I was pondering a question the other day about my enemies. No, I don’t have a lot of them. Well, I’m sure I have some but I really don’t care because I’m not here to please the masses. But that’s not the point. I was wondering who is my biggest enemy. So I’ll ask you, who is your biggest enemy? 

Some of you will be tempted to think of the rival business that competes for your clients. Others will immediately go back to that bully that forever changed their lives as a child in school. Still others will think it’s a teacher or maybe even someone who just didn’t see things the same way as you and they’re now your enemy.

These are all tempting answers, and I’m not a fan of just out and out telling people they are wrong but none of these are the right answer to the question who is your biggest enemy. They are probably an enemy of some form or fashion, but they’re not the biggest enemy you have. Actually the biggest enemy you have isn’t found at school, work, neighborhood or home. It’s found inside of you.

You see our biggest enemy is fear. When fear makes its way into our lives we tend to get all out of sorts. It may not be a fear of heights or water or anything like that but it could be the fear of fitting in, not being good enough, not being pretty enough, being too fat…you name it and the fear can capsize our boat and leave us stranded with no life boat.

But fear, even though he’s a formidable adversary, he’s beatable. Fear is simply a lie that we come to believe. Fear takes away your breath. It stops you from moving. It steals joy and happiness. Fear has one goal and that is to convince you that you are lacking. But there’s a way to beat fear at its own game.

It’s honestly so simple that’s it’s hard. We just need to throw it away. The song says to cast our fear into the fire. Instead of focusing on the fear and running the risk of believing the lies that fear tells us, we’re invited to focus on the love of God that makes us new. You see when we take our eyes off the of the thing that causes us fear and place our focus on the one who gives us strength something miraculous happens. Our fear becomes crippled under the weight of this renewed purpose. Fear can’t stand when it’s measured against a person who knows they are loved and valued.

Fear is nothing but a liar. So the next time you are seized by fear and don’t know which way to turn, look to the one who can rain down fire on your fear and envelope you in His love.