Jesus many times tells us in the gospels to fear not. He is not talking about holy fear of the Lord designed to keep us on the right path to obtaining eternal life with God in Heaven. The type of fear Jesus speaks about is that which constrains us from doing the will of God.
In Our World Today
Fear grips our world today due to the pandemic. Apprehension about getting the virus sometimes causes unholiness in how we treat our neighbor. We are never to treat one another lacking love, understanding, and due respect—even when separated by politics or opinion. We are warned in Proverbs about the fear of one another: “The fear of others lays a snare, but one who trusts in the Lord is secure” (Prov 29:25). Until Christ returns upon the earth, we are assured “we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12).
Unity vs. Division
We must remain united in charity with our neighbor. The enemy of our souls is all about division. The more he can drive a wedge between us, the more he succeeds in expelling love from our hearts. This is contrary to the entire gospel message of love of God and love of neighbor. We are created for fellowship, companionship, and unity. Together, we work to supply one another’s physical, psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual needs. We build one another up in love and life. Discord, unholy anger, and dissension are marks of the devil. We will never be at peace and thrive in our communities with these present in our culture.
The Devil’s Tactics
When the devil doesn’t have a firm grasp upon a soul, he settles for distraction, instead. He utilizes fear to keep our souls from believing and trusting in God. The following are some negative ways fear affects us:
- Fear upsets our focus and concentration.
- Fear robs us of peace.
- Fear produces feelings of powerlessness and defeatism.
- Fear can cripple our ability to remedy situations.
- Fear produces anxiety and fretfulness.
- Fear causes agitation.
- Fear stifles hope.
- Fear produces dissention.
- Fear creates disunity.
All the above affect love of God and love of neighbor. They affect love of God because we take our eyes off Him whom we should ultimately trust, and we can become so agitated we cannot even pray. The tactics above affect love of neighbor because in fear we often resort to words and actions towards others that under normal circumstances we would not employ.
Combatting Fear
The best way to combat the enemy’s use of fear is to purposefully stay close to God. We accomplish this by going to Holy Mass (even daily if one is able); by praying; reading Sacred Scripture; and sharing our faith with others. Praying the Rosary is immensely powerful as is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Both are mighty in attaining heavenly graces. St. Padre Pio declared the Rosary “the ‘weapon’ for these times”; Pope Pius XII, as well, said the Rosary is “for the healing of evils which afflict our times”; and Pope Adrian VI definitively stated, “The rosary is the scourge of the devil.”
Another powerful weapon to combat fear is fasting. Case in point: In Mark’s gospel the apostles share a moment in which they express discouragement in being unable to heal a boy possessed by an unclean spirit. They question Jesus privately about this, who candidly replies, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). Here, Jesus acknowledges that certain situations require the combination of both prayer and fasting to successfully battle spiritual forces of evil.
Perfect Love
St. John says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love” (1 Jn 4:18). Jesus reminds us, too, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand” (Mk 3:24-25). To repeat again, our battle is not “against flesh and blood” but against “principalities” and “spiritual hosts of wickedness”. Our fears, therefore, should not be directed against one another; rather, we should be united in prayer and work together to eradicate evils present in our day.
To encourage us, St. Paul reveals, “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” God instills us with these good things to work for truth and justice, while remaining merciful and compassionate. To this end, we are to possess steadfast confidence in the power of the Almighty working through us: “For the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds” (emphasis added, 2 Cor 10:4).
Finally, through His prophet Isaiah, He reminds His servants: “Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand” (emphasis added, Is 41:10).
