Fear and Psychology


If you are struggling with fear I would like you to consider a couple of questions: Do you believe Christ is sufficient? The word sufficient means that something is enough. So, do you believe Jesus Christ is enough to help you address your problems? If not, why not? In what way is He not sufficient to meet the need of the moment? Can you articulate what He is unable to do?

Many people who are paralyzed by fear and doubt do not understand that at its base, fear is unbelief or a lack of faith.  When I first learned this I was angered by it. I didn't want that to be true, and I wanted to proclaim that fear is just being afraid. I wanted to say it didn't have any spiritual connection whatsoever. I wanted to believe it was only an emotion or a feeling. At the time this blended with my psychologized thinking that accepted statements like: "Feelings are neither right or wrong, they just are."

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Colossians 2:8

The world says that Christ is not enough to address complicated problems like fear and panic attacks. Those same people say the Bible is fairy tales and a bunch of stories we poor delusional Christians use to placate ourselves or to lay guilt trips on people.

Psychological methods for helping people are often philosophical (example: you never step in the same river twice) and full of empty deception (example: all pathways lead to God). Philosophy means to “love wisdom” broadly speaking and when Col. 2:8 says “takes you captive”, it literally means to kidnap, or to carry you off as booty or spoils of war. That is the goal of this present world, to carry us off with deception. Satan knows he can never have our souls but he can ruin the productivity of our lives while we are here.

It is an imperative or command of Scripture that you and I do not buy into what the world’s wise philosophers are peddling. Often they offer Christ plus something else as necessary for salvation and say that the Word of God is not sufficient for helping people with any emotional problem. Those who deny that Christ and the Bible are enough are deceivers and no matter how well meaning they are, this is not the truth. 

If you do not believe Christ is sufficient then you cannot expect to be helped through biblical counseling for fear or any other problem.  Ours is a faith-based relationship, and the evidence of our relationship with Him is faith-based actions.  You must believe Christ is always sufficient and you must trust in the sufficiency found in Him.