Defeat the Spirit of Fear with This Key
The Lord is my shepherd (Psalm 23:1 NIV).
Anxiety is far more common than we’re led to believe.
Even so, anxiety is still complex and unique. Your situation is not exactly like the next per- son’s. But no matter what you’re carrying, all of us have the same proven-true hope today—God is fighting for us.
Walking free from panic attacks, depression, fear, and worry is a process, one with many steps and turns. The key to living untangled from anxiety is not a plan, but a person.
Your hope is not in a formula, although a formula may be helpful. Your hope is not in a set of principles, although truth will set you free. Your hope is not in a prescription, although one may be necessary for a season. (I know this statement might cause some to “deplane” from our journey, but I would not categorically rule out the potential of God using professionals to aid your freedom.)
Your hope is in Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep (Psalm 23). He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Anxiety may be a giant looking to knock and keep you down, but Jesus is the Giant Slayer, and He is inviting you to allow Him to lead you through whatever you are facing in this world.
God understands that we get stressed in life. Dozens of places in Scripture speak directly to anxiety, and hundreds more to fear and worry. Why? Because people have always been anxious, and God has always been strengthening, supporting, and leading us toward freedom and hope. God knows that only when we let Him be our Shepherd do we have a shot at putting an “X” through anxiety.
Jesus, Our Shepherd
Arguably the best-known text in the Bible is Psalm 23. Take a moment to slowly read it.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever (ESV).
At the core of this Psalm is an extraordinary offer from God—namely that Jesus will be our Shepherd and will lead and guide us through every season. Specifically, God promises to lead us through the valley of the shadow of death, that dark place where we doubt everything good and fear every possible negative outcome.
Do you know a valley like that?
Does it seem like someone or something is lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce and destroy you or those you love?
Do you feel isolated and alone, as if no one understands the crushing load you are under or the Enemy you fear?
Or is your valley less defined—a hard-to-describe cloud of doom that descends on your best thoughts, turning life into a shadowy mist of confusion?
If so, God is offering to walk with you through that valley. The way out is not in following a plan; rather, the way out is being led by a person.
Your shining Light of hope is in Jesus, the Savior.
I know this may sound simplistic and elementary, but it’s amazing how many times we run to a website, friend, diagnosis, or a book—when the God of Heaven is standing right in front of us. Jesus is the Light in the darkness and He’s offering to be your Shepherd in whatever valley you are in.
In Psalm 23 we see Jesus as the Great Shepherd and ourselves as His sheep. Being called a sheep by God is no stunning compliment; rather, it is a reminder that, like sheep, we don’t see very well and often don’t make the wisest decisions. Sheep are not so swift and can be weighed down by their heavy wool. Not to mention there are predators at every turn—a lion or bear or cougar—waiting to take them out. Basically, sheep are helpless without a shepherd. And so are we without our Shepherd.
The good news is Jesus offers to lead, provide, protect, and preserve you through the darkest valleys and most imposing nights. His promises are true.
How do I know? Because He came to planet Earth, God in human flesh. He lived among men. He faced the same giants you and I face today. He was crucified, though He had done nothing wrong. He died. He was buried. But death couldn’t hold Him. He resurrected. His ultimate victory over all darkness proves that He can be the Giant Slayer in your story.
Calling on Jesus
Though Jesus is the Great Shepherd, and He did win the final victory over anxiety, fear, and death, He invites us to participate in the journey through our valley. He invites us to seek Him and call on His name.
In Luke’s Gospel we read about a blind man who was begging by the roadside in the city of Jericho. Hearing a commotion, the man learned that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Without even being able to see Jesus, the man cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” Those in the crowd told him to be quiet, but he yelled even louder. Amazingly, Jesus heard his cries above the chaos, stopped, and healed him (see Luke 18:35-43).
You may feel as if God is a billion miles away. I know there were moments when I felt that way. You may believe your voice will stop at the ceiling of the room you are currently in. But there is power that comes through the name of Jesus.
Calling on Him doesn’t have to be formal or fancy. He isn’t looking for a rehearsed prayer, but He wants your heart—what’s really going on. Tell Him that though you can’t see Him, you have heard He is near. Ask Him to intercede and help lift you from the pit of depression you are in. Tell Him you want Him to lead you through the valley of anxiety. Be honest with Him and ask Him to shine light into your darkness.
You may not know how He’s going to do it, but in faith tell Him you know He can.
It’s Not How, But Who
When you are in the middle of the valley of the shadow of death, you are likely eager to figure out how you are going to get out. It’s human nature to look for answers, solutions, and step-by-step processes that can lead us where we need to go.
You may have noticed as we read through Psalm 23 that the Scriptures don’t often give the how, but they always give the who. Three simple letters that, when rearranged, make a world of difference.
We’ll eventually get to some practical steps and tangible takeaways you can practice to keep anxiety at bay. However all the tips, methods, and advice are near meaningless if you don’t look first to the Person who makes passing through the valley of the shadow of death possible.
The apostle Paul wrote it this way in his letter to the church at Philippi:
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6 NIV).
Did you catch it? Paul tells us that what God starts in you and in me, He will bring to completion. He is faithful and steadfast. Paul doesn’t tell us how God does that, though. He doesn’t go on to list a dozen ways God is actively walking you through the valley. He just points back to the who. “Being confident of this, that he….”
You may have been in your valley for a long time. You may have been listening to the taunts from your giant of anxiety for weeks, months, or even years. My own season lasted far beyond what I originally thought possible.
You may have tried every method or tip along your journey, and your giant still hasn’t budged. We’ll go deeper into examining exactly what you’re facing and why it threatens to keep you underfoot. Before we peel back the layers of anxiety, I want to encourage you to repeat and embrace this simple truth:
Jesus is with me. In the valley. In the fight. In the struggle. He is with me.
As Paul wrote in Romans 8:31, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (NIV).
Between Two Hills
You’ll hear a lot about the valley of the shadow of death. I don’t have to describe that for you; you know what that feels like. But have you ever stopped and thought about the fact that, geographically, a valley is a low point between two higher points?
You might feel alone in your valley. You might feel the darkness overshadowing everything and like you are beyond hope. But there was a high point before this valley. God was with you in the past. Look back to day to a high point before this valley. God was with you in the past and there will be a high point on the back end of this valley. God will be with you when you come back up for air.
If He was with you before, and He will be with you at the end, it only makes sense that He is with you now. He did not leave you. He did not forsake you. In fact, He loves you, and because of that love He sent His only Son to walk with you side by side and step by step.
That is a truth we can cling to as we journey through the valley.
Breaking Free
When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy (Psalm 94:18-19 NIV).
