Too often, in Christian circles, we look at a person who is struggling with fear, and we tell them, “Have faith!” However, faith is not the solution to their problem. The solution to fear is love, not faith.
I used to struggle with fear a lot. It began my freshman year in high school, when I was bullied a lot, and it continued until I was 27 or 28 years old. I was so fearful. I would have panic attacks and gasp for breath. I literally could not breathe, and this happened often. Fear was strangling me.
I prayed for healing, but it didn’t seem to get better. I commanded the spirit of fear to leave me, but that didn’t seem to do much good either. The panic attacks continued. I was at wits’ end.
Then one day, out of His mercy, the Lord showed me how to be healed from the fear that was destroying me.
I remember the experience clearly. I was sitting in my spare bedroom, on the floor, again gasping for breath. I prayed and asked God to help me. Somehow, the Holy Spirit got through to me enough to have me open my Bible to 1 John 4:18, which says:
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
I already knew this verse, but just “knowing it” hadn’t made a difference. I needed more, so the Holy Spirit, the Great Physician, showed me how this verse contained the healing I needed:
- Fear was definitely tormenting me; so I knew the verse applied to me.
- This promise says that perfect love casts out fear.
- It also says that if I’m afraid, it’s because I haven’t been made perfect in love.
Both the problem and the solution were exposed in this one verse. The problem was fear. The solution was being made perfect in love.
So I asked God immediately to fill me up with His perfect love that casts out fear.
I didn’t know how to receive that love, but I was desperate, so the Holy Spirit gave me this mental picture to help me:
I saw myself being slowly filled up with liquid, as if I were a human-shaped bottle. The liquid was blue. It was the perfect love of the Father.
I saw this liquid first fill up just the tips of my toes. But it kept on filling me: up my foot toward my ankle, then up my shins, and continuing all the way up my body.
This vision of being filled with Father’s love continued. There were a few places that it seemed to slow down. When this blue liquid got to my lungs, it paused awhile there. I meditated some more on Papa’s love, and on His words: “Perfect love casts out fear.” Then I saw the blue liquid start to fill up my lungs and chest, and suddenly it was like my lungs ripped free. I breathed deeply–for the first time in a long time.
A similar thing happened when I saw the blue getting up to my heart. I kept meditating on the Father’s perfect love for me; and after a few moments, the blue continued up toward my shoulders, filling my heart. When it did, I literally felt the healing of the Father in my heart and emotions.
This vision continued until I saw my entire body filled up and sloshing with Father God’s perfect love.
God healed me from fear that day. I was immediately able to breathe again.
The spirit of fear left me–because God’s perfect love cast it out.
Too often, we try to get rid of one bad thing without replacing it with the good and holy thing. But Jesus taught that we have to be filled with the good thing in order to keep the bad thing out (Matthew 12:43-45).
So whenever fear has tried to grab on to me since then, I have cut it off by meditating on Jesus’ perfect love for me. I continue to rehearse that vision of being filled with God’s love, like a Jamie-shaped bottle. 🙂
Do you struggle with fear? You can be healed too.
There is absolutely a 100%-cure-all solution to fear, and you can be healed from fear right now, today.
The solution to fear is love; perfect love casts out fear. If you will let God make you perfect in His love, you will be free from fear.
It will be a journey, as it has been for me, but He WILL make you perfect in love, and He can free you from fear right now.
If you can identify with this story, and want to be free from fear, would you meditate on the vision above in your mind? Imagine yourself being filled with Papa God’s love, like a you-shaped bottle. Ask Him to make you perfect in love. Papa’s perfect love will cast out fear, and you will be free.
(And I’d love to hear about it when He does. Please leave a comment below.) 🙂
Related posts: How to Feel Like God Loves You (series) and The Solution To Fear, Part 2: How To Overcome Shyness
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Image courtesy of ajari on Flickr via Creative Commons license.
mathieu says
Hello. I am very serious and in need of being delivered from tormenting fear. It’s anxiety, depression and fear. I do believe fear is the root of it. I’ve forgiving everyone I know some not in person but I know I have in my heart the things that happened in the part i reallydon’t care any more I’ve let them go. I’ve prayed , I’ve fasted. I’m doing all I know to get free but this weird tormenting fear just won’t leave my mind. I’m staying away from sin I’m doing all I can. I’m fixing to start taking a mild antidepressant but I don’t want to. I’ve been dealing with this for 7 years now. Ever sense I became saved. That’s the reason I got saved I had a first panic attack and I called out to Christ and received him! Every sense then I have had struggles with porn but I am free from it and no longer desire it and it’s been a couple months since I’ve done that. I’m doing all I know to do. I’m ready to be free and I know God can set my mind free! Please anything would be greatly appreciated! Thanks very much
Jamie Rohrbaugh says
Hi Mathieu,
Thanks so much for reaching out. I used to struggle with fear terribly too, so I have compassion for your situation. I can tell you that the antidote to fear is love. Lots of people think the opposite of fear is faith, but it’s not. It’s love. First John 4:18 says “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” So that tells us that, when we struggle with fear, it means we haven’t yet fully received God’s love for us.
I really suggest you study through this series I wrote, about how to feel like God loves you:
https://www.fromhispresence.com/series/how-to-feel-like-god-loves-you/
I pray it will help you as it helped me. Also, you might really benefit from listening to a sermon by Chris Gore called “The Secret of John”, which you can purchase at the Bethel Church store and download. It is all about how you don’t have to try to work for love, and how it’s not all about how much YOU love God–but rather life is all about how much HE loves YOU. 🙂 It’s a very freeing concept, and will really help you receive God’s love.
Other than that, please, meditate on His love. Look up and read Scriptures about how much God loves you, and chew on those. His love will heal you and will cast out all fear.
Oh, one more thing – I have a podcast called the Secret of the Son, under the Podcasts menu, that might help too. 🙂
Blessings. I’d love to hear about it if these things help you. It’s all about His perfect love for you. That is the solution to fear.
Charmayne Hafen says
This gives me such peace. I have been struggling with fear on and off and I know this will help. Thank you so much.
Jamie Rohrbaugh says
Oh, I’m so glad, Charmayne. Praising God with you. He loves you so much and is ready and eager to fill you up with His perfect love. I bless your heart and spirit with opening up to receive all His love, peace, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name.
And thank you for reading my blog!
Simone Biles says
Thank you SO much. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! ha. I simply can’t say it enough! I knew that this year God would be dealing with me fear. I had no idea how. This fear has been rooted so deeply and it was effecting EVERYTHING. It kept me from having hope, loving others fully and rightly with brotherly affection, and even forgiving others and trusting God. From abandonment from both parents, childhood abuse, all SORTS of things, it seemed as if fear was always with me . At the end of 2014, I asked Jesus (in prayer) what He wanted to deal with me on for this next year. I had never done that before. He spoke clearly, “It’s time to let go of this fear. ” Soon after, I began dating (my now fiance). Talk about stretching. Ha. A family was something I knew I was designed for. Over time God was also making it clear that I should be praying for and preparing my spirit for my future spouse. Little did I know, he would be bringing this around sooner than I thought. Fast forward a few months- God has been revealing SO much from my past that was keeping me captive to FEAR. As a bonus- through His grace and mercy, God has been helping both my fiance and I to have increasingly MORE freedom from fear and anxiety. Lately, my fiance has been having severe anxiety attacks. These attacks effect his sleeping ,breathing, mood, etc. I’ve also been fighting off depression, fits of anger, etc. All rooted in FEAR. This morning, I dropped him off and he forgot to give me hug. I was so hurt. I knew it was rooted in my fear of rejection, not being good enough, Etc. SO (after much trial and error) I ran QUICKLY to Jesus in prayer. I confessed my hurt, my thoughts (that were fear based) and he just scooped me up in His love. What started as a prayer of surrender ended in me worshipping Jesus, praying for me fiance and our marriage, and thanking God for all He has done by sacrificing Jesus IN LOVE!
There’s so MUCH that God is doing in this season. And I thank Him that all He is doing, has done and will do is for LOVE. ALL OF IT! For LOVE. I don’t think the love of Christ has been as real to me as it is now. And I thank Him for it every day.
Jamie Rohrbaugh says
Simone, that’s amazing. Wow. Thank you for sharing! Yes, He wants to make you and me and all His kids perfect in love and set us free from fear! I’m so grateful, and I’m beyond thrilled to hear about how He’s working in your life! May Papa God continue to bless you richly!
Thank you for reading!
Ashleigh says
Perfect love casts out fear!! That is so wonderful!! I have struggled with anxiety and panic attacks; the root being fear. In the last while God has been deepening my identity in Him. Knowing that in Jesus I am whole. Thank you for that point to remember. To keep surrendering myself to God and asking for His strength and Love. Thank you for this post. Please do keep reading your old posts and be reminded of what God has done. Sorry about all my jumbled thoughts. Hope that made sense. 🙂
Lizzie says
Thank you very much for listening to God’s voice and writing the article about how to get rid of fear. It has blessed immensely. May God continue to give you the wisdom to write such powerful Spirit filled blogs.
Rafael Somma says
This helps a lot. But I also asks God to protect the little child inside me (my subconscious mind). By the way, since our conversation Jamie, I don’t feel rage or anger towards my ex. Thanks for the prayer!
Ivonne says
Thank you so much for the article about fear. Cause indeed fear cripple us in all area of our lives. When we don’t feel loved we fear what the outcome might be and this is again the deceiving lie from the enemy. God is Love and when we dwell in His presence we won’t fear evil. The bible says: For God did not give us the spirit of fear but of power and love and of sound mind. 2 Tim 1:7 I was chained with fear, fear to be discriminated against, fear to fail, fear of rejection, fear of loneliness, fear of loosing a loved one from death, separation, rejection etc. etc. But there is a God in heaven who loves us not as the world loves but loves us with completeness. Lord help me to experience your love in its completeness that I will cast out fear from life forever. Amen
Rafael Somma says
I know and understand how you feel sister. Fear takes a lot of space in my life and I’m tired of it. But at least I can see that there’s a lot of people who have the same fears as me.
Ivonne says
Yes and now we have the weapon to cast out fear and that is LOVE. I believe in this scripture so much 1 John 4:18 there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. I know that love was somehow absent when I grew up and I am now 38 years by the grace of God. I never felt loved but fear find its place in me and now that I have find Jesus I have find perfect Love. And this scripture feels to me like hearing it for the first time cause it quenched my spiritual thirst in love.
Marsha says
I had a fear of failing God and it caused me to reject him after the holy spirit gave me a revelation of his unconditional love and now I am having trouble knowing and believing he is still with me
christy says
I am going through the same thing .
I am trying to find God again . Ever since I was a.child I had a fear of departing from God. I wanted to be good. I had doubts and questions. I
I always was afraid of the judgment of God. Instead of turning towards him I rejected his holy fear .
I was so scared about doing wrong like the children if Israel. That I ended up doing wrong against him. I am now more afraid of the judgment of God upon me. It’s more a trembling fear than a repent one which I want. I feel . Like I am alone in the desert and that Gods Holy Spirit has left me. I always thought that people can choose to come back. Why do I do the opposite of what I want? I feel like I fallen in the same sin as the I died. I I have had the Holy Spirit from a young age I became a Christian at a young age. I thought I would never depart from God. I did. everything I feared. I feel like Judas. That it would be better if I was never born Please pray for me Then to do this thing. Was there hope for him? Please pray for me.
jo says
Hi Jamie,
Not sure what to write – just know that I need prayer & feel as though I have no one to reach out to. So discouraged & feeling hopeless – finding it hard to pray for myself (lack of faith). Every day is a “black hole” filled with pain, hopelessness, dispair, and yes — fear. DESPERATE! Was asking God today to please give me a starting point, something tangible to hang on to — needing some hope to cling to — have given up – AGAIN. The first things I found were your articles on Healing the Orphan Heart & 5 Keys to Peace in the Valley. Still “feeling” great pain – “feels” too much to bear– extremely difficult to function on any level — just wanting relief from the torment, BUT am praying that God in His faithfulness will indeed lead me thru this dark valley again. I have suffered w/orphan spirit all my life — am now about to turn 63. Every time I find myself in this valley of suffering, it seems impossible to find my way out. I have never “really” found the healing I feel is necessary to walk securely in God’s love. This leads to much guilt, shame & doubting that I am truely saved — causing me to isolate BECAUSE who on earth can possibly help? Who on earth would even want to spend any time with me — so depressed & negative. My prayer forever has been, “Lord, I need to know that I know, that I know – that You love me.” I have found little pockets of relief in my journey but never complete healing. Your articles today have led me back to this issue that never seems to be resolved — healing thru our Father’s love. (I think THAT is the number 1 miracle I need.) The other one is WORSHIP in the valley. (At this point I have just been trying to surrender my anger toward God — Who is my only hope for deliverance — and praying for the grace to turn toward Him & not away!) I am praying once again that God will meet me where I am at & grant me the grace & strength to continue. (My other prayer since childhood has been – “God, please heal me so that you can use me to help others who hurt as I do.”) Sounds like a pity party, I know, but from reading a bit of your stuff — I think you have experienced the same pain. As I advance in age, it is becoming harder to believe that He will indeed answer this prayer. I can only hope that He will open my heart & my eyes to whatever it is I need to see at this point. I am tired of “doing life” alone! I am so weary in the “battle”. Don’t want to be on a pity party just want freedom to be who God has created me to be. Am praying that God will somehow bring some people into my life who may be able to help me in this journey. I KNOW that God is the answer but — I am so isolated, alone & lonely that it is difficult to function. Could easily write more but feel as though I have said enough? It takes great courage to even post this. “Please, God, show me what to do and bring some people into my life that I can trust.” Thanks for listening, Jamie — if you even see this. Really just hoping to find some people who will pray for me. God bless you in your ministry & in your own personal journey. In His Love, Joanne
Tiffanie Carter says
Jesus hear your prayers. He is our present help in the time of trouble. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. The more time you spend with God it will build and intimate relationship with Him and you will feel His presence where ever you God. Receive his love today. Your faith will make you whole. Praying for you dear I understand. You at not alone. Need a friend I’m here I’m on facebook as Tiffanie Jemetrise Carter send me a friend request
Leann says
Did you ever get your healing? Are you ok?
Janet says
Oh my, this sounds like what is happening to my husband. I’ve felt like he is being oppressed and going through spiritual warfare for over 2 years now. Thank you so much for sharing.
Se says
Hello. I googled Deliverance from fear as fear gripped my heart from 2004 and I feel it’s influence in my life even now. We used to pray as youth in our local church, and when one of my prayer partners testified about a demonic attack and his victory in prayer, fear gripped my heart instead. I took a decision then not to be serious in God’s work. I took bad decisions because I really didn’t seek God seriously and hence I have paid dearly. I also know a lot of things contribute to the fear including that I have lived with albinism and I sometimes fear rejection and criticism. Now I have a family and I need God’s love to be able to guide me and my family. I have a lot of plans and I have lots of spiritual battles I have been fighting in prayer, I Know this fear stalls my progress and victories.
I have said many and confused issues but what I Know is I need to be rid of fear and I need the peace of mind. I need be completed in God’s love and experience him directly in my life. I wrote this because I thought the fear I saw above is a bit different but as I write I realise it’s all fear and I need help.
Praises says
I am touched by your article. I been tormented from the fear of accident anytime I in car that fear comes upon me and it makes me scare to even drive. But I believe I am deliver right now from your testimony and His word about perfect cast out all fear…. Jesus is Lord
Sandra says
Thank you Jesus, I have been battling with fear and my two grandchildren Hazel is 2 and Brandon is 4 and they both see demons Hazel sees demons and angels they always let me know when there is a demon present . Anyway Hazel is with me now and as I prayed this prayer I put one hand on her heart and the other on mine and God delivered us both and filled us with His perfect love it was amazing. Thank you Jaime for sharing this with us. God bless you and your family
Miss Brown says
God bless you for this post about fear. I know the word, I am a true believer. This year have been aweful with fear. I have been praying, seeking the Lord, waiting, crying, asking God to delivery my daughter from alcohol, and mental health. It’s been so hard for me. But I am trusting God and waiting on him. I am asking him to fill me and her up with his perfect love and cast out this fear. In the name of Jesus.
Pearl says
I am losing hope because of fear. Please pray for me.
Stephanie says
Praying for you, Pearl.
I know how you feel.
Suuh Christopher says
God bless you for your wonderful encouragement.
Seth says
Hi. I prayed for God to feel me with his love and get rid of the fear.
Jauntair says
Gods Word reigns true. God wanted to deliver me from Fear too and as He was delivering me from it I too meditated on The same scripture that perfect love casts out all fear… Every time I would get afraid.. I repeated Perfect Love casts out all fear and He just kept consuming me. Then I saw Him telling me to come here as a way to draw me to the place where I seek His face. He took me to a completely dark area and there was no fear at all. Just stilness. Fear is a liar. It blocks out growth to reach a higher calling. God is love and He will never hurt is. He loves us. Fear is not from Him and the sooner we accept what He wants to give us we will never be able to spiritually GROW. I hope this helps someone
Ero Stanley says
am from Nigeria, I started having these issue of fear in me for no just course, it started it started on 15 or 16th of October 2018 so i had to go into a 3days fasting and prayer, along the line I saw your writeup about how to conquer fear and I was encouraged, so went through what u wrote and i followed the process , immediately I felt something within me in my chest because it has been causing sleepless night because my heart will start because fast when the fear feeling comes , so broke fasting the fasting by 12 noon , to my greatest surprise when i went out and came back at night , my whole heart and chest was just calm and ok ,who was 23rd of October 2018, so i didn’t have that feeling of fear again , i tried to imagine the fear feeling again the way it was before , but i could not find the feelings again , so am rounding up the fasting today 24th of October 2018 , i had to change my prayer point and focus to round up the fasting , Lol , Hallelujah
Thanks very much for your testimony and encouragement.
Lindsay says
Thank you for sharing this! I’m a child of God, who is in need of deliverance. I’ve never had to put up with these types of attacks until here recently. I’m 22, and I know the Lord has a ministry for me. I’ve been very anxious and fearful. It almost feels like I’m trying too hard to focus and think like I’m gonna lose my mind. It’s been hard for me to sleep. But I’ve called out to God, prayed in my holy language, been anointed with oil, and it seems to still linger and hold on without relenting. It almost feels like I’m gonna lose control, but I know who sits on the throne. I’ve been doing my best to meditate on His word and I have completely put my trust in Jesus for my healing. But I’m struggling with letting it go, the enemy is mad I’m talking with a young man, I feel God has placed in my life who loves him but he struggles with severe anxiety, but He has the call on his life. And now I fear I’m being affected. I just don’t want to lose touch with reality! Please asking for prayers for the miraculous to happen in my life. Many blessings.