As soon as I turned off the light, pure terror gripped me. I felt trapped in a body that couldn’t breathe. I cried out to God for help, and instantly a tiny flicker of peace brought some relief. Grabbing my Bible, I read out loud the first passage I opened. After about ten minutes, the horror dissipated, and I was able to fall asleep. 

Before this event, fear had become my constant companion, but this experience took it to a whole new level. I’m no expert on the subject of panic attacks, and I’m not saying that they all have the same cause, but in my case, its source was spiritual. The enemy took advantage of my struggle with anxiety. 

A few days later, as I prayed for God to take away my fears, the Lord led me to understand that he’d already given me the victory. So I decided on a new approach: I commanded the fear to leave in Jesus’ name. Then I went to bed. When I woke up the next morning, it was gone.  

The enemy didn’t give up so easily, of course. The terror tried to take over countless times, but whenever I rebuked it, standing firm in the authority that Jesus has given, it melted away like snow on a sunny day. 

When Jesus sent out his disciples to minister to the surrounding towns and villages, he gave them authority over the demonic world. He knew they would need it to be successful. Even if we don’t experience the dramatic deliverances described in the Bible, we all battle the many damaging thoughts the enemy sends our way. Fortunately, God has given us the power to defeat them, but it’s up to us to walk in that victory.  

Most of my battles with fear are much less traumatic than the event I described (whew!). But when I feel the anxiety trying to take over, washing over me like waves in a storm, I rebuke it in the name of the one who holds the universe in his hands. And it doesn’t stand a chance.