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Overcoming
The FEAR Of The Dark

    Being afraid of the dark is one of the most common fears especially among children; however, many teenagers and adults also suffer from this fear.  Furthermore, by looking at this fear, we can see the roots to many other fears.
    As a young child, I greatly suffered from the fear of the dark sometimes called, nyctophobia or achluophobia. As a child, I had horrendous nightmares about snake pits and wild animals.  I sensed that I was in the very presence of evil.  I remember not wanting to sleep in a different room or even a few feet from my parents.  I would cry and plead with my mother to just hold my hand through the bars of the baby bed.

    Why are children (and some adults) afraid of the dark?  Here are a few reasons.
1. There is a lack of knowledge and understanding of nature.
2. The individual may have an unbridled imagination.
3. Halloween, various games, TV, music, and movies may also contribute to the fear.
4. The child (or adult) may focus on his weakness compared to size of the imagined threat.
5. Familiar spirits such as the spirit of fear may have been passed down from one generation to the next.
6. The individual may have directly opened the door to spirits of fear through dabbing with magic or the occult.
7. The individual may have opened the door to evil spirits through unforgiveness, anger, bitterness and resentment.
8. The door for spirits to harass the individual may also come through religious artifacts that are ungodly.
9. Parents and peers may set the stage for fear in the individual through their own fears.
10. The individual may have a lack of understanding of God's power, goodness, and protection.

Some factors to consider:
1. God is the ALMIGHTY! 1 There is NONE more powerful than God.

2. God is sovereign.  He is the creator of both good and evil. 2  This is not to say that God is evil, but that he rules over all.  He even uses the devil to discipline His children.

3. God never slumbers or sleeps. 3  He is always awake watching over us.

4. God has a plan for your life that He is able to fulfill. 4  If you are walking in obedience,  in one sense, you are invincible until God fulfills that plan.

5. God has not given the Believer a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. 5A sound mind is a mind void fear.

6. God is with us and leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. 6 Note it is GOD who lead us into darkness.

7. God commands us to fear no evil. 7This includes the fear of the dark.

8. God keeps us while we sleep. 8 Imagine having a deep peaceful sleep while God watches over and protects you.

9. Remember that Jesus came to overcome destroy all the works of the devil. 9 Jesus has already undone what the devil came to do.

10. Greater is He in the Believer than the enemy in the world. 10The person of the Holy Spirit who lives within the Believer is greater than all the powers of darkness.

11. God won't allow you to be tempted beyond the ability that He gives you grace to overcome the temptation. 11God will not let too great a fear to come against you.

12. We have victory through our faith in Jesus. 12  The enemy may attack us with fear but we can have victory over the fear.


Some examples of facing problems without fear:
Gideon with 300 men faced a huge army. (Judges 6-7).
David faced Goliath, the giant, without fear. (I Samuel 17).
Jesus slept during a storm and faced the man full of demons without fear.  (Matthew 8).
Stephen faced being stoned to death without fear.  (Acts 7).
Paul faced persecution without fear. (Acts 13-14).
How To Overcome The Fear Of the Dark:
1. Bring every thought captive. 13  Fear enters in though our thoughts! We are to filter out the thoughts of fear that enter into our minds using the truth of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.  Also see the book, "Bringing Every Thought Captive"

2. Close all the doors to the enemy. 14  See: "The Open Door" and "The Enemy's Methods Of Entry".

3. Submit yourself to God and resist the devil. 15  Please note that both elements are necessary.

    REMEMBER: Faith in God DISPELS all FEAR!  I mentioned at the beginning of this article that I was terrified of the dark as a child. I overcame the fear of the dark by trusting that God was with me and that He would take care of me.
If you, as a parent, have a child who is afraid of the dark.
1. Be sure that there are no doors open in your life.  See: "The Spirit Of The Ruler"

2. Be sure that there are no pagan religious artifacts in the child's room or the home. 16  This also includes posters, pictures, books, board and video games dealing with the occult or rock and rap music.  See: "Strange Fire"

3. Teach the child to trust in the Lord. 17  Again, faith in God overcomes fear.

4. Anoint the child and the child's room (specifically the doors and windows) with olive oil representing the presence of Holy Spirit and consecrate both the child and his room to the service and protection of the Lord. 18

5. Pray for God to bring peaceful sleep and protection based upon the Scriptures. 19

Scriptures:
(Psalms 91:1) "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."   [return]

(Isaiah 45:7) "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."   [return]

(Psalms 121:4) "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." [return]

(Jeremiah 29:11) "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." [return]

(II Timothy 1:7) "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." [return]

(Psalms 23:4) "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." [return]

(Isaiah 35:4) "Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you"   [return]   See: "Fear Not Scriptures"

(Psalms 3:5) "I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me."  (Psalms 4:8) "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety."  (Proverbs 3:24)  "When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet."  [return]

(I John 3:8) "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."  [return]

(I John 4:4) "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." [return]

(I Corinthians 10:13) "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." [return]

(I John 5:4) "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." [return]

(II Corinthians 10:4-5) "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."  [return]

(Ephesians 4:27) "Neither give place to the devil." [return]

 (James 4:7) "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." [return]

(Deuteronomy 7:5) "But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire."    (Acts 19:19) "Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver."  [return]

(Deuteronomy 6:7-9) "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." [return]

(Psalms 23:5) "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."   (Exodus 30:26) "And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony." [return]

(Psalms 91:1-16)  "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.  Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.  Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;  Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.  A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.  Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.  Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;  There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.  Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.  Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.  With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation." [return]


Also See:
"The Real Haunted House"
"Fear ... A Drama Presentation"