The Illusion of Fear: It Was Never My Shield

For years, I lived in the shadow of fear. It showed up in all kinds of ways. I pushed people away, or clung too tightly, thinking I could buy the connection I craved. I truly believed fear was protecting me—a kind of survival strategy.

But now, walking closely with Jesus, I see clearly:
Fear never protected me. He did.

This realization opened a deeper question in me: If fear wasn’t from Him, then why did I trust it for so long?
Because fear feels like wisdom. Like preparation. Like safety. But in truth, fear erodes. It distorts. It isolates.

What’s Really at the Root?

We usually focus on the causes of fear—trauma, rejection, loss. But fear isn’t just about triggers. It’s about what we believe deep down.

At its root, fear grows from false identity and eroded contentment.

We see this clearly in Eden. When Adam and Eve reached for the fruit, it wasn’t just curiosity. They believed something was missing. That God was holding out on them. They reached for knowledge without intimacy.
They stopped being content.
They stopped trusting the One who made them.

Fear Whispers Lies:

• “What I have isn’t enough.”

• “Who I am isn’t enough.”

• “God won’t come through.”

So we reach—for control, for approval, for coverings we think we lack.
But fear lies. And every grasping action rooted in fear is a misbelief.
A shadow over the radiant truth of who God is.

The Truth That Sets Us Free

When I see fear for what it is—an illusion, not a shield—I can stop bowing to it. I can listen instead to the One who says:

“Do not fear, for I am with you.”
“I will never leave you.”
“My perfect love drives out fear.”

In Christ, we are already held. Already known. Already covered.
And that’s not an illusion. That’s the truth that sets us free