Six Biblical Principles to Fight the Fear of Man
1 – The fear of man is a powerful force that harms you.
Many people struggle with fear of man. It goes by many names: people-pleasing, co-dependency, peer pressure, etc. Although it is a common part of the human experience, it is not God’s will for humans. Solomon says that it is a ‘snare’ – “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe” (Proverbs 29:25). And, as we all know, snares are meant to capture animals so that they can be destroyed. This is what will happen to you if your life is dominated by the fear of man.
2 – The fear of man prevents you from obeying Christ.
If you are dominated by the fear of man, it will be impossible for you to serve Christ in the way he commands. Your fear of other people’s opinions will keep you from taking a bold stand when it is needed, or making the hard decisions that Jesus expects. Paul tells the Galatians, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). The book of Galatians is a testament to Paul’s lack of human fear – he tells them boldly the truth that they need to hear, even when it isn’t pleasant to them.
3 – We sometimes fear men because of what they can do to us.
It is true that humans have an impressive ability to harm us. Whether through their words or actions, other people can make our lives miserable. When we concentrate on the power that other people have, it is easy to develop fear. The Biblical solution is to remember the sovereignty of God over our lives. Humans are not all-powerful – they have no ability to harm us outside of God’s will. In Luke 21:16-18, Jesus warns his followers of the persecution that they will endure, culminating in death for some. But he ends on this note: “not a hair of your head will perish.” Why does he say that? Because other people have no power over you except what God gives them. Another example comes from the life of Job. Satan was indeed permitted to harm Job – but no farther than God allowed. Satan was prevented from doing everything he wanted to Job – God still held Job in his hands and protected him.
4 – We sometimes fear men because of what we want from them.
Sometimes our fear stems not from other people, but from our own desires. We want something from others – be that love, attention, approval, etc. – and we are afraid of others not giving that to us. There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting things from other people – it is natural to desire certain things in moderation. The problem occurs when we are consumed by these desires, and fall into fear of man because of our desires. John warns us, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21). The human heart, as John Calvin noted, is an idol factory. We must constantly be on guard against these idols, and prevent them from gaining a hold of our hearts.
5 – The fear of man often manifests in a variety of ways.
There are many different ways that people demonstrate their fear of man. It is a plant that sends up many different kinds of shoots, which can appear radically different among different people.
> Sometimes it manifests as ‘peer pressure,’ doing wrong because others are doing it (Exodus 23:2).
> Sometimes it manifests as pursuing accomplishments in order to maintain a reputation (John 12:43).
> Sometimes it manifests as hypocrisy – maintaining an appearance so that other people don’t ‘find out’ the truth (Matthew 15:7).
> Sometimes it manifests as ‘niceness’ rather than genuine love.
> Sometimes it manifests as overcommitment and a failure to say ‘no’ rather than risk disappointing other people.
> Sometimes it manifests as poor confrontation skills – refusing to have difficult conversations because of fear of what others will think.
> Sometimes it manifests as placating behavior, or ‘claming up’ rather than dealing with issues – again out of fear of what others think.
6 – The antidote to the fear of man is the fear of the Lord.
A right view of God will diminish your fear of man. It was Isaiah’s vision of the glory of God in Isaiah 6 that led him to preach to a hostile nation. Jesus warns us, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28). As we spend time reading the Bible and learning the character of God, we get a better understanding of how big God is and how small people are. This leads us to live for the approval of Christ, not the approval of others.
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