved in voodoo tried to use it on us when we were in Zimbabwe, but we passed through it as though it were nothing; it was nothing. We’d go to the platform past lines of voodoo dolls and witchcraft configurations in the sand. But when we went back to Zimbabwe one year later, the voodoo dolls were all gone and there were no witchcraft configurations in the sand. Many thousands had been delivered from witchcraft the year before, and now people were selling vegetables on that spot. That’s the hand of God! God delivered them!

Fear Makes People Doubt God’s Word

Fear takes people over. Fear took over Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, and she got ahead of God. When their twin sons were born, the Lord said that the elder son Esau would serve the younger, Jacob. Jacob was her favorite, and she was afraid what God had said wouldn’t come to pass unless she interfered.

And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death. And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them (Genesis 27:1-13).

Fear can cause people to run ahead of God. Rebekah tried to take over for God, and as a result her favorite son ran for his life and his mother never saw him again. And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran (Genesis 27:41-43).

Many Christians have failed because, like Rebekah, they didn’t wait upon the Lord. I learned many years ago that nothing really matters but waiting upon God. Everything has to be on God’s time. Our watches don’t count at all; it’s Heaven’s time that counts. The Bible says, 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 (Isaiah 40:31). Wait upon the Lord and mount up in the greatness of Him through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Never wait on the Lord in fear. Fear lengthens the wait, and God’s hands are tied. Always wait in His love, in His grace. The Lord taught me how to wait upon Him. Many times the Lord will let me know something is going to take place in the future for the work. I know I cannot run ahead of Him, and so I wait until He lets me know when the thing is to be done.

People have asked me when certain things will take place and I tell them it will be when the cloud moves. When the Lord moves, we move. When He stops, we stop. When He gets ready to go, we’re ready to go. That’s the only way to travel with God. Travel without fear; travel in reality of the blood, the reality in the person of the Holy Spirit. Don’t let fear take you over.

King Saul Failed God

Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish…And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people (I Samuel 9:1,2). God gave Saul a new heart after he was anointed to be the first king of Israel. The prophet Samuel told him that the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man (I Samuel 10:6). When he [Saul] had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them (I Samuel 10:9,10). The Holy Ghost took Saul over and prophesied through him; he had been made a new man.

Saul began to rule in the humility of the Lord, but what happened to him later? He grew lukewarm, didn’t stay humble before God, and fear and ego took him over.

Had Saul not failed God, there never would have been the story in the Bible of a little shepherd boy killing a giant; it would have been the first king of the Children of Israel who killed Goliath in one of Israel’s great victories. But when Goliath stepped out, he gave the whole army of God a chill, including King Saul. The Lord, however, had prepared a young boy who was tending the sheep and the wee lambs. When a lion and a bear threatened the flock, David killed them both. Young David, coming to watch the battle, didn’t have fear. To his surprise when he arrived at the battle front, everybody else was frightened to death. He demanded: Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God (I Samuel 17:26)?

David Was Strong in the Power of God

Angry, David was ready to go after Goliath himself, but his brother said, I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle (I Samuel 17:28). You’re just talking big; you’re not a soldier, and you know they won’t let a boy challenge that terrible giant! If you were grown you’d be scared, too; you don’t have sense enough to be scared.

But the news reached Saul: We’ve found somebody not afraid to face Goliath.

You mean you found a man?

Well, not quite, but he’s breathing, and no one else is willing to go.

You’ve got to send somebody, Saul!

And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him [Goliath]; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God (I Samuel 17:32-36).

Young David, facing the giant with his sling, didn’t look impressive at all. No, the power of God doesn’t look like much to people who don’t believe in it; but David had confidence in God, confidence that just as he had overcome the lion and bear, he would overcome Goliath. Saul decided to let him go, but first Saul tried to give David his coat of fear, his sword of fear, his helmet of fear. And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him (I Samuel 17:38,39). A spirit of fear was coming upon David, but when he took off Saul’s armor it left.

Don’t let anyone get you ready for battle except the good Lord through the power of the Holy Ghost, through the divine blood. And he [David] took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand (I Samuel 17:40). Now David was ready. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him (I Samuel 17:50).

Saul felt good; Israel had won, and a great burden had rolled off him. But then the day came when Saul heard the women say, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands (I Samuel 18:7). Fear of a different sort came over Saul; jealousy possessed him, took him over until he actually became devil possessed and later committed suicide. It’s terrible what fear can do.

You Don’t Have to Be Afraid

Many people have committed suicide because of fear, fear, fear. They’re afraid of life, afraid of tomorrow, afraid of living; and they choose suicide, thinking it will stop the fear. That’s just what the devil wants. He knows that in hell they will lift up their eyes to scream the scream of the damned, the scream of the lost. How pathetic, how awful indeed! God help us!

Fear, paralyzing fear, torments and stinks like hell itself. God didn’t give you salvation to torment you. He made you a new creature so you could be free from the powers and the works of the devil, free from all the fear of God’s archenemy and yours, Satan himself. You don’t have to fear; you don’t have to be afraid.

The main topic Jesus taught His disciples: Fear not; let not your heart be troubled; don’t be afraid of anything. Jesus used peace; the disciples saw it used under all kinds of adverse circumstances. He told them He was going away; but He would leave His peace, His courage with them, His love and His faith. Praise God, today we have those same things Jesus left His disciples, and we don’t live in fear!

Have you decided to live in grace and not fear? With the grace and the favor of God you have nothing to fear and nothing to worry about. This is the message we’re taking to so many who are bound and tormented with fear—it’s the Gospel of freedom. Jesus said, If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36). If the Son of God sets you free, you’re absolutely free; and you’re not completely free until you’re free of that tormenting fear.

God Saves and Heals

If you’re not free today, say the sinners’ prayer with me. Oh, God, save my soul. I want to be delivered from this torment; I want to be set free, and I know your love blood will deliver me. I confess I’m lost in the night. I confess that I’m bound with fear, tormenting fear; but I confess my faith in you and I believe the blood of Jesus washes away all of my sins. Come in, Jesus! Come on in, Jesus!

Fear not; He came in if you meant that prayer, and you can now say: Hallelujah, He has come! Hallelujah, I have found the Lord! Don’t let fear ever conquer you again. Don’t walk in fear; walk in faith. The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17). Walk in the faith and the love of God.

If you’re sick and afflicted, Jesus can make you well. People are healed, set free through the power of God. You who have AIDS, thousands have been healed of AIDS through this Jesus ministry. Only believe. Jesus said, With God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). You who have diabetes, heart trouble, leprosy, God has healed these diseases again and again. Any death disease working in your body—or any other disease—you can be free from them all through the divine blood of Jesus. Jesus healed all manner of sicknesses and diseases when He walked among men.

Lord, here they are. You said your believers would lay hands on the people and you would be the one to get them well. Heal! I curse those foul death diseases so that whole families can be set free of AIDS and other diseases. Heal! in the all-powerful blood name of Jesus!

Feel His presence and know that it is your contact with Him, your signal that you have been brought into His presence and the healing, the miracle is taking place. That is your sign, your great wonder. Watch yourself and watch your loved ones get well, and give the Lord all the glory because He is the healer. Write and tell me about it so I can rejoice with you. God bless you.

Children, you must get rid of fear. Don’t stay tormented with fear, but take a leap in faith today. Lord, deliver every person who is bound with any kind of fear, fear of tomorrow, fear of today, fear of tonight, fear of the dark, fear of the light, fear of any sicknesses and diseases. Loose them! in the name of the Lord! Loose them! in the blood name! When you’re set free you’ll find that despair, oppression and depression will go, that you will have joy unspeakable and be full of glory. Accept God’s deliverance from fear and serve Him in great loving freedom. God walk with you.