In my previous writing The Consequences of Anxiety I shared with you the consequences and the cost that anxiety will have in your life if you allow it to rob you and deprive you of the peace that Christ has given to you,
Before you can walk in victory over anxiety there are things that you need to understand concerning anxiety.
There are three different categories of anxiety that the devil uses to bring about defeat in your life and rob you of your inheritance (peace) that Christ has given to you.
Look at
Ps 34:19
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Scripture tells us that the afflictions of the righteous are many, that there are many tribulations and trials that we must go through to enter into the kingdom of heaven
Acts 14:22
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
2 Tim 3:12
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Even though there are many evils that confront the righteous there are only three main categories of anxiety and I believe that we need understanding concerning these three categories, we need to recognize the severity of the destruction that lies within them, and we need to become hearers and doers of His word, instructed so that we are able to gain victory, and if we do not come into the understanding of these three categories of anxiety they will continually drag us into tension, into worry and depression and there is no way that we are going to be able to become over comers concerning the things of this life if we have no understanding concerning the battle that we are fighting.
Rom 8:7-8
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
1 Cor 3:1
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 Cor 10:4
(for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
The reason that I have quoted these scriptures is so that you might have understanding concerning the severity of these elements called carnality,
Carnality is walking in your own strength and functioning in the realms of flesh that has been produced by the fall of flesh.
I have said all of that to say that the three categories of anxiety deal exclusively with the manifestation of the flesh and these three categories of anxiety are going to bring you defeat, they are going to continually drag you down and bring you back to the lowest denominator which is your flesh,
Make no mistakes about it, if you deal in the manifestations of the flesh, it is the flesh from which you will be operating from.
The reason that I am bringing you these three categories of anxiety is so that we can be taught to show ourselves approved concerning the word of God to become over comers by that same word of God
Rom 4:16
Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
#1 THE FIRST CATEGORY OF ANXIETY THAT THE DEVIL USES IS THE PAST AND THE FUTURE.
Eccl 5:1
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
Once again allow me to read this to you in another version for the sake of understanding,
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
Allow me to remind you again what anxiety is, it is leaving the place where you are to go to the place of your past or your future.
The past and the future are the only two things that the devil can give you as a child of God, he can remind you of your past and make you dread your future.
What do I mean by that statement,
Concerning your past he will continually remind you of your past mistakes, your past failures, your broken relationships and he will continually remind you of all the terrible things that have taken place in your life.
Concerning your future the only thing that devil can offer you is uncertainty, to worry and to have anxiety about whether things are going to work out in your life because of the things that have taken place in your past.
Hebrews 11: 1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
The kind of faith that we need as children of God is now faith and I need to say also that the kind of people that God wants you and I to be is now people,
We are not to be a people who are tied to the past nor bound by the future.
That is why the scriptures tell us over and over again about today
Ps 118:24
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
2 Cor 6:2
(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Heb 3:7
Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
Heb 3:15
While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Heb 4:7-9
Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Today— Today— Today, we are to be people of today, we spend too much time in the past and we spend too much time deliberating about the future.
We need to live now, now physically, now mentally and now spiritually.
Now faith is for a now people who are living in the present, who are dealing with things in the present, who are ministering in the present and who are dealing with things presently in there lives.
Christ lives within the present,
Today if thou will hearken, today if thou wilt hear His voice, today is the day of salvation, today there is a day of rest.
Why must we live today?
Why must we live now?
Because the past only gives us reference to the things that are gone and the future only gives us reference to things that do not as yet affect us.
Matt 6:34
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Listen to the scripture,
Take no thought for tomorrow, for the tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.
So what does the Lord tell us concerning this category of anxiety the past and the future?
Matt 6:25-34
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feuded them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
The scripture tells us explicitly that we are not to worry or to be concerned about tomorrow and we are not to be bound by the afflictions and the turbulence of the past.
We need to concentrate on today because today will never happen again.
The word of God tells us that we are to be accountable and responsible for our lives but we are not to take on the care of our lives.
1 Pet 5:7
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Ps 55:22
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
#2 THE SECOND CATEGORY OF ANXIETY THAT THE DEVILS USES IS CONFRONTATIONS AND CONVERSATIONS
Mark 13:9-11
But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
In this passage of scripture Christ is warning His disciples that when they go out into the world to preach the gospel as He has commanded them to do, they are going to run into opposition, they are going to run into conflict and hostilities.
He is preparing them to face confrontations and conversations and He is telling them that they will be brought before governors and kings for his sake as a testimony against them.
Now as Christ finishes His remarks to His disciples listen to what He tells them in VERSE 11
But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost
Take no thought as to what you are going to speak, do not think, premeditate or practice what you are going to say before hand, do not meditate on what you would like to say or what you want to say because if you do it will not be the Holy Spirit speaking on your behalf but your flesh.
I wonder how many of have mentally rehearsed what we would like to say to people if we had the opportunity, I wonder how many of us have practiced the responses that we would like to give to those who have given us opposition, to those who have brought on persecution and to those who have caused us difficult times.
How many times have we practiced a conversation concerning a raise that we thought we deserved, how many times have we practiced a conversation that we want to have with spouse, our relatives, a friend, a enemy, the Pastor.
Why do we practice?
Why do we mentally rehearse what we would like to say?
And why is there anxiety and tension involved in confrontation and conversation?
I will tell you why?
Because we believe that the outcome of the conversation and confrontation depends solely on our ability to present our need rather than the Holy Ghost and His ability to present it for us.
You see if we as children of God are confident that we are operating in the word of God and have that same assurance as to our obedience to the will of God, then we do not have to be nervous, worried or anxious about what we have to say to others.
There is no question that we need to be prepared, but if we need to rehearse, if we need to continually go over what we are going to say, it is a good indication that we are not trusting in the unction and in the anointing of the Holy Ghost but rather in ourselves.
What we need to do is to ask the Lord to give us favor to whom ever we are going to speak and to be confident that whatever the results of that conversation or confrontation is then it is the will of God and the results will work out for the best to all concerned.
Rom 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
If we as children of God are to have victory in this second category of anxiety Ephesians chapter 4 verse one and two needs to be in our lives.
Eph 4:1-3
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
#3 THE THIRD CATEGORY OF ANXIETY THAT THE DEVIL USES IS DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS
Luke 10:38-42
Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Here we have two sisters and the place that each occupies according to scripture.
#1 First there is Martha,
Luke 10:40-42
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
You see the picture, Martha is upset and distracted and the reason that she is upset and distracted is because she is overly occupied and busy.
How many times has anxiety come into your life simply because of obligations, duties and schedules that must be done that day?
Now let me address a few things here,
I am a very busy person with a very busy schedule but when obligations and duties bring us to the place of anxiety, bring us to the place where we have lost our joy and they thrust us into the place of tension, worry and tiredness then it is time to lighten up, simplify plans and enjoy life.
Let me give you some thing profound,
I wonder if the reason that we can not enjoy life is because we complicate it.
You see there are a lot of Martha’s around
Follow me,
Luke 10:38
Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
Martha hears that Jesus is in town and is coming to her house,
What does Martha do?
She begins to clean and scrub down the house she prepares a meal, she begins getting everything ready for His visit, It’s called the Martha syndrome.
A simply visit has turned into a major production and it is fast becoming a nightmare full of tension and stress.
Listen to Jesus as He speaks to Martha,
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha; thou art careful and troubled about many things:
That word careful means anxious, Martha you are anxious and troubled about many things.
How many such visits have been turned into major productions at your home?
How many obligations and duties have become anxious and troubling in your daily life?
The story is not over because there is another sister named Mary. Listen to Jesus.
Luke 10:42
But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Let me read it to you in another version,
There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it– and I won’t take it away from her!”
Discover His peace and do not allow it to be taken from you
Choose the good part.