The Anatomy of Anxiety
Part 19: Dancing to the Heartbeat of Redemption
Note: For previous posts in this blog mini-series, please visit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.
Purpose: Does worry, doubt, or fear get the best of you sometimes? Do you wonder where anxiety comes from and how to defeat it in your life and the lives of those you love? Then we need a biblical anatomy of anxiety. We need God’s prescription for victory over anxiety.
A Discipleship Process
Let’s begin to explore the first of ten dynamic elements for victory over anxiety. As we do, please understand this principle:
Conquering enslavement to fear is a discipleship process, not an exhortation event.
Victory does not come from being exhorted to “be anxious for nothing.”
Ongoing victory over anxiety requires an ongoing process of growth in grace—just like victory in any other area of life.
And, it requires a comprehensive process of progressive sanctification in all areas of life.
The first area, the core area, is spiritual victory.
Spiritual Victory: Dancing to the Heartbeat of Redemption
Conquering fear is first and foremost a spiritual matter.
Consider Romans 8:14-17.
“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear (phobos, phobia, paralyzing terror), buy you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now I we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
Acknowledge False Enslavement to Fear
Spiritually, our first “step” in overcoming fear is to confess our fear.
“Father, I acknowledge that I’ve allowed myself to become enslaved to a mood of fear.”
The emotion of fear itself is not a sin. But enslavement to fear is. Paul calls it “doulous phobos”—slaves to fear. Until we take personal responsibility for allowing ourselves to become fear’s slave, we will never experience emancipation.
Accept Grace Connection to Your Father
Putting off enslavement to fear must be combined with putting on acceptance of freedom in Christ.
“Father, by grace through faith I accept my new Spirit of adulthood, of sonship. I cling to You, Daddy, Father. I am not a fearful little kid. I am Your adult son or daughter. I replace fear with Father. I replace spiritual separation anxiety with spiritual acceptance in my Father’s forever family. I accept by faith my new identity in Christ. I am a joint heir with Jesus.”
What Paul says in Romans 8:14-17, he reiterates in 2 Timothy 1:6-7.
“Fan into flame the gift of God which is in you. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind and self discipline.”
Christian, do you understand your birthright?
Believer, do you know who you are in Christ?
“Father, thank you for the flame of courage and boldness you implanted in me the moment I was saved and made a new creation in Christ. I commit to doing my part of fanning into flame the fire that is already lit within me. I refuse and reject the spirit of timidity. I accept and receive the spirit of power, love, wisdom, sound mind, and self discipline that now defines who I am in Christ.”
Making It Real
1. What do you fear? Write your own prayer of confession of false enslavement.
2. Do you know who you are in Christ? Write your own prayer of acceptance of your new identity in Christ.
3. Reject the old, receive the new. Consciously refuse to see yourself as a timid, fearful child. Consciously see your new image in Christ: adult, son, daughter, powerful, loving, wise, sound mind, self-disciplined.
4. Dance. Dance to the heartbeat of redemption—the new you in Christ. Anxiety and fear says, “Be shy. Sit on the sidelines. Don’t dare dance. Refuse to get in the game. Victory in Christ says, “Be bold. Get off the bench. Dare to dance. Choose to enter the game!”
The Rest of the Story
Knowing who we aren’t (the old false me) and who we are (the new me in Christ) begins our spiritual healing. But we also need to understand Who God is and His relationship to us. In our next post we explore how to apply those truths practically in our victory over anxiety.
