Rise Above Your Fear
Puritan: John Flavel
Source: Triumphing Over Sinful Fear
Originally Delivered: 1682, England
The Lord’s Day: July 12, 2026
“It is a sinful and dangerous mistake to give a creature that trust and dependence that belongs to God alone. Our fear magnifies and exalts the creature, putting it in God’s room and place. It exalts people and belittles God. It thinks upon a person’s harmful power so much that it forgets God’s saving power.
Oh, Christian! If you will ever rise above your fear, you must settle these things upon your heart by faith.
1. The reins of government are in Christ’s hands. Enemies, like wild horses, may prance up and down as though they would trample everyone in their path; but the bridle of providence is in their mouths and upon their proud necks (2 Kings 19:28).
2. The care of the saints is in Christ’s hands. He is the Head of the body (Eph. 1:22-23). It is a reproach and dishonor to Christ to fill our heads with distracting cares and fears when we have so wise a Head to consult and work for us.
3. You have lived to this day upon Christ’s care. No truth is more evident than this: wisdom beyond your own has guided your ways (Jer. 10:23), power above your own has supported your burdens (Psalm 73:26), and a spring of relief beyond you has met your needs (Luke 22:35). He has performed everything for you.
4. Christ has promised to take care of His people – no matter the circumstances (Eccl. 8:12; Amos 9:8-9; Rom. 8:28).
Oh, if we thoroughly believed these things, fear could no more afflict our hearts than clouds could trouble the heavens! But we forget His providences and promises and are justly left in the hands of our own fears to be afflicted.
Nothing is better for us than to resign our reason to faith, to see all things through the promises, and to trust God over all events. Whoever lives by faith never dies by fear. The more you trust God, the less you will torment yourself.
In order to subdue your slavish fear, you must exalt the fear of God in your hearts and let it gain the ascendancy over all other fears.
We must sanctify the Lord of Hosts and make Him our fear!
May the Lord strengthen, establish, and settle His people’s feeble and trembling hearts through what my weak hand has offered for their relief.
Amen.”