Today we’re wrapping up a study on anxiety and how to deal with it as believers in Christ. If you missed the previous ones, I’ll leave links in the post. As I said in previous posts, since worry and anxiety are such common problems, I wanted to share with you some of the truths I talk about when counseling those struggling with fear, worry, and anxiety. Many of the same principles apply whether you have experienced milder versions of worry or full-blown panic attacks. 

If this is your first time stopping by, I hope you’ll check out all six lessons. In week one, we looked at a biblical definition for worry and anxiety. In week two, we talked about what Jesus had to say about worry in Matthew 6. In week three, we dug into Philippians 4 and one of God’s greatest promises. In week four, we looked at fear versus love and how they are in opposition to one another. And last week, we took a deeper look at a favorite passage of many, Proverbs 3.1-6. This week, we’ll dig into some other truths that can help you going forward.

Winning the Battle over Anxiety Part 6 – Rest & Remember

Some of What We Have Learned

Over the last few weeks we have learned that fear, worry, and anxiety are really worship disorders. When we worry and become anxious, we shift our focus from God and His provision to the things of this world. 

But we’ve, also, learned it’s not enough to grit our teeth and try to not worry or become anxious. Instead, there are things we must do when we are tempted to give in to those emotions. We’ve learned about the importance of our thinking and how we are in a spiritual battle. Then a couple of weeks ago, we discovered that love is a powerful weapon in this battle. 

Last week we looked at how the fear of man, concern over what people may think about us or what they might do or not do, and fears about the future play into our anxiety. 

Now let’s take a look at a few more truths that can help us when we struggle in this area.

Dependent Choices

None of the things we have discussed are things we can do in our own strength. They require a relationship with God and a willingness to depend on Him. But they, also, require choices on our part. We must choose to put-off the patterns of thinking and habits of the old man (Eph. 4.22). Then we must put-on new godly thoughts and behaviors (Eph. 4.24). We must steep ourselves in God’s truth and act on it. 

• Do you know that you have a genuine relationship with God? (If not, please read this post and watch the video “Could You Be a Christian in Name Only?”)
• Are you spending time getting to know God better through His Word? And are you getting a steady intake of His truth?
• Do you find yourself trying to handle your feelings of anxiety on your own or do you pray and ask for His help?

Cure the Leper

The truth is we’re often more like a man in 2 Kings 5 named Naaman. He was the commander of the Syrian army, but he was also a leper. When he heard there was a prophet named Elisha who could heal his leprosy, he requested permission to go to Samaria.

What Can Help?

What can help us do that? 

We must get to know the God of the Bible. We need to know His character, including His goodness, His faithfulness, His omnipotence, and His holiness. We need to read the stories from both the Old and New Testaments that reveal His faithfulness to people in the past.

We need a steady diet of God’s Word. Jesus, who was the living Word of God (Jn. 1.1,14), called Himself the “the bread of life.” And Psalm 1 says:

This prosperity includes peace and wholeness in our lives. But it doesn’t just happen. It requires not getting our counsel or spending the majority of our time with those who are wicked and who scoff at the things of God. It comes to those who delight in God’s law and who meditate on it day and night. 

And the only way we can meditate on God’s Word day and night is to read it regularly and commit it to memory.

• Do you have a plan to read the Bible on a regular, preferably daily, basis?
• Do you memorize key passages of Scripture?

I can hear someone (actually many someones) saying, “But I just can’t memorize.” Yet, if we’re honest, we memorize things all the time. We memorize phone numbers, our address, passwords and many other pieces of information. We just need to rely on God’s help to memorize what is really important.

And if you don’t have a systematic way of reading the Bible, you can sign up for free plans everywhere, including here at Soul Survival.

Meditating on God’s Promises

Choose verses that the Holy Spirit seems to be impressing on your heart to memorize and on which to meditate. You can begin by going back through the verses in the previous five lessons. 

Meditating on God’s Word is simply thinking deeply about it. It’s chewing on it, rolling it around in our minds, thinking about what it means in our lives and what it tells us about God.

God’s Word is full of truths that can impact our hearts and bring us comfort and assurance.

Promises from the Old Testament on Anxiety

Here some passages to consider:

¹ But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you (Is. 43.1-2).

⁶ For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
⁷ He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
⁸ His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries (Ps. 112.6-8).

This God—his way is perfect;
    the word of the Lord proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him (Ps. 18.30).

¹⁸ When I thought, “My foot slips,”
    your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
¹⁹ When the cares of my heart are many,
    your consolations cheer my soul (Ps. 94.18-19).

And from the New Testament

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1.3-7).

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (1 Cor. 10.13).

So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Heb. 13.6)

Turn to the Lord

Let’s look at Psalm 27. David had plenty of reasons to be afraid. He was surrounded by enemies (vv. 2, 3, 12) and felt like even his mother and father had forsaken him (v. 10). But he made a conscious decision to turn to God. He remembered who God was:

• Reread Psalm 27.
• Mark key verses in your Bible.
• What does this psalm teach you about God?
• What does it teach you about your responsibility before Him?
• How does it give you hope?

We Can Win the Battle over Anxiety

God’s Word is powerful (Heb. 4.12). His throne is a throne of grace where we can come to Him in prayer and find His mercy, grace, and help (Heb. 4.16). If we belong to Him, we have His Holy Spirit dwelling in us (1 Cor. 6.19). And His word gives us everything we need to live righteously before Him and with other people:

³ His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, ⁴ by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire (2 Pet. 1.3-4).

The battle over anxiety is one that we can win with God’s help, but it requires disciplining our hearts and minds to meditate on His Word and trusting in His sovereign work in our lives. The change won’t always be instant. It takes practicing these principles until they become our habitual ways of thinking and responding. But God is faithful and His Word is true.

Homework

We grow as we apply the things of God to our everyday lives (Jas. 1.22-25). I believe you will get more out of these studies if you meditate on the things we’ve talked about and apply them in your life. 

Suggested Homework:

• In a journal or notebook write out your answers to the questions in this study.
• Meditate on 2 Peter 1.3-4 and other verses the Holy Spirit has impressed on you. Write them out in your own words.
• Make a commitment to memorize key verses. Write them on 3 x 5 cards and carry them with you, reviewing them throughout the day. Post one or two where you will see them often.
• Write a paragraph summarizing what you learned. If necessary, write out a prayer of repentance and confession.

I hope you’ll let me know how this study has helped you. Leave any questions or comments at the bottom of this post.

Links to the previous studies on anxiety:

Winning the Battle over Anxiety – Introduction, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

You can sign up for this weekly newsletter or the daily posts here. Now I hope you’ll check out last week’s other posts below.

The Most Read Post

Last week’s most read post:

“4 Ways to Give Others the Right Opinion of God”

Other Posts:

Here are last week’s other posts:

“2 Choices – Do You Want Peace or Distress?”

“The Adultery Test”

“Joy will come!”

“When You’re Stretched Too Thin”

“Religion & Christianity: What’s the Difference?”

“6 Ways to Enjoy True Prosperity”

“4 Keys to Waiting on the Lord”

Winning the Battle over Anxiety – Bible Study – Part 5 – Trust in the Lord

I hope you’ll check out a couple.

In the coming days, I’ll talk about the sovereignty of God, the seriousness of complaining, the fact that hell is real and time is short, how the sins of our parents and grandparents affect us, and much more.

Sign up for my daily emails so you don’t miss any of them.

Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.

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