“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

The devil uses fear tactics to rope us into his plan of poverty, sickness, and separation from God. When we give in to fear, we begin receiving Satan’s not-so-perfect “gifts”: poverty, sickness, and lies designed to keep us from hearing the Holy Spirit!

The devil is loud, chaotic, and full of confusion. He does everything he can to rattle your mind and dump anxiety on you (1 Corinthians 14:33). But thank God, His perfect love has been poured into the hearts of those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior (Romans 5:5). That love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18) and positions us to hear the voice of the Lord clearly through the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us (John 14:26).

Don’t let fear whisper, “I don’t hear God’s voice.” His love is written in Scripture. As you practice listening for the still, small voice in your spirit (1 Kings 19:12), also read the written Word. You can boldly declare, “I do hear the voice of the Lord!”—because it’s true (John 10:27).

We must know intimately who we are in Christ. Keep your lines of communication with Him open, because “your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). I don’t know about you, but I refuse to carry the same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11) and still believe the devil’s lies. We have been given all authority to trample the enemy (Luke 10:19).

The Word says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). That’s where answers are. That’s where peace is. That’s where love is perfected in us. Scripture calls it the secret place (Psalm 91:1)—a place the devil cannot touch. We abide there through faith, believing God will do what He said and being doers of the Word (James 1:22).

The devil uses our five senses to entice us into his trap. It may seem fun at first, but eventually his “gifts” appear in the form of poverty, sickness, and separation from God. Yet it’s never too late to cry out for deliverance, because “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Get into the Word and devour every word. It nourishes, strengthens, and gives you the ammunition to resist the devil when he tries to feed you fear-based lies—fear of man or fear of failure (Matthew 4:4). When we believe the devil’s lies, we fall into sin (Romans 14:23). Repent, turn away, and choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19). Say what God says about you!

 You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). All things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23). God has delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His Son (Colossians 1:13–14). His eyes run throughout the earth, showing Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9). Perfect love casts out fear—and that love lives in you.