Last fall I went to see the theater adaptation of C. S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters at the Tennessee Performing Art Center. The Christian classic is a series of thirty-one fictional letters written in the voice of the senior demon, Screwtape, as he instructs his nephew Wormwood, on how to derail the life of a Christian.
Watching the book come to life on stage was a chilling reminder of how committed the enemy is to tormenting believers. His number one priority is to distract us from our relationship with Christ (2 Cor 11:3). The enemy knows he can’t usurp our salvation, but if he successfully distracts us from Christ we will be miserable and ineffective.
The enemy has multiple ways of tormenting and distracting us, but one of his primary tactics is producing worry that leads to anxiety. Lewis points out in The Screwtape Letters that if the enemy is able to get us to focus on what might happen, he has successfully shifted our focus away from God.
Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised by this as 1 Peter 5:8-9 says, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
I’ve yet to meet an honest person who doesn’t struggle with worry and anxiety to some degree, and I know plenty of people who are paralyzed by it. Regardless of the severity of your struggle, Scripture plays a primary role in dealing effectively with worry and anxiety. It’s not God’s will for His children to be fearful. In fact, “do not fear” is the most repeated phrase in the entire Bible.
If you are in a season of struggle with worry and anxiety I encourage you to pray and quote these (and other) Scriptures. The Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and has the power to demolish strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4). The Bible teaches us that the Word of God is the primary way we are to deal with the enemy (Matthew 4; Ephesians 6:17).
Here are 5 Bible Verses for you to quote and pray when you are tempted to worry or feel anxious:
- “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10.
- “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save, he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
- “For God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
- “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
- “I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” Psalms 34:4-5
Quote, meditate on, and pray these Scriptures until they become ingrained in you. Author and pastor, Warren Wiersbe said, “Real contentment must come from within. You and I cannot change or control the world around us, but we can change and control the world within us.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to yield an inch of ground to the enemy. If I need to, I’ll quote and pray the Scriptures until my voice is gone and then I’ll rehearse them over and over in my head. I’m unwilling to forfeit the peace Jesus died for me to have. I hope you won’t either.
Let’s keep fighting, shall we?
