Victory and Dominion

Over Fear

Victory and Dominion

Over Fear

by

Lester Sumrall, D. Lit., D. D.

LeSEA Publishing Company

South Bend, Indiana

VICTORY & DOMINION OVER FEAR

Copyright © 1988

by Lester Sumrall Evangelistic Association, Inc.

2nd printing

Published by LeSEA Publishing Company

P. O. Box 12, South Bend, Indiana 46624

All rights reserved. Contents and/or cover may not

be reproduced without written permission of the

publisher.

Printed in the United States of America.

All Scripture quotations are from the King James

Version of the Bible.

ISBN 0-89274-233-X

Contents

Preface. ...................................................................7

1 Unmasking Man's Deadliest Enemy. ...............9

2 The Origin of Fear. ...........................................21

3 How Fear Attacks. ............................................29

4 Fear and the End of the World. ......................47

5 The Master's Mind. ..........................................55

6 My Personal Victory. .......................................63

7 The Battle Cry Seven Steps to Victory. ..........71

My Challenge to You. .........................................89

Preface

The primary purpose of every author

producing a prose volume should be to meet an

immediate need in the hearts and lives of a

large segment of society.

This book will challenge one of the greatest

evils of our time and assist many suffering

persons in becoming conquerors over life-

defeating obstacles.
The background material for this book was

born in the test tubes of practical and

experimental laboratories of human behavior

over a period of more than fifty years.

Having lived among peoples of different

cultures, I have observed mental illness in

many lands. After counseling people in over

100 countries, I have concluded that one of the

strangest and most tormenting enemies of man

—whether he be black, yellow, or white;

cultured or primitive—is fear.

The Global March

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

Fear is on a global march! The outbreak of

World War I in 1914 caused the beginning of a

great march of fear across the world. The

economic depression of the 1930s further

accelerated this vicious enemy's march.

Material insecurity brought near panic to

millions of hearts.

World War II produced more fear. The

world advanced from the primitive warfare

used at the end of World War I—dropping

small bombs from aircraft—to the atomic blasts

of Nagasaki and Hiroshima at the end of World

War II. All intelligent humans then realized

there was no place to hide.

Since World War II, scientists and

statesmen have continually predicted the

impending extermination of the human race.

From this fear, the United Nations was born.

Tensions, caused by devastating fear, grip

the hearts of millions of frustrated people. The

world is now looking for a political genius

who, by bringing peace to the fearful nations,

can relieve these tensions.

This book, a positive approach to the

subject, contains the answer to your personal

fear problems.
8

Unmasking Man's Deadliest

Enemy

There is no fear in love; but perfect love

casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.

1 John 4:18

Fear has been called the Black Monster.

Today this monster is striking with a demonic

fury, waging aggressive warfare upon helpless

people of all nations. Because of this wicked

ogre, multitudes of modern lives are suffering

material destruction, moral degradation, and

spiritual annihilation.

The Black Monster, which torments rational

people, is not the ordinary excitement one feels

after hearing a sudden noise or when

performing a perilous task. This monster,

unmasked, is an unreasoning, tormenting,

persisting fear that makes life difficult and

distressing, blacking out people's personalities

with dark clouds of apprehension and

hallucination.

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

Universal Fear

The problem most often presented to me by

people of every color and social position

throughout the world is the problem of fear.

In addition to religious leaders, thinking

people from all other walks of life are alert to

this onslaught of fear. Herbert Hoover, a

former president of the United States,

summarized what he learned during an official

world tour upon his return to America:

The dominant emotion everywhere in

the world is fear. This applies to every part

of human activities—finance, industry,

farmers, workers, thinkers, and government

officials.”

This painful and heart-stirring report is from a

wise statesman and qualified observer.

Medical authorities also realize that the

world is in the iron-clasped grip of an invisible

enemy, whose unrelenting stranglehold is

destroying the vital life of society. Doctors fight

an increasing number of battles against this

real, yet unreal, monster in their patients. They

are studying more and more the mental man

along with the physical man.

10

Unmasking Man's Deadliest Enemy

In the political arena, world rulers are

almost to the same frustration point that King

Belshazzar reached. The night his empire

dissolved into the rubble of history amid the

wine, women, and song of a state banquet, the

Bible says,

The king's countenance was changed... the

joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees

smote one against another.

Dan. 5:6

The cause of fear in that day was the

organized might of the victorious Medes and

Persians. Today it is the awful blasts of atomic

bombs, intercontinental missiles, germ warfare,

and deadly rays from outer space. Statesmen

are among those most aware that there is no

place to hide.

The Atlantic Charter

In his first inaugural speech, the late

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President of the

United States and skillful statesman, said:

So first of all, let me assert my firm

belief that the only thing we have to fear is

fear itself—nameless, unreasoning,

unjustified terror.

11

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

At a secret rendezvous in the Atlantic

Ocean, President Roosevelt and British Prime

Minister Winston Churchill drew up the

historic document known as the Atlantic

Charter. This modern “Magna Carta" is

considered one of the greatest charters

championing the common liberties of mankind.

It will be remembered throughout history for

its Four Freedoms:

1. Freedom from Want,

2. Freedom from Fear,

3. Freedom of Speech,

4. and Freedom of Religion.

During the most dreadful conflict of

history, these statesmen listed fear as one of the

four major evils of the world. Our modern

world is enslaved by fear of war, secret police,

hunger, and oppression. These Allied

statesmen solemnly vowed to give themselves

to the fight against the Black Monster of fear.

Every rational person should devote

himself to fighting this vicious monster. Some

of the greatest human tragedies have befallen

those who are victims of fear. Without doubt,

fear is the deadliest enemy of all people.

12

Unmasking Man's Deadliest Enemy

Who and Why

Fear respects no one. It haunts the

unlearned and the university educated alike. It

strikes at the highborn and those of humble

origin. It walks the floors of the mansion and

palace as well as the floors of the hut. Men from

all walks of life have failed equally in the

entrusted job of building a successful and

happy life—a job which prepares one to live

forever with God.

Unmasking the Monster

The hideous Black Monster must be

unmasked. To do so, we cannot deal with it

collectively. For personal results, we must

disclose fear's effects on individuals.

Real Fear and Shadow Fear

The first step toward deliverance from this

diabolical monster is to know that two kinds of

fear exist: real fear and shadow fear. You would

feel real fear if you were to meet an uncaged

lion! If you fear something that does not exist,

you are experiencing shadow fear. Maladjusted

personalities result from shadow fear. This

unreal fear is what we must fight.

13

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

Positive and Negative Fears

One of the newer translations of the Bible

describes both a positive fear and a negative

one. Fear can be either a profitable servant, or

an overbearing master!

Positive fear can be described as reverence

and respect. The Bible says we are to fear God,

but this fear is unrelated to horror or terror. It is

the same “fear” a child has for his parents.

When I was a boy, my father would

delegate some small duty for me to perform

during his absence. If I performed that duty

well, I waited at the front gate for his approval

and reward. But if I had failed to do my duty, I

made myself difficult to find! I was afraid to

meet my father.

The Christian loves God and “waits at the

gate" for His approval, but the sinner does not

want to see God; he is afraid of God. The type

of fear, positive or negative, that one feels

depends upon whether or not he has done his

duty.

Facing Fears

When a person “feels afraid,” what does he

feel?

14

Unmasking Man's Deadliest Enemy

It is impossible to feel thought, but you can

feel physical changes caused by a thought: your

heart pounding out of control, your stomach

churning like an angry sea, your legs trembling

like an aspen leaf in a March wind.

Neurologists teach that the lower central

part of the brain, the thalamus is the center of

emotions. From the thalamus, thoughts of fear

propel their impulses, manufacturing

imaginary worries and fear phobias.

Also in this nerve center, affection and love

are born; therefore, “He that ruleth his spirit (is

better) than he that taketh a city” (Prov. 16:32).

This knowledge is important because it reveals

that if a person dispatches the proper messages

from his thalamus, he will win the battle of life!

Imagination and Fear

This information reveals further that

tormenting fears are not based upon anything

real. They are unfounded conditions and

emotions from within, not without.

One New York City doctor has said that

humans are born with two normal fears: fear of

sudden noise or sound, and fear of unexpected

withdrawal of support. All other fears are a

15

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

result of mental confusion and must be learned.

A notable truth is that rational persons are

born with confidence. Babies are unaware that

they have enemies. They must be taught whom

to trust and whom not to trust.

Fellow rational human beings teach infants

that they are surrounded by enemies, powerful

and persistent ones. They teach them that to

live resourcefully, humans must know how to

conquer these enemies and how to trust friends

who are waging battle with common enemies.

Unfortunately, many of these enemies are

imaginary. Yet, they harm the personality as if

they were real.

Fears Become Phobias

Looking through a house of broken

personalities is indeed sad. One observes all

degrees of ill health: from those who have

lapsed temporarily from normalcy to those

who are classified as incurable by human

standards. In many instances, these persons

permitted their petty fears to become powerful

phobias. When a person consistently reacts

unreasonably to a fear, he has permitted it to

become a phobia.

16

Unmasking Man's Deadliest Enemy

Here is a list of modern phobias which

plague humanity:

17

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

agoraphobia

fear of open spaces, of going

where people are

ailurophobia

fear of cats

algophobia

fear of pain

androphobia

fear of men

anemophobia

fear of winds or drafts

aphephobia

aversion to being touched

arachnephobia

fear of spiders

astrephobia

fear of thunderstorms

astrophobia

fear of the sky

autophobia

fear of being alone

basiphobia
fear of walking

bathophobia

fear of falling from high places

batophobia

fear of high objects (towers,

mountains)

carophobia

fear of insects

coprophobia

repugnance to filth, dirt

cynophobia

fear of dogs, of getting rabies

demophobia

fear of crowds

doraphobia

fear of touching animal hair or

fur

ergasiophobia

dislike of work, fear of taking

responsibility
gamophobia

fear of marriage

gehrophobia

fear of crossing bridge over

water

gynephobia

fear of women

hemophobia

fear of sight of blood

lalophobia

fear of public speaking

18

Unmasking Man's Deadliest Enemy

lyssophobia

fear of going insane

misophobia

fear of hatred

necrophobia

fear of dead bodies

nudophobia
fear of being seen unclothed

ophidiophobia

fear of snakes

pantophobia

fear of the future

peccatophobia

fear of committing social errors

or sinning

pharmacophobia fear of medicine

psychrophobia

fear of cold

pyrophobia

fear of fire

rhabdophobia

fear of being beaten

scopophobia

fear of being observed

scotophobia

fear of darkness

sitophobia
fear of eating

thalassaphobia

fear of sea voyage

toxicophobia

fear of being poisoned

zoophobia

fear of animals in general

19

The Origin of Fear

I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was

afraid... and I hid myself.

Genesis 3:10

Researching for a solution to a problem is

unsuccessful until the true source of the

problem is discovered. One must know a

problem's cause before attempting to remedy

its effects. In seeking a solution to the ravaging

effects of fear, one must first know its cause.

Human fear cannot be eliminated until a

rational and spiritual study of its origin is

completed.

When those cursed with poisonous fear

phobias understand the history of the Black

Monster of fear, their victory will be half won!

They will possess courage to fight back!

The story of fear's origin takes us back to

the dawn of human history, beginning in the

Garden of Eden, the paradise which God

created for man. After beautifying it with every

21

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

gorgeous flower and stocking it with plumaged

birds and strong roving beasts, God appointed

man to be the sovereign ruler over this exotic

utopia.

God gave man dominion over this great

domain, the entire earth-world, with all its

material wealth and wonderful creatures. (Gen.

1:27, 28.) Fear was unknown in the bliss and

beauty of this Garden of God. Man was

completely unafraid!

The Birth of Fear

How did the cloud of fear first settle over

man's mind and soul? If man was created to

have dominion, how could cowardly fear

conquer him?

On the day that Adam, the legal head of the

human race, willfully and rebelliously broke

the law and trust of God, man's heart became

an incubator for fear, frustration, uncertainty,

and foreboding.

The first rational transgression birthed

human fear. For the first time, cowardice was in

man's heart. He hid himself among the trees

because he was afraid. (Gen. 3:8.) On that awful

day with all its ugly and demoralizing effects

22

The Origin of Fear

upon the human personality, fear was born.

The fall of man in Eden's Garden became

the source of all human fear. Sin and

transgression is the father of fear. The Devil,

who tempted Adam and Eve to rebel against

God, is fear's originator. No wonder God's

Word states that the devils believe and tremble.

(James 2:19.) The original sins that the demons

committed before the dawn of history damned

them and created fear in them. All demons

know their day of judgment is near. (Matt.

8:29.)

The Growth of Fear

Who are the primary producers of the evil

Black Monster in this twentieth century? There

are several.

Satan

Satan—the Devil, the Evil One—is public

enemy number one in producing fear. Fear is

his strongest instrument or weapon for

breaking the personality of man and destroying

his life.

By using fear Satan separates man from his

Maker. When in fear, man cannot have faith. I

23

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

have found that in those countries where Satan

has the largest following, fear is most

widespread. The heathen live in constant fear.

Almost all of their religious activities are

performed to pacify the wrath of their pagan

deities.

J. W. Westgarth, author of The Holy Spirit

and the Primitive Mind, says: “Inborn fear,

characteristic of the African, believes that

insidious subterranean forces are at work

against him... he keeps medicine on his body, in

boxes in his home, or buried nearby to protect

himself" (p. 42). Only the Devil could make a

human so afraid.
An African explained his fears. to

missionary Westgarth: “Sin made me a coward.

When I was walking through the bush paths at

night, I was always afraid and hurried home,

but even then I felt no security. Since I set

matters right with God, I have had no fear. .”

(p. 45).

Evil Spirits

In addition to Satan, evil spirits (called

demons in the Bible), ruled by Satan, labor

incessantly to bring fear into the lives of

24

The Origin of Fear

humans.

The example given in Matthew 8:32 is

typical in biblical history of demons' fear-

raising operations. This verse describes a herd

of swine which ran violently into the sea to

perish after demons possessed them. The Bible

relates several accounts of demons inflicting

pain and terror upon humans.

Dominating Humans

Some wicked men and women take a

special delight in making others fearful. A big

bully of a man wants all his acquaintances to

fear him. He frightens the weak and helpless

with the proud, boastful words he speaks about

his courage and strength.

Unwise Parents

There are unwise parents who actually

seem to take delight in making their small

children afraid of them. They curse them

loudly, beat them brutally, and threaten them

continually.

Advertisers

Advertisers often use fear strategy sales

25

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

techniques such as, “Use Brand-X to avoid

halitosis,” or “Watch out for B.O.—your friends

do!”

Some insurance salesmen play on fear to

sell their policies. They use funeral-toned

words that create images of impending doom,

centered around poor starving orphans and

widows. I believe that as good stewards of God

we should not be swayed by these techniques,

but should always spend money intelligently.

Religion

Religion, I am sad to admit, is one of the

greatest agencies for producing fear. Some

religions thrive on fear-dominated disciples.

Their entire theology is built upon fearful

deities with avenging hatreds. Often when the

truth is presented to them, they will say, “My

religion will not permit me to listen!” I have

actually heard them say, ”I know my religion is

wrong, but I'm afraid to leave it because of

what I would suffer.”

Now that we know the origin of the Black

Monster and are aware of its primary

producers, we are ready to study the effects of

fear on man's personality. Then we will learn

26

The Origin of Fear

how to get victory and dominion over fear.

27

How Fear Attacks

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the

Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy

soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy

mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. Luke 10:27

The Physical Attack

Millions of people live in anguish, fearing

terrible diseases. Thousands of adults, fearing

cancer, diagnose every stomach pain or pimple

on the skin as the beginning of that disease.

Prompted by anxiety, families spend millions

of dollars to prevent receiving diseases which,

more than likely, they will never have.

The tissue and organs of our bodies can be

affected by these negative emotions. Fear, a

mental action, takes its toll, producing actual

physical illness and disease.

The following words from the ancient book

of Job reveal God's wisdom:

29

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

For the thing which I greatly feared is come

upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come

unto me.

Job 3:25

Fear and the Corporal Body

Modern therapeutic science has discovered

that fear can cause stomach ulcers, insomnia,

nervous breakdowns, mental depressions,

throat colds, head disorders, and also

contributes to hypertension (high blood

pressure) which leads each day to the deaths of

a thousand Americans and tens of thousands of

humans around the world.

Outstanding

medical

authorities

acknowledge the proven evils of fear. A

physician at famous St. Bartholomew's Hospital

in London, England, showed that fifty percent

of all people suffering from acute heart

ailments fell ill after some excitement caused by

social, family, or economic worries. The

renowned American physician, Dr. Alexis S.

Carroll, states: “Fear is capable of starting a

genuine disease.”

This is revolutionary thinking in modern

medical circles. Once doctors used drugs and

30

How Fear Attacks

surgery only, but in this age of tensions and

hyper-tensions, doctors acknowledge a need

for another kind of treatment. They see an

illness that goes back to the human soul. In

analyzing this type of illness, S. H. Kraines and

E. S. Thetford, coauthors of the book, Managing

Your Mind, concluded, “Fear contributes to

physical illness.”

A woman recently said to her doctor: “I am

full of fear; I can't go out by myself. I feel so

mixed up and dizzy and weak. I haven't had a

decent night's sleep in months. My mind is in a

whirl. I'm frightened! I know something

dreadful is going to happen to me!”

This is the sad testimony of many helpless

people today. An acquaintance told me that

fear of losing his job caused him to have

chronic nausea and stomach cramps.

Medical experts find that children who

don't like their studies or teacher, or who fear

school in general, can develop a “Monday to

Friday” eczema, which miraculously improves

over the weekend.

Beyond contradiction, fear has caused our

bodies to become targets of the Devil. God has

ordained that our bodies be the temples of the

31

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

Holy Spirit; therefore, they must not be fear

ridden.

Medication cannot heal fear sickness.

Christ, the Great Physician, has the exact

prescription. Anyone willing to receive may

have it free for the asking.

The Mental Attack

Fear strikes at the stronghold of the human

mind—the central government of the human

personality.

Being ill in the mind is far more critical than

being ill in any other way. For this reason, the

Devil makes the man's mind the central place

of warfare. He knows that if he conquers the

mind, man has no chance of having a normal

life.

Supernatural fear affecting the mind can

ruin the nervous system. It can spoil an

otherwise pleasing personality.

Mental Evils

Fear gives birth to many mental evils.

Explanations of several follow:

1. Chronic Melancholia

32

How Fear Attacks

R. Howard, M. D., of England states: “In the

whole realm of medicine, there is nothing so

terrible to contemplate as a man with chronic

melancholia.” (Problem of Pain, by C. S. Lewis)

Melancholia is an unreasoning and

unreasonable pessimism. It is expecting the

worst, allowing evil to outweigh the good. Its

victims call white black and sweet bitter. They

are convinced that they are right and everyone

else is wrong. Doctors would rather work with

a contagious disease than to try pulling

someone out of the depths of melancholia.

Having counseled several such persons in

this way, I know it to be a slow process. I begin

by leading the person in a search through his

memories for causes of sadness, depression,

and disappointment. Then I carefully show him

that instead of reacting negatively to each

incident, he can look at each case in another

way, a positive way. The final and most

important step comes after gaining the person's

complete confidence: I pray a sincere prayer of

deliverance. This will break the Devil's power

and turn on the sunshine of God in that

person's mind.

2. Worry

33

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

One noted psychiatrist says that worry is a

form of fear. This reveals how fear thrives in

the dark corners and deep crevices of the mind,

creating mental festers. Worry puts wrinkles in

the brow, silver in the hair, and passion in the

bloodstream. It thwarts our dreams of

happiness and success.

Millions of people worry. Some can give

logical reasons for worrying, but others have no

idea why they are worrying.

I read recently that when Philip D. Armour,

the packing house magnate, was a young man

establishing himself in business, he fell heavily

into debt. One day his banker called on him

and said, “I'm worried about your loan at our

bank.”

"Well,” the young man replied, “no use in

both of us worrying about the same thing!”

I don't know how far that banker got in life,

but I do know one thing: Most of the modern

world knows about Armour's hams! Mr.

Armour had found that the secret of refusing

worry is to take a positive action.

There is the story of a Methodist bishop

who was sitting at his desk in his parish one

night, worrying about the state of church

34

How Fear Attacks

affairs. He was very troubled, questioning

which course to take until the big clock struck

twelve. At midnight he heard the voice of the

Lord say, “Now, go to bed, Bishop; I will sit up

the rest of the night!”

Worry very simply is useless and worthless,

and usually worsens a situation.

3. Fear of Condemnation

A haunting fear that tracks many men and

women like a demon bloodhound is fear of

condemnation, It makes you jump, even

though you are guilty of no wrong. You jump

when you meet an authority figure such as

your employer or when you see a policeman.

The Bible says, “There is therefore now no

condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus”

(Rom. 8:1).

A born-again person should never have a

self-incriminating conscience. He should not

fear the past because it is covered by the blood

of Jesus. He should not fear the present because

Christ dwells within. He should not fear the

future for Christ has promised never to leave us

nor forsake us. (Heb. 13:5.)

The inner world of thought should be

35

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

covered by the protecting power of the blood of

Christ and under the direct control of the Holy

Spirit. The Holy Spirit can bring into captivity

every thought to the obedience of Christ. Paul

said, “... and be renewed in the spirit of your mind”

(Eph. 4:23). The word renewed means to make

over! Our old minds are made new by Christ's

divine power. His mental life entering our

mental life will remove the old and bring in the

new.

A Christian should enter into a covenant

with God concerning his mind, just as

definitely as he does concerning his soul for

salvation, or his body for healing. When he

does, the new man—the new creation—will

also possess a new mind, and he will no longer

live under constant condemnation.

The Christian's Mind

Christians need never spend a night of

worrying, then rise from their beds mentally

beaten, physically whipped, and unable to do

their daily work. Christ has provided rest for

the minds of His disciples. Sweet sleep is

promised in God's Word: “When thou liest down,

thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down,

36

How Fear Attacks

and thy sleep shall be sweet” (Prov. 3:24).

In my ministry to the nations, I have met

many victims of satanic mental attacks upon

their personalities. The following are

descriptions of several of these cases. Through

these examples, one can see how a person can

be delivered by the authority of the Lord Jesus

Christ.

The Man in Japan

Several years ago while ministering

together in Japan, Rev. Howard Carter and I

were urged to visit a missionary who was

suffering from a strange malady. This man,

formerly a successful missionary, had for many

months refused to leave his home, saying that

he knew the police were looking for him.

Fearing that someone would see into his house,

he kept the drapes drawn. He never shaved for

fear that he would cut himself and die.

Needless to say, his mental life was a

wreck, and his patient wife was suffering

untold agonies from doing all she knew how to

do to assist him.

Rev. Carter and I talked at length with the

man and sympathetically listened to his story.

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

Then we read God's Word to him and knelt in

prayer.

After we had prayed, I said, “Now we must

act.” I asked his wife for a pair of scissors and a

safety razor. I told the man that since Christ

had now delivered him, he must have a shave. I

clipped off several months' growth of beard

with the scissors, then lathered his face for a

shave. Sure enough, when I had finished, he

liked what he saw in the mirror.

Then we told him that the three of us were

going for a walk and that we would keep him

between us to protect him. As we walked, he

saw that no police were watching for him.

Slowly, he realized that his fears had been

imaginary and returned to his home a happy

man.

God healed that man's mind. Soon after

that, he and his wife took a furlough to their

home country. When I last heard from him, he

was a normal and happy man in his newfound

freedom.

The Woman in South Bend

In South Bend, Indiana, a devoted

Christian, who attended my church, became

38

How Fear Attacks

afraid to remain in her lovely home while her

husband was at work. The moment he walked

out the door, fear struck. The four walls around

her terrified her. She often ran from her home

to seek refuge in the homes of her neighbors

and friends. She remained away until her

husband returned from work in the evening.

The Black Monster of fear caused constant

confusion in this home. The husband could not

understand her, and she could not understand

her fear.

She told me her story and requested prayer.

I asked if she would completely obey my

suggestions. She promised that she would. In

obedience to the Bible, I laid hands on her head

in the name of the Lord Jesus and commanded

the spirit of fear to come out of her and not

return. As she was not in pain, I did not expect

her to feel too differently. However, she said

something like a cloud had lifted from her.

These were my instructions to her:

Tomorrow morning when your husband

starts to leave for work, accompany him to

the front door. Do not permit him to close

the door; close it yourself.

Step into the middle of the room and

39

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

speak these words, 'I resist every power of

the Devil. I plead for the blood of Jesus to

cover my life and home.' Then start singing

a church hymn and begin your household

duties.

It worked. Prayer and positive believing

delivered that woman from fear and restored

her home to its former tranquility.

The Youth in England

In London, England, a Christian young man

approached me and confided that he was

shackled with agoraphobia—a fear of open

places. He said that if he walked across an open

field or a city park, his nerves went jittery and

his stomach became nauseated. Many times

some inward force compelled him to run,

panting for breath, to some closed place.

I gave the young man some scriptures for

deliverance by God's power. I asked him if he

believed them. When he replied in the

affirmative, I prayed over him, rebuking the

unreasonable power of fear. A letter from him

two weeks later described his new lease on life.

God had taken fear from his heart! He was

completely at ease when walking through

parks or woodlands.

40

How Fear Attacks

The Old Woman in Chicago

Paranoia is a medical term for a delusion of

unmerited persecution. In Chicago a few years

ago, I was preaching for the Christian Business

Men's noon-hour radio broadcast. After the

service, a poor, decrepit-looking old lady,

whom I had already been observing for several

days, slipped up close to me and whispered

excitedly: “Sir, all these people here are against

me.”

I leaned over toward her and whispered

back, “Who is against you?”

Pointing to the leader of the meeting, a

businessman and Christian gentleman, she

said, “He is one!”

Then I inquired sympathetically: “Anybody

else?”

She raised her bony finger, pointed to a

number of businessmen, and whispered, “All

these people are against me!”

Had I not seen the terror on her wrinkled

face, I would have laughed. She was firmly

convinced that those professional Christian

men of Chicago, occupied with weighty

burdens of business and God's work, were

41

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

against her, though they did not even know

her.

Laying a hand on her shoulder, I promised

to help, instructing her that she must not worry

anymore.

She nodded her head approvingly and

whispered, “Thank you, sir.” Then she walked

away. I watched as she stopped at the door of

the building and looked in all directions to be

sure that none of her “enemies" would see or

follow her before moving out quickly.

To any normal person, that old lady's

actions would seem silly, yet her life was

miserable because of this devilish monster of

fear. Divine deliverance was her only hope.

The Man in Manila

In Manila, Philippines, a Chinese

businessman came to see me. When I stretched

out my hand to greet him, he pulled his hands

back saying, “I cannot shake your hand; you

may have a contagious disease.” He shook

hands with no one. He said that he felt

contaminated by everything he touched and

washed his hands from fifty to a hundred times

a day. His hands were powdered white as

42

How Fear Attacks

snow with a special disinfectant.

This man, a pitiful sight to behold, was

tormented by coprophobia—a fear of dirt. He

came to me for prayer, but he did not want me

to touch his body in doing so. He did not

permit even members of his family to touch

him. He spent his days and nights washing

away that which did not exist.

He was one who had not met and

recognized his fears. Having withdrawn

himself from actuality, he had lost touch with

vibrant, exciting, and joyful life. He existed on

delusions, misconceptions, and imaginations,

failing spiritually and emotionally to

distinguish between the real and the unreal—

the absolute basis for all happiness.

There Is an Answer

One could describe endlessly these

unfortunate souls who are victims of the Devil's

tormenting game of nerves. They are rational

people suffering deep agony from irrational

fear. They are disturbed souls living in an

earthly hell, bound by invisible, but powerful,

chains.

Are you suffering from a continual lack of

43

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

peace, from nagging anxiety or constant

confusion? Is there fear in your mind, heart, and

soul? Do you fear society or meeting people?

Are you afraid of losing your job? Do you fear

going insane?

If so, you can have deliverance. A loving

God, Who does not want you to be tormented

by fear, will deliver you.

The Spiritual Attack

Fear can influence the spirit and soul of

man. Persistent fears cause spiritual paralysis.

No man who has a heart of fear is capable of

great feats of spiritual attainment.

Fear is a chain that binds the soul, a force

that breaks communion with God. A fearful

person cannot live in the presence of God.

The truly great men of history were men

who overcame fear. The roots of their faith

went deep into the sacred love of the Creator of

the universe. They knew Him; and because

they knew Him, they did not fear. Chapter 11 of

Hebrews describes some of these heroes of

faith.

To Abraham, God said; “Fear not!”

44

How Fear Attacks

Abraham believed and became one of the

greatest men of all history.

Moses was not afraid. Though it meant

incurring the wrath of the emperor, he refused

to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He

led forth from Egypt some three million slaves

who became the great nation of Israel.

Joshua was not afraid. Even though

warring kings and soldiers outnumbered him,

they crumbled before his daring faith.

David was not afraid. He could fight a bear,

a lion, a giant. He said, “Though I walk through

the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me...” (Ps. 23:4).

Fear brings spiritual poverty to the soul.

The gifts and fruits of the Spirit wither and die

under the continued successful assault of fear.

For a healthy spiritual life, Christians must

live above fear. A commanding and

outstanding difference between the believer

and the unbeliever must exist;

Greater is he that is in you, than he that is

in the world.

1 John 4:4

45

Fear and the End of the World

... Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for

looking after those things which are coming on

the earth...

Luke 21:26

Never before in history has society known

the tremendous number of broken mental

personalities as exist in this generation. The

number of people seeking medical treatment

for “nerves and emotional tensions" is greater

today than the total of people suffering from all

other sicknesses combined.

When men and women of modern society

should have less to worry about, they are

setting an all-time record for worry and

frustration! There is a cause! The reason for this

tremendous increase in fear phobias

throughout the world must be stated and

proven. Disclosing the true cause of fear is

especially necessary at a time when modern

science and education are aggressively

47

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

attempting to stamp out ignorance and

superstition.

The Reason

Fear has a prophetical meaning. Since the

first law was broken in the Garden of Eden,

human fear has always existed because it is the

fruit of disobedience. However, one of the

certain end signs of the present world system

and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the

earth, is the many deadly, black, demon-like

fears corrupting human society.

Proving from the Bible that the worldwide

outbreak of fear is a prophetical sign of the end

of the world as we know it, will give us an all-

renewed courage to prevent fear from

overwhelming us as we battle against it.

Christ Prophesied Fear

We agree that the authority of the Lord

Jesus Christ as a world redeemer stands or falls

by the accuracy of His predictions. He is either

a true prophet or a false prophet—there can be

no neutral ground.

Evidence throughout history, including

48

Fear and the End of the World

current events, establishes Jesus of Nazareth as

a true prophet of the Living God. His

predictions have become a blueprint of history.

Christians can stake their eternal lives upon the

truth of His prophecies.

The beloved physician, Luke, recorded a

great prophecy spoken by Christ about the end

of time. The Lord said:

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in

the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth

distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and

the waves roaring;

Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for

looking after those things which are coming on

the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be

shaken.

And then shall they see the Son of man

coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

And when these things begin to come to

pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for

your redemption draweth nigh.

Luke 21:25-28

Here Christ predicted cosmic disturbances

in the heavens as an end-time sign. Since the

time of Noah and the Flood, there have been

cosmic disturbances. According to historical

records, these disturbances have greatly

49

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

accelerated within the last century.

The entire news media—daily newspapers,

magazines, radio, and television—inform us of

the horrible disasters of earthquakes in many

lands. They tell of tidal waves, typhoons,

hurricanes, and cyclones occurring in our

present day.

Having been caught in a typhoon myself, I

know its power. Its winds roared up to 125

miles per hour, uprooting trees, destroying

houses, killing and wounding many. Words

cannot describe the feeling as the building you

are in sways back and forth under a wind so

powerful that it sounds like thunder.

Christ prophesied, “There shall be... upon the

earth distress of nations, with perplexity.” Could

anyone describe present world conditions with

better words? Yet Christ spoke these words

almost 2,000 years ago. He meant them as a

sign to alert those living near the time of His

return and the end of the world.

Jesus also declared that “men's hearts would

be failing them for fear, and for looking after those

things which are coming on the earth.”

Christ plainly predicted today's fear

phobias: that men and women observing

50

Fear and the End of the World

civilization's present-day circumstances would

find their hearts gripped by deadly fear.

The great number of suicides among well-

known industrialists in many countries today is

evidence of this dreadful fear mania. Their

hearts could not stand the pressure of what

they could see coming upon this world.

Political leaders have suffered in a similar

way. As they have observed the horizons black

with national and international strife and

bloodshed, their hearts have melted. And the

layman, without a technical knowledge of

coming events, feels the very air filled with

fear.

As the horrible holocaust of Armageddon

slowly draws nearer, this sinful and rebellious

world becomes more and more fearful.

Isaiah's Prophecy

In addition to the great prophecies of Christ

regarding fear in the last days, the Bible also

records descriptions given by Old and New

Testament prophets of the condition of men's

hearts at the end of the age.

Isaiah, the greatest prophet of the Old

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

Testament, saw the end of time and prophesied

of these conditions:

For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be

upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon

every one that is lifted up; and he shall be

brought low...

And they shall go into the holes of the rocks,

and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the

Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he

ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

In that day a man shall cast his idols of

silver, and his idols of gold, which they made

each one for himself to worship, to the moles and

to the bats;

To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into

the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord,

and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth

to shake terribly the earth.

Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his

nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?

Isaiah 2:12, 19-22

All students of prophecy identify the “day

of the Lord of hosts" with the end of Gentile

rule in world affairs. At that terrible time the

proud sinners of the world, in trying to hide

themselves from a righteous God, shall seek

refuge in rocks and mountain hideouts.

52

Fear and the End of the World

Today nations are ready to make their

abode and hiding place in the holes and rocks

of the earth. This condition brings an intense

fear into the hearts of mankind.

Solomon Says...

When man has run God's last red light and

finds himself abandoned of a Savior, even his

prayers will profit nothing.

Solomon, the wise seer of Israel, wrote these

words:

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will

mock when your fear cometh;

When your fear cometh as desolation, and

your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when

distress and anguish cometh upon you.

Then shall they call upon me, but I will not

answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall

not find me...

But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell

safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Proverbs 1:26-28, 33

Solomon with his God-given wisdom saw a

time when fear, desolation, distress, and

anguish would come upon mankind.

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

John's Revelation

In the New Testament, John, the Beloved

Disciple, predicted in the Revelation that the

time would come when men and women

would hide in the holes of the earth for fear of

the things that were coming to pass. (Rev. 6:15-

17.)

He was prophetically previewing modern

atomic bombs, germ warfare, and cosmic rays

from outer space.

54

The Master's Mind

For who hath known the mind of the Lord,

that he may instruct him? But we have the mind

of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:16

In this confusing twentieth century world,

many teachers and leaders cannot live up to

their own theories and philosophies.

Because of the critical conditions of our

times, the leader must lead; the guide must

show the way; the doctor must heal himself.

Authors of well-known books on the subject of

dealing with people should not be having

matrimonial problems which end in divorce.

Noted psychiatrists should not be suffering

from mental delusions and on the verge of

nervous collapse.

Examining the Master's Mind

Christians have a perfect right to examine

carefully the thinking of Jesus of Nazareth.

55

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

Christians should be sure that the One they

follow lives up to the high standard of His

teachings.

The New Testament is a picture book of the

mind of Christ. Through it, we can travel with

the Master over the rough trails of life. We can

follow Him through the dark, musty streets of

poverty-ridden, diseased, and fearful people

and observe His mental attitudes.

Millions of people seek to understand the

doctrines of Christ in order to follow Him

spiritually and morally. They should study also

His mental habits and attitudes, then seek to be

like Him in that way as well.

Since Christ was divine as well as human

when He walked among men nearly twenty

centuries ago, no man has been able to fathom

the depths or measure the heights of the

Master's mind. So great a mind had never

existed before, and no other has since. But the

Holy Spirit will assist us in seeing and

following Jesus.

His Mind and Men

The Lord Jesus knew the mind of all men.

He was not taught by man how to analyze

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The Master's Mind

character, nor did He need to get to know a

man in order to understand him. The Master

knew the mind of men by spiritual

discernment. We see this revealed in the Gospel

of Luke:

And the chief priests and the scribes the

same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they

feared the people: for they perceived that he had

spoken this parable against them.

And they watched him, and sent forth spies,

which should feign themselves just men, that

they might take hold of his words, that so they

might deliver him unto the power and authority

of the governor.

And they asked him, saying, Master, we

know that thou sayest and teachest rightly,

neither acceptest thou the person of any, but

teachest the way of God truly:

Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto

Caesar, or no?

But he perceived their craftiness, and said

unto them, Why tempt ye me? Shew me a

penny. Whose image and superscription hath it?

They answered and said, Caesar’s.

And he said unto them, Render therefore

unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and

unto God the things which be God’s.

And they could not take hold of his words

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

before the people: and they marvelled at his

answer, and held their peace.

Luke 20:19-26

When Jesus met Peter, He gave him a new

name:

And he (Andrew) brought him to Jesus.

And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art

Simon the son of Jona: Thou shalt be called

Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

John 1:42

It took Peter a long time to understand

Jesus, but Jesus knew Peter the first moment of

their meeting, even giving him a name

representative of his nature.

When Philip urged his friend Nathanael to

come and observe Christ, Nathanael remarked,

“Can there be any good thing come out of

Nazareth?” (John 1:46). But after he met Jesus,

he changed his thinking.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and

saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom

is no guile!

Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest

thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him,

Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast

under the fig tree, I saw thee.

vv. 47, 48

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The Master's Mind

Nathanael had never encountered anyone

with such a mind. His experience with Jesus,

related in the above passage, proved to him the

messiahship of Christ. (John 1:49.)

Christ knew the mind of King Herod. He

publicly called him a “fox" because of his

unstable political policies. (Luke 13:32.)

His Mind and Peace

No man has ever known peace of mind as

did Christ. He spoke with the deepest

assurances of His knowledge of God and of His

certainty of the future.

Many times He demonstrated clearly His

peace of mind in His public life. When the

disciples feared that the great storm raging on

the Sea of Galilee would capsize their boat and

cause all of them to perish, the Lord Jesus

calmly and firmly said , “Peace, be still” (Mark

4:39). To the fishermen's amazement, the

tempestuous waves ceased instantly. Christ

knew no fear of nature.

His Mind and Danger

Christ was afraid of neither men nor devils.

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

Mark 5:1-13 records the exciting story of the

wild man of Gadara who was possessed with

2,000 angry, screaming devils. Anyone who

had faced those tormenting spirits had

trembled with terror. But as the wild man faced

the Nazarene and heard His positive,

commanding words, “Come out of the man, thou

unclean spirit” (v. 8), he felt the peace of heaven

come into his heart and mind. The devils were

made to obey Christ's powerful words.

Christ was never afraid in any circumstance

of danger. When Pilate's armed guards came to

capture Him as He was praying in the Garden

of Gethsemane, Christ assisted them. In looking

for their prisoner, the confused guards, waved

their swords and spears, frightening Jesus'

disciples. In response to Jesus' question, “Whom

seek ye?” the guards snarled, “Jesus of

Nazareth!” Jesus, in the kindest and calmest

voice, assured them, “I am He” (John 18:4, 5).

Christ's mind never knew panic or fear.

His Mind and Death

If a man weakens, it will be at his death. At

that moment all hypocrisy pulls aside to reveal

the man as he really is. As Christ approached

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The Master's Mind

the time of His death, He showed no sign of

fear, only pure victory.

We see His courageous mind more clearly

at Calvary than at any other time in His life. As

the sharp, cruel nails pinned His hands to the

rugged cross on Golgotha's hill, His mind

remained extremely alert. He uttered these

seven historic affirmations:

1. The Affirmation of Propitiation: “Father,

forgive them; for they know not what they

do” (Luke 23:34).

2. The Affirmation of Pardon: “To day shalt

thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

3. The Affirmation of Provision: “Woman,

behold thy son! .. Behold thy mother!”

(John 19:26, 27).

4. The Affirmation of Atonement: “My

God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

(Mark 15:34).

5. The Affirmation of Expiation: “I thirst”

(John 19:28).

6. The Affirmation of Exaltation: “It is

finished” (John 19:30).

7. The Affirmation of Expiration: “Father,

into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

23:46).

These are words of forgiveness, salvation,

affection, suffering, victory—but none are of

fear.

The Apostle Paul said, “... we have the mind

of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16). May this be the prayer

of each of us today.

62
6

My Personal Victory

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not

dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen

thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee

with the right hand of my righteousness.

Behold, all they that were incensed against

thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall

be as nothing; and they that strive with thee

shall perish.

Isaiah 41:10, 11

A soldier without battle scars cannot

effectively teach others to war. Readers want to

know an author's personal experience

concerning the subject being covered in his

book.

I have faced many fearful situations in my

life—the guns of bandits; the knives of killers;

the stones of religious fanatics; the strange,

unseen powers of evil in demon-infested

communities. Several times I have prayed what

I thought could be my last prayer. Only by

God's grace, am I not a fear victim.

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

A Youth Meets God

I was not brought through the dark night of

fear into the golden sunlight of faith by a kind

friend, but only by God's Holy Word.

When I was seventeen years of age, God

healed my body of tuberculosis in both lungs.

(Recent X-rays still reveal the scars.) After my

healing, God divinely sent me to proclaim His

Gospel of eternal salvation to the world. I

solemnly promised Him that I would dedicate

my entire life to His active service.

At that time I was living with my parents in

Florida. My mother's prayer was for me to

preach the Gospel, but my father did not want

me to be a minister.

Early one morning as my father was eating

breakfast in the dining room, I explained to him

that I had definitely decided to preach. I told

him that I was leaving home that day to

accompany a young evangelist and that, first,

we were going to conduct a revival meeting in

a rural school building.

My Irish father roughly warned me that,

generally, ministers lack the comforts of life.

Then he reminded me of the money he had

64

My Personal Victory

already spent on me to follow another

profession. He said that, no doubt, I would

starve if I went out to preach and that I could

expect no help from him.

As he walked out the door to go to work, he

pointed a finger at me and said he expected to

find me at home when he returned.

My Battle With Fear

To say I was brokenhearted would be too

mild: I was crushed. Besides bringing me

sorrow, my father's unbending attitude struck

terror in my heart. His words, You will starve!

kept booming in my mind and heart. A

seventeen-year-old thinks his dad is a fair

authority on most subjects, especially on how

to get along in life. My father's words caused

the darkness of Hell to cover my life.

I could not obey both my Heavenly Father

and my earthly father. I staggered back to my

bedroom, trembling at the thought of

disobeying either one. Weeping bitterly, I fell to

my knees beside my bed and began praying

desperately to Christ. Then I heard a voice

within me. It was the Inner Voice of Divine

Guidance, which I have come to know

65

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

intimately through the years. The Voice told me

to read Isaiah 41:10, 11. Unfamiliar at that time

with the passage, I turned to it and read aloud:

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not

dismayed; for I am thy God: I will. strengthen

thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee

with the right hand of my righteousness.

Behold, all they that were incensed against

thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall

be as nothing; and they that strive with thee

shall perish.

The Bible Makes a Man

Possibly that moment is too sacred to

describe. The blending of the human and

divine in that spiritually illuminating and holy

invigorating meeting is impossible to express.

As I realized how definitely, positively, and

lovingly Omnipotence was speaking to me—to

me, an inexperienced youth—I was humbled.

Each phrase of that Scripture passage spoke

dynamically to my personal situation as if it

had been written just for me!

“Fear thou not!” This direct command from

my God had the greatest effect of all the

phrases upon my mind and spirit. Like a cloud

66

My Personal Victory

lifting, fear dispelled from my heart instantly.

Fear of the future, fear of failure, fear of hunger

—all were gone! Suddenly within my breast,

the music of triumph was sounding a victory

march! God had performed a miracle—a boy's

heart had been made into a man's heart.

The second clause of this scripture gave the

reason for the first: “Fear thou not; for I am with

thee.” As I gazed at those words through the

prism of my tears, they became a fortress of

strength.

I thought, Mother's God is going with me to

preach! My pastor's Lord is going with me to

battle! The Jehovah Who had performed the miracles

of the Bible—the God of Moses, Joshua, David, and

Daniel—is going along with me as a companion!

I laughed and I wept. I stood up, looked out

over the lovely blue waters of St. Andrew's Bay,

then knelt again by the bed. I had been

transported into a new world. I felt ready to

run through a troop and jump over a wall. (Ps.

18:29.)

Looking at the scripture again, I read the

third clause: “Be not dismayed.” The word

dismay means “loss of courage; horrified

amazement; being reduced to despair.”

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

My condition at that moment fit the

description. Fear had made me lose my courage

for God and had left me in a state of horrified

amazement. But God marvelously drove

despair from my life. He revealed to me that as

His servant I would not know permanent

defeat or despair.

The fourth clause contained the positive

Source of deliverance: “... for I am thy God.” The

Living God. Not an idol of stone or gold, not a

god with ears that cannot hear and eyes that

cannot see, but a present help in time of

trouble. (Ps. 46:1.) How thrilling it was for me,

a young man, to hear God speak with such

assurances!

I read the fifth clause: “I will strengthen

thee.” It is hard for others to imagine what those

words meant to a youth, having been so

recently raised up from a bed of tuberculosis.

The battle ahead would be long and hard. I

needed divine strength, and I could feel it

flowing into every fiber of my being as I knelt

in God's presence.

In the sixth clause God continued: “Yea, I

will help thee.” God was doubly emphasizing,

assuring, and promising that in every

68

My Personal Victory

emergency He would be there to assist me and

to give me strength.

The seventh clause affirmed: “Yea, I will

uphold thee with the right hand of my

righteousness.” This “right hand” speaks of

God's power, His authority. The assurance that

God would be upholding me with His right

hand was the greatest security I could have

received.

Any minister who goes forth without the

above group of promises in his briefcase will

never be able to preach the Gospel!

I understood how to minister after reading

verse 10. From verse 11, I learned how to take

care of some personal problems:

“Behold, all they that were incensed against

thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be

as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall

perish.” This was to be my armor. I did not need

to fight my own battles—God would fight them

for me!

When I had finished studying this passage,

my heart was filled with love, joy, and faith.

Fear was gone. Dismay was defeated.

Weakness was past. God had undergirded my

spiritual life.

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

Immediately, I packed my suitcase and left

my father's house.

From that hour, God has helped me to bring

deliverance to thousands of people who are

bound by fear. If any special gift of God is

present in my life, it is to assist and lift from

depression those who are afflicted by fear

phobias.

Remember, “God is no respecter of persons”

(Acts 10:34). His Word is of no private

interpretation. (2 Pet. 1:20.) God can make

Isaiah 41:10, 11 meet your personal needs just

like He made it meet mine.

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The Battle Cry Seven Steps to

Victory

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;

but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

In the past chapters we pulled the ugly

mask off our deadly enemy, fear. We learned

how fear originated and that its originator was

the Devil. We saw the ways fear attacks the

human personality. Through prophecy we saw

how fear will increase in the last days. But then

we learned that the mind of Christ will be our

strength in those terrible times.

In this last chapter we will study how

people terrorized by this Black Monster can

meet, defeat, and destroy its tormenting

phobias.

When Fear Strikes

When fear strikes, take the following seven

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

steps:

1. Recognize it.

2. Analyze it.

3. Externalize it.

4. Resist it with action.

5. Fight it with the Bible.

6. Fight it with prayer.

7. Consult a minister.

1. Recognize Fear

Many sick people refuse to accept the fact

that they have a disease. Life to them becomes a

game of hide and seek. Saying that something

doesn't exist never makes it disappear.

If you have a fear phobia, say so! Part of the

victory comes with recognizing a problem

situation. Once you have recognized it, then

you can become alert to possible solutions.

The most dangerous kind of enemy is a

hidden one. Often, fears lay hidden in the

subconscious mind. Until you recognize them

by bringing them into your conscious mind,

you will never know how to combat the enemy.

Do not blame your symptoms on some

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The Battle Cry Seven Steps to Victory

other person or on conditions beyond your

control: failing economic conditions, world

political troubles, unfriendly home or office

situations. These cannot fill you with fear

without your mental permission.

Do not hide from fear. To see the way out of

your troubles, you must meet fear “open

souled.”

Do not try to dismiss fear as the fruit of

superstition. If that were the case, many

cultured, highly talented, well-educated people

would never be afflicted. But they are. Of those

consulting me, some of the people most

seriously afflicted with fear were highly

educated. One man, a doctor of philosophy,

lived a frightened life behind closed doors. Fear

had driven him from his responsibilities as a

university instructor.

The power of positive prayer offered by a

number of his friends delivered him and

returned him to successful work again. The last

time I saw him, he was radiantly successful and

abundantly blessed by God.

Some people feel that recognizing fears is

cowardly. But remember the well-known

adage: Cowards die a thousand deaths; the

73
Victory and Dominion Over Fear

courageous taste death but once.

When fear creeps into dangerous situations,

you must do your best to overcome it. To run or

quit is cowardice, and nobody applauds a

coward. You must go boldly to battle against

fear. There is no other way to victory. At times,

a habitual loser can become animated with a

spirit that creates a winner. I saw this once

years ago in a very interesting primitive battle

between a little rat and a big snake.

While doing missionary evangelism in the

deep jungles of South America, I spent time at

an Anglican mission station. As I was standing

with the local missionary, talking, we

witnessed an amazing sight, more amazing

than anything I had ever seen.

We saw a large snake coming out of the

barn, moving in a fast and unusual way. Before

I could ask my friend what was wrong with the

snake, a large rat came from the barn in full

pursuit. The rat plunged at the snake and bit it,

causing it to jerk forward. Then it jumped at the

snake and bit it again.

The snake was obviously in pain. Rather

than stopping for combat, the snake moved

away as quickly as possible, only to be bitten

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The Battle Cry Seven Steps to Victory

again. It was one of the most amusing battles I

had ever seen: a ten-foot serpent running from

a ten-inch rat!

The missionary explained that usually the

snake would be the master and kill the rat; but

in this instance, the snake enraged the rat by

accidentally disturbing her nest. The mother,

instinctively propelled to preserve her young,

viciously attacked the snake. Her savage attack

so caught him off guard that it compelled him

to retreat! The weak attacked and defeated the

strong!

In this incident I saw how having objectives

and determination in life give fighting power

over fear. The spirit of battle has much to do

with who wins. You can feel weaker than your

adversary, yet still gain a great victory because

of the spirit to win.

2. Analyze Fear

Fears have real causes. Just as the bite of a

mosquito is the cause of malaria, so is a real

incident the cause of fear.

When you feel fear coming on you, analyze

the situation. Search back into your life to see if

you are running from something you should

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

face. Try to remember the very first time you

were terribly afraid, and what caused it.

Determine how many times you have been

frantically afraid, and what happened just

before fear struck you.

Ask some close friends or members of the

family if they are afraid of the same thing. If

not, why not?

In a dangerous situation, all people

involved will be afraid together. When a

hurricane blows full blast upon a city, toppling

houses right and left, the people of the city are

equally afraid because the danger is real. If a

lion escapes his cage and roams down Main

Street, all people who encounter the lion will be

afraid for the situation is truly dangerous.

If others are not afraid of something with

you, your fears are unreal. Take this as an

indication that you need assistance to rid

yourself of a phobia which, if not dealt with,

could wreck your life.

3. Externalize Fear

Force fear into your conscious mind, into

your rational world. Don't repress fear, sending

it back into your subconscious mind.

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The Battle Cry Seven Steps to Victory

Externalize your fears.

When I was in Alaska conducting revival

meetings, I stayed in the home of the pastor.

One afternoon I took his five-year-old daughter

for a walk, not knowing that she had a horror

of dogs.

As we walked along the sidewalk, a large

dog lumbered toward us, wagging his tail and

licking the fingers of anyone who would stop

to pat him. When he started toward the little

girl, she screamed and grabbed me in terror,

her face pale with fear. The dog, paying no

attention, ran on down the street.

We walked on. I told the child that the dog

especially liked little girls and would not harm

her, and that dogs have saved the lives of little

girls sometimes.
Within five minutes we saw another dog as

large and friendly as the first. He came to us

and thrust his nose at her. She reached a

trembling hand toward him and mumbled,

“You are a nice doggy, aren't you? You like

little girls!” He wagged his tail, then

meandered off. Laughing and skipping, the

little girl said, “Dogs are nice to little girls,

aren't they?” “They surely are,” I assured her.

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

She had won a wonderful victory by

replacing fear with faith. Once she brought her

fears into the open and saw that they were not

founded on fact, she used her faith to destroy

them.

4. Resist Fear with Action

Many people are easily overwhelmed by

fear and take refuge behind closed doors.

According to Benjamin Franklin, “God helps

those who help themselves.” You must fight

fear with all your physical, moral, and spiritual

strength. Never yield to a fear phobia or give

up hope of victory. You must have the spirit to

fight back against your fears. Until you are

willing to actively resist fear, no one can help

you.

Better hospitals and a greater number of

better-trained psychiatrists will not solve the

fear problem. We must show the people that

God will arm them to resist fear and empty

those hospitals already occupied beyond

capacity!

Once, when I was preaching among the

tribes of Mexico, a Mexican friend told me of an

interesting occurrence.

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The Battle Cry Seven Steps to Victory

In Yucatan, where the Mayan Indians live,

there is an ancient well which, according to

legend, was used for sacrifice. Whenever a

drought, flood, plague, or terrible storm

approached, the tribal leaders chose a young

virgin from one of the leading families of the

tribe and sacrificed her to appease the anger of

the gods.

The ceremony involved cutting out the

virgin's heart and offering it to the fierce gods,

then burying the virgin in the sacred well. A

precious object was always buried with the

virgin. Many virgins and many treasures were

at the bottom of the well.

According to Indian tradition, if any person

disturbed the well by touching the sacred

waters, he would die instantly and bring the

gods' anger upon the entire tribe. Fear kept the

local Indians from seeking the treasures.

A visitor to the area heard the story from

the travel guides. Upon inquiring of the old

men of the tribe, he found that because no one

had ever searched the well for fear of death, no

one knew whether or not the story was true.

The visitor did not believe he would die

and refused to be afraid. One night, alone, he

79

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

descended by a ladder into the depths of the

well. Using steel hooks to fish in the “magic"

waters, he found among the bones ancient

treasures. The man informed his guide that the

legend of the bones and treasures at the bottom

of the well was true. He left the next day with

boxes of articles that no one in the community

ever saw.

That man broke the spell of fear over the

natives. They realized, though too late, that

superstition had kept them from the treasures.

Fear and superstition can keep you from the

best things in life. By resisting fear actively, you

will win a great victory.

5. Fight Fear with the Bible

The only living book in existence is the

Bible. Because the Bible is a divine revelation, it

possesses supernatural power.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Hebrews 4:12

that God's Word is a sword with power to

divide the spirit and the mind. Since the mind

is the center from which come fears, the Bible is

the greatest instrument in destroying fear.

The Apostle Paul further stated, “Faith

cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of

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The Battle Cry Seven Steps to Victory

God” (Rom. 10:17). This means the very power

to resist fear is derived from God's Word

entering into our being. It is very important

that you read the Bible aloud and hear it read

in your church.

The phrases, “fear not” and “be not afraid,”

appear at least 100 times in the Bible.

God spoke to Abraham and said, “Fear not”

(Gen. 15:1).

God spoke to the children of Israel and said,

“Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the

Lord” (Ex. 14:13).

The great patriarch David said, “Though I

walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I

will fear no evil” (Ps. 23:4).

Here are just twelve of the precious

promises you can use in gaining victory over

fear:

1. “For God hath not given us the spirit of

fear; but of power, and of love, and of a

sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).

2. “Ye shall not be afraid of the face of man;

for the judgment is God's” (Deut. 1:17).

3. “Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and

of good courage” (Josh. 10:25).

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

4. “I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord

Jehovah is my strength and my song” (Is.

12:2).

5. “O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be

unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong” (Dan.

10:19).

6. “For he shall give his angels charge over

thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Ps.

91:11).

7. “God is our refuge and strength, a very

present help in trouble. Therefore will not

we fear” (Ps. 46:1, 2).

8. “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”

(Heb. 13:5).

9. “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear

what man shall do unto me” (Heb. 13:6).

10. “Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value

than many sparrows” (Matt. 10:31).

11. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose

mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth

in thee” (Is. 26:3).

12. “Fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be

ye afraid of their revilings” (Is. 51:7).

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The Battle Cry Seven Steps to Victory

6. Fight Fear with Prayer

True prayer is not a mystic practice, nor is it

merely an emotional experience. Christian

prayer is not the voice of a weakling who is

begging for assistance. By prayer, I do not mean

reading prayers from a book or quoting a

prayer from memory. When I speak of prayer, I

am referring to a heart-to-heart talk with God.

There is power in prayer. Praying generates

spiritual strength and assurance. Dr. Alexis S.

Carroll once said, “Prayer, our deepest source

of power and perfection, has been left

miserably underdeveloped.” This scientifically

minded physician reveals a great truth. If

people of our land used this deepest source of

power, they would not be terrorized by fear.

Prayer is like a compass. As ships and

planes are guided by a compass in natural life,

every person is guided by prayer in spiritual

life. The less you pray, the less you know about

how to live.

The great writer, Ralph Waldo Emerson,

said, “No man ever prayed without learning

something.” Prayer is not futile talking. The

words prayed to the Infinite Source of energy

strengthen humans' finite power. By

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

addressing God in prayer, you link your life

with the power that moves the universe.

The great men of the Bible performed their

heroic feats by prayer. When Elijah (called Elias

in the New Testament) prayed, God answered

by sending rain. (James 5:17, 18.) When Christ

prayed, wonderful miracles took place. Now

you must pray. Your prayers can repel, expel,

and dispel fear.

Singing also brings victory over fear. The

grand inspirational hymn, “Leaning on the

Everlasting Arms,” is a sample of this:

What have I to dread,

What have I to fear,

Leaning on the everlasting arms?

I have blessed peace

With my Lord so near,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Prayer and praise will sustain you with the

security of everlasting arms.

7. Consult a Minister

One of the best ways to rid yourself of fear

is to have a heart-to-heart talk with a

sympathetic and intelligent person. I

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The Battle Cry Seven Steps to Victory

recommend that you consult a minister of the

Gospel.

The minister, whether an evangelist or a

pastor, is a man set apart by God. He deals

every day with problems of the soul, mind, and

spirit, and is acquainted with your type of

need.

If you do not attend church, I suggest that

you do so very soon. Get acquainted with the

minister. Ask him for an appointment to help

you deal with a personal problem. He will be

ready and happy to serve you. Follow his

instructions carefully.

When you have honestly done your part to

destroy fear, God will work with you to do the

rest!

The Bliss to Come

It would be wonderful to awaken one

morning and discover that no one had any

fears: that there was nothing to be afraid of;

that there were no more fears of insanity,

disease, job loss, fire, or any other calamity; that

no one in the world feared secret police

bursting in to take him to prison.

85

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

It would be wonderful to awaken and find

that everybody everywhere possessed a deep,

vibrant joy!

That day will come! John the Beloved was

able to see it. He recorded it in The Revelation,

the final book of the Bible:

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth ...

And God shall wipe away all tears from their

eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither

sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any

more pain: for the former things are passed

away.

Rev. 21:1, 4

And there shall be no more curse... And

there shall be no night there.

Rev. 22:3, 5

And there shall be no more fear!

The Christian life is the best one on Earth

and the only one in the world to come!

If you have not made your decision to

accept Christ as Savior, do it now. .

If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the

Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that

God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be

saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto

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The Battle Cry Seven Steps to Victory

righteousness; and with the mouth confession is

made unto salvation.

Romans 10:9, 10

87

My Challenge to You

If Jesus should come today, would you be

ready? If you are not sure, I invite you to

receive Jesus as your Savior now. You will be

filled with hope and peace that only Jesus can

offer.

Pray out loud with me right now:

Dear Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I do

believe that you died and rose from the

dead to save me from my sins. I want to

be with you in Heaven forever. God,

forgive me of all my sins that I have

committed against you. I here and now

open my heart to you and ask you to

come into my heart and life and be my

personal Savior. Amen.

When you pray the Sinner’s Prayer and

mean it, He will come in instantly. You are now

a child of God and you have been transferred

from the devil’s dominion to the kingdom of

God. Read I John 1:9 and Colossians 1:13. A

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Victory and Dominion Over Fear

wonderful peace and joy will fill your soul.

Please write and tell me what Jesus has

done for you. I will send you a little pamphlet

titled, “So You’re Born Again!”’ Mail your letter

to: Lester Sumrall, P. O. Box 12, South Bend,

IN 46624.

90

About Our Ministry

Lester Sumrall entered into a worldwide

ministry of missionary evangelism in 1934. For

over fifty years he has raised up churches all

over the world. A powerful and dynamic

speaker, Lester Sumrall ministers God’s

message with authority and takes advantage of

the electronic media to reach the world of

today. He founded LeSEA Broadcasting, Inc.

which owns and operates Christian television

stations, a local radio station, and an

international shortwave station. Dr. Sumrall is

well-known as a television host on LeSEA Alive

and as a teacher on Lester Sumrall Teaching

Series.

CHRISTIAN CENTER CATHEDRAL

OF PRAISE, where Dr. Sumrall is pastor, has

become a source of faith, of inspiration, and of

blessing. He believes that this supportive Body

makes all the other outreaches of LeSEA

Ministries possible. People with various needs

come from all over the world to receive

deliverance and blessing.

91

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

WORLD HARVEST BIBLE COLLEGE

offers a two-year Associate of Arts degree and a

four-year Bachelor of Arts degree. Students can

attend classes at the South Bend campus, take

correspondence courses, or attend one of Dr.

Sumrall’s Bible study courses live via satellite.

INDIANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

Academic work at the university is conducted

on three different levels; the Bible Institute,

College, and the Graduate Divinity School.

Diplomas are granted by the Bible Institute,

while the College awards the Associate of Arts

and the Bachelor of Arts degrees. Graduate

students may earn the Master of Arts, Master of

Divinity, Doctor of Religion, and Doctor of

Ministry degrees.

LeSEA PUBLISHING COMPANY

prints and distributes thousands of books,

tracts, teaching syllabi etc. each year. World

Harvest Magazine, published bi-monthly, is Dr.

Sumrall’s world pulpit since 1962.

92
GLOBAL FEED-THE-HUNGRY PROGRAM

LeSEA is introducing The End-Time Joseph

Program to help feed Christians who live in

areas plagued by famine. While he was in Israel

with a group of pilgrims, the Lord asked Dr.

Sumrall to initiate a global program to combat

hunger and he was told in detail how to tackle

such a herculean task. God declared that the

aggressive attack against the forces of evil

should be three-pronged. How can this be

done?

Seminars will be held in famine stricken

areas when the people are ministered to

spiritually. We will pray for the sick and

deliver those in bondage. Pastors will then be

given food and other supplies which they will

distribute among their own congregations. This

will elevate the pastor in the eyes of their

people.

We are looking for 10,000 pastors to

challenge world hunger by including “Feed the

Hungry” in their missionary giving. Laymen

are asked to join “The King’s Court” and

laywomen are asked to join “The Queen’s

Court” to fight famine. By doing so, you will be

kept informed as to what you can do. For more

information, write:

FEED THE HUNGRY, South Bend, IN

46680-7777 USA

Let us hear from you today. We must act

now! Tomorrow may be too late!
BOOKS BY DR. LESTER SUMRALL

Adventuring With Christ

My Story to His Glory

Take It—It’s Yours

Gifts & Ministries of the Holy Spirit

Alien Entities

Battle of the Ages

Conscience—The Scales of Eternal Justice

Demons The Answer Book

Bitten by Devils

Ecstasy—Finding Joy in Living

Faith to Change the World

Faith Under Siege: The Life of Abraham

Faith-Filled Words (Frank Sumrall)

Fishers of Men

Gates of Hell

Genesis—Crucible of the Universe

Hostility

Hypnotism—Divine or Demonic

Imagination—Hidden Force of Human Potential

I Predict 2000 A. D.

Jerusalem, Where Empires Die-

Will America Die at Jerusalem?

Jihad—The Holy War

Living Free

Making Life Count

Miracles Don’t Just Happen

101 Questions & Answers on Demon Power

Paul—Man of the Millennia

Run With the Vision

Secrets of Answered Prayer

Sixty Things God Said About Sex

Supernatural Principalities & Powers

20 Years of “I Predict”

The Making of a Champion

The Names of God

The Promises of God

The Reality of Angels

The Stigma of Calvary

The Total Man

The Will—The Potent Force of the Universe

The Human Body

The Human Soul

The Human Spirit

Trajectory of Faith—Joseph

Three Habitations of Devils

Unprovoked Murder

Victory and Dominion Over Fear

You Can Conquer GRIEF Before It Conquers You

LeSEA PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC.

P. O. Box 12, South Bend, Indiana 46624

Document Outline
Victory and Dominion Over Fear
Contents
Preface
The Global March
1 Unmasking Man's Deadliest Enemy
Universal Fear
The Atlantic Charter
Who and Why
Unmasking the Monster
Real Fear and Shadow Fear
Positive and Negative Fears
Facing Fears
Imagination and Fear
Fears Become Phobias
2 The Origin of Fear
The Birth of Fear
The Growth of Fear
Satan
Evil Spirits
Dominating Humans
Unwise Parents
Advertisers
Religion
3 How Fear Attacks
The Physical Attack
Fear and the Corporal Body
The Mental Attack
Mental Evils
The Christian's Mind
The Man in Japan
The Woman in South Bend
The Youth in England
The Old Woman in Chicago
 The Man in Manila
There Is an Answer
The Spiritual Attack
4 Fear and the End of the World
The Reason
Christ Prophesied Fear
Isaiah's Prophecy
Solomon Says...
John's Revelation
5 The Master's Mind
Examining the Master's Mind
His Mind and Men
His Mind and Peace
His Mind and Danger
His Mind and Death
6 My Personal Victory
A Youth Meets God
My Battle With Fear
The Bible Makes a Man
7 The Battle Cry Seven Steps to Victory
When Fear Strikes
1. Recognize Fear
2. Analyze Fear
3. Externalize Fear
4. Resist Fear with Action
5. Fight Fear with the Bible
6. Fight Fear with Prayer
7. Consult a Minister
The Bliss to Come
My Challenge to You