Fear or Faith: Choosing Courage in End Times

It's time to renew your mind , for the time is now . Let's go , boys . Hey , welcome to Renewed Mindsets where we refuse to be conformed to this world and are transformed by the renewing of our minds through God's Word . I'm Rick and I'm so glad you're here Today . We're talking about something that grips almost every human heart Fear .

And if you're paying attention to what's happening in the world today , we're talking about something that grips almost every human heart fear . And if you're paying attention to what's happening in the world today , fear is thick in the air , but God's people were never called to be fearful . We were called to be faithful . Let's jump in .

Let's start with 2 Timothy 1 , verse 7 from the New Living Translation , for God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity , but of power , love and self-discipline . Now notice that fear is a spirit . It's not just a feeling . It's an oppressor and it doesn't come from God .

When fear rises up in your life , especially in these end times , you need to recognize the source immediately . It's not the Holy Spirit , it's the enemy trying to rob your mind of peace and control your decisions through panic . Fear paralyzes . Faith mobilizes . In these final days , you're going to have to make decisions without fear clouding your mind .

The days ahead are going to require spiritual clarity like never before .

Jesus warned us in Luke 21-26, . Did you catch that One of the defining characteristics of the end times is terror ? People will literally die from fear . And guess what happens when people are afraid ? They're easily manipulated . Fear will be the tool used to usher the Antichrist system in .

Fear of not having enough food , fear of sickness , fear of persecution , fear of losing your comfort that's the big one . Fear of losing your comfort , that's the big one . The Bible tells us in Revelation 13 that people will accept the mark of the beast because they're afraid . Afraid , they can't buy or sell without it .

Fear will make people compromise everything they once believed . But you , child of God , are called to stand firm

. All right , let's get practical . Here's how you overcome fear . Stay rooted in God's word Psalm 119 , 105 . Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path In darkness . You in the Spirit . Ephesians 6.18 . Now , when you pray in the Spirit , fear can't get a grip on you . It starves the enemy out . Next , remember who you are Romans 8 15 .

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves . Instead , you received God's spirit when he adopted you as one of his own children . You're not a slave to fear . You're a son , a daughter , an heir . Next , stay close to a godly community .

Hebrews 10.25 says and let us not neglect our meeting altogether , as some people do , but encourage one another , especially now that the day of his return is drawing near . You need to be in church . You need to be in a Bible-preaching , god-fearing church . Isolation feeds fear . Fellowship feeds faith .

Now you're out there saying , well , I don't need to go to church . Me and God got a special thing going , just me and him . That's a lie . You're deceived . You can't do it because the Bible tells us not to neglect our meeting together , as some people do . Don't be a . Some people Find a church .

I'm going to be real with you here because I want you to know ahead of time fear in this world is going to get worse . It's not going away . Things aren't going to be getting any better . The headlines are going to get crazier . The attacks on your faith are going to intensify . The shaking of this world is going to continue .

Jesus said in John 16 , 33 , did you hear that ? Take heart , don't take fear . Take heart . Fear is a choice . Courage is a command .

Listen to what I'm telling you here . When fear whispers in your ear , remind it of its future . Fear will be cast into the lake of fire , just like every other work of the enemy . It doesn't win . You do . Revelation 21.7 says All who are victorious will inherit all the blessings and I will be their God and they will be my children .

Not the fearful , not the compromising . The victorious . You are more than a conqueror through Christ who loves you .

Here's a new segment for you . I'm going to start putting these at the end of each episode . It's just a little devotion , something to carry you through the week , and with this episode , in a couple days I'm going to drop another devotional , because there's a lot of information that you need and a lot of tools that you need to work on as far as fear .

So enjoy . Fear is a fiery arrow . It's not random . It's launched and it's aimed to hit you where you're most vulnerable . But God didn't leave you defenseless . He gave you weapons to destroy fear before it ever finds its mark the shield of faith . Fear demands that you bow to what you see . Faith commands that you trust what God said .

So when fear comes rushing in , lift your shield . The sword of the Spirit , god's word , is your sword . Fear thrives in silence , but when you speak the promises of God out loud , fear loses ground . Say it , declare it , cut it down . The helmet of salvation . Your mind is the battlefield . You guard it by remembering that you are already saved .

You don't fight for victory , you fight from victory , the shoes of peace . When fear tries to make you run and panic , the peace of Christ anchors you . So you don't have to be tossed around by every headline , every crisis or every threat . You'll stand firm , feet planted , heart steady , because fear is loud , but your faith is louder .

The next time fear tries to attack your mind , pick your weapons and don't just defend yourself . Fight back Because in Christ . And don't just defend yourself . Fight back Because in Christ , you're not the hunted , you're the warrior . So here's some questions for you to reflect on during the week ?

Where has fear been trying to invade your life lately , and what weapon will you pick up first today to fight it off ? Write those down , put them on your dashboard , put them on your mirror in the bathroom . Ask yourself those questions every morning this week . I'm going to close with some scripture Psalm 56 , 3 and 4 from the New Living Translation .

But when I'm afraid , I will put my trust in you . I praise God for what he has promised . I trust in God , so why should I be afraid ? What can a mere mortal do to me ? That's all for today , but I'll be back with more unfiltered biblical truth and undeniable prophecy . The time to wake up is now .

If today's episode challenged you , don't keep it to yourself . Tell someone . Please . Text them a link . Share the truth while there's still time . Visit renewedmindsetscom to stay connected and to listen to past episodes and check out our merch at renewedmindsetsstore . Jesus is coming soon . Stay watchful , stay holy , stay renewed Until next week . I'm Rick .

Be an encourager , not a discourager . I love you , see ya . The intro and outro music for the Renewed Mindsets podcast is Are you Ready by Floodgate ? See ya .