Fear is a Juggernaut

A couple weeks ago, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, "fear is a juggernaut." I knew I had heard that word before, but wasn't exactly sure what it meant, so I looked it up.

A "juggernaut" is a massive, relentless force that attempts to crush everything in its path. It also refers historically to a tradition where people who worshipped the god Krishna would construct massive, tower-like chariots with many wheels and pull them through a crowd of worshippers where many often got crushed beneath them. Which is why the term is also used to describe something that demands blind devotion or merciless sacrifice, and socially, the behavior of everyone jumping on a "bandwagon." It can also refer to a large "machine" or group of people working together or a growing political movement with an association of being crushingly destructive.

There's so much in that phrase and definitions alone, I barely need to elaborate!

Right now (and for the past year), the spirit of fear has been visibly trying to take over everything. Even non-believers can feel it. It's why the Holy Spirit referred to it as a "juggernaut." It is relentless and ATTEMPTS to crush everyone in its path. It can feel powerful and overwhelming, like there is no escape. Especially in a society that is actively pushing the "bandwagon" mentality of bowing to fear at every turn. (And we won't even get into the crushingly destructive political movement part.)

But, what we as believers need to remember and PUT OUR TRUST IN is that God is bigger than all of that! Not figuratively, literally! And through Jesus Christ, so are we!

Luke 10:19 reminds us that Jesus gave us authority over ALL (not some) power of the enemy. But, it's time for us to believe that! Psalm 91 says when we find our shelter and refuge in the Most High, we will not fear. Even though thousands are falling around us, the terrors will not touch us and we will only observe it with our eyes (vs. 8 NIV).

But, you have to BELIEVE that. You have to KNOW it. You have to TRUST it and live in it.

While I was leaning in with the Holy Spirit on this, He also led me to this quote from Bill Wilson, which just “happens” to use the same word - juggernaut - to describe self-sufficiency.

The Lord has been speaking so much about our "self" and how when we are in our "self," we are actually fighting against Him. It's why He tells us to approach Him like a child. With vulnerability and humility. And why Isaiah 30:15 (MSG) says "Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on Me."

The very next verse after that though says, "The very thing you've been unwilling to do." The reason why believers are still struggling just like the rest of the world is because they have been refusing to settle down in COMPLETE dependence on the Lord. Their pride and self-sufficiency keeps them from approaching the Lord like a child. In fact, the Church at large has gotten so mixed in with the "self" ways of the world most of them don't even realize they're doing it! But, the Lord wants to open everyone's eyes and help them see.

When you are living in self-sufficiency, you are operating in the ways of the world and the enemy and that's just how he wants it to be. Because he knows what that leads to - exactly what this quote says - RUIN. Destruction. The enemy came to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). So, if he can't outright kill you or steal you away from the Kingdom of God, he will do his best to destroy you in your flesh. Because he knows that's where he can keep you from the peace, rest, provision, protection and strength of God.

When you are trying to save yourself, protect yourself, heal yourself, support yourself and provide for yourself, you are letting pride and fear take you out of your rightful place - under the wings of God. Because you are believing the lie that He isn't "enough." That YOU have to do something (or things) to help Him out. But then, you find yourself in anxiety, depression, fear, exhaustion, confusion and disappointment and wonder why God isn't helping or where this "peace" is that the Bible talks about. It's IN HIM. Not in your "self."

And just like He likes to always do with me, the Holy Spirit also gave me a real-life visual to drive the point home. But, ugh... was this one graphic. I was driving and saw a turtle about to cross the road from the opposite side, so I slowed down to turn around and go get it (like I always do). But this time, I had to go a little ways down the road before I could turn around. I was praying for the Lord to please protect it until I could get back. So, I turned around as quick as I could, but already when I got back to the spot, the turtle had been hit and was splattered everywhere.

I literally said out loud, “Okay, what in the world, Lord? Why did you let me see that?? When you KNOW how sensitive I am about animals!” But, He explained that He was speaking something through it. He reminded me that I had said out loud, "How did that even happen? He had his head out of his shell when I passed him, didn't he see the traffic coming?" And He explained that what He was showing me is that even when you try to always be on alert, always be on guard, always looking for "danger" (which is how fear, anxiety and depression manifest in your life), you STILL can't save yourself. Just like the turtle couldn't depend on retreating into his shell to save him, neither can we "save ourselves" or "protect ourselves." We HAVE to depend on Him FULLY to do it. The self-protection may work for a little while, but eventually, we will find that it fails.

But, you don't have to get "run over" by the juggernaut of fear. You don't have to jump on the bandwagon of fear and anxiety with everyone else. Or succumb to the lie of self-sufficiency. You have a loving Father who wants nothing more than to take care of you and protect you the way He always intended and promises in His word. But, it's up to you to decide if you really BELIEVE Him.

You already have the victory over ALL power of the enemy. You were NOT given a spirit of fear. But, of power, love and self-control (2 Tim. 1:7). The word there for “self-control” in the original Greek is also defined as self-discipline or prudence. Discipline means to “train someone or something to obey a code of behavior or to be in accordance with a particular system of governance.” And prudence means “the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason.”

As a follower of Christ, you were given a spirit - His Holy Spirit! - of power. You were given a spirit of self-control. Which means YOU have control over your flesh. YOU govern it. Not the other way around. Paul speaks about living by the spirit and not your flesh in Galatians 6:16-25. And in 1 Cor. 9:27, about how he disciplines his own body (flesh) and brings it into subjection (under control).

Left unchecked, your flesh will try to dominate you at every turn. And like I’ve talked about in other posts and videos, when you’re in your flesh, you are subject to the enemy’s attacks. Which is why it’s so important to completely surrender and submit it to the Lord - every day if you have to!

Because fear can only attempt to crush you. The enemy can only attempt to destroy you. But, you don’t have to submit to it and let it happen.

Control your flesh/self by surrendering to the Lord and receiving His grace, protection, provision and love. For perfect love drives out all fear!

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” -1 John 4:18