Kris Vallotton • Oct 15, 2021

How to Become Courageous When Fear is Surrounding You

IS COURAGE YOUR FRIEND?

Courage has not always been a friend of mine; we had a relationship held in tension, I wanted to be courageous but fear had a strong influence in my life. But, I have seen the Lord take my weakness and make them my strength. The very things that used to riddle me with fear and taunt me with despair were enemies that turned into allies. On days when my courage tank was nearing the end, they were fuel to my fire.

Seasons in my life were plagued with the scheme of the enemy, battles in the night, motivation laid dormant, and terror tormented me as I fought the enemy. If I allowed my feelings to dictate my destiny I would still be lying on the couch crippled with fear, but I began to put up a fight and tell the dogs of doom that stood at the door of my destiny where my faith lied. When courage was hard to find I began to write a list of all the things I was thankful for and the things I feared that never came to pass. It’s crazy what I began to realize — so often the name changed, but the fear remained the same. As I began to recount the times God showed up in my life the fear that was keeping me from taking my stone and conquering the giant began to subside. I’d propose courage is not the absence of fear, but that it’s the fear that has said its prayers. The truth is, sometimes the most courageous ones are simply the ones that do not bow their head to fear. 

Fear is a powerful weapon of the enemy, if he can convince us that we are smaller and more insignificant than we are, we lose sight of the times God has worked a miracle in our lives. Consider the life of David; a small adolescent boy went to battle with a sling and a stone and was convinced it was possible to slay the giant, not out of ignorance, but because he recounted the ways God had used him before. He remembered the lion and the bear he had fought that had prepared him for this war. 1 Samuel 17: 34-36 says: “But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a sheep from the flock, I went out after it and attacked it, and rescued the sheep from its mouth; and when it rose up against me, I grabbed it by its mane and struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” This shows us the power of our testimony. I’d propose the lions and bears we face are the very thing God is using to prepare us for our victory, for the next season, or for our destiny. 

In this week’s vlog I share how to find courage and how courage is vital in every Believer's life. 

THE SPIRIT OF JEZEBEL

The story of the prophet of Elijah has been on my heart for weeks as I have felt the Lord speak to me about the spirit he was battling in the cave. This same spirit; the spirit of Jezebel has convinced many Believers in the modern day that they are small and should be afraid.


I want to be clear that Jezebel is not a strong-willed woman , but rather a spirit, which is personified by a woman in the story in the Bible. I know that some people in the church like to label women who have a strong voice or point of view as a Jezebel, but that is simply inaccurate and inappropriate.


How do you know if you’re under the influence of a Jezebel spirit? I encourage you to read the full story of this playing out in 1 Kings chapters 18 and 19. The story is long but what I want you to know is that Elijah had just come out of a great battle, and won a great victory (he defeated 850 false prophets). Suddenly he came under the influence of a spirit of Jezebel when she said she was going to kill him. Perhaps this sounds familiar, maybe you have experienced some great victories, followed by some intense battles… I propose you didn’t “miss it” when you stepped into new ground with courage. You’re experiencing resistance because you’re right where you need to be….taking new ground, advancing the Kingdom, and shining light in dark places. It may take a moment to reap the reward of stepping out into the unknown. 


I want to pray for you, if you have found yourself weary in courage may the strength of God rise up in you as you recount the times He has protected you. May the voice of fear be silenced as you seek wisdom and guidance from the Lord. 


How has one courageous act changed the course of your life or brought Heaven to earth? I would love to hear in the comments below.

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