It’s often said that the most common, most repeated command in the Bible is: fear not. And since “fear not” is the most common command in the Bible, fear must be our most common problem. I imagine that if I asked you what you’re afraid of, what you’re anxious about, and what has you worried these days, it wouldn’t take you long to answer. The most common command in the Bible is “fear not” because fear is our most common problem.

But as common as fear is, I’m not sure we recognize just how dangerous and enslaving fear really is. Fear is the reason why you do things you should not do, the reason why you do not do things you should, and the reason why you’re not joyful in the present.

Fear is the reason you do things you should not do. The reason you exaggerate, bend the truth, or lie to your teacher, boss, coworkers, or spouse is because you’re afraid that the truth either won’t get you what you want or will get you what you don’t. If I think back to all the times I’ve exaggerated, dangling at the root is fear—fear of not being interesting enough, not seeming accomplished enough, not being thought of highly enough.

The reason you look at websites, watch shows, or read books you should not is because you fear missing out on the temporary comfort they bring. The reason you shout at your spouse or yell at your children is because you’re afraid of not being in control. The reason you keep sins secret that you should repent of is because you’re afraid of what people will think, say, or do. Fear is dangerous because it’s the reason you do things you should not do.

But fear is also the reason you don’t do things that you should. The reason you don’t give generously to advance the gospel, the reason you don’t tell others about Jesus Christ, the reason husbands don’t lead their wives, the reason wives don’t submit to their husbands, the reason parents don’t raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, the reason we don’t break from sins that tempt us, and the reason we don’t courageously advance the kingdom of Christ on earth is because of fear—fear of people, fear of consequences, fear of failure, fear of missing out.

The reason some of you admire the Lord Jesus Christ but do not repent of your sins, receive Him as your Savior and Lord, and become His disciple is because you’re afraid of what following Jesus Christ will cost you. Fear is deadly and enslaving. It will lead you to do what you should not, keep you from doing what you should, and make you miserable in the present. God’s most common command is “fear not” because fear is the most common cause of our sins and struggles.

In Daniel chapter ten, Daniel was afraid. And God’s word to him, to you, and to us is “fear not.”

Daniel 10:12 – Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.”

Again, in Daniel 10:19 – And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.”

That brings us to the big idea of Daniel chapter ten: Our God says, “Fear not.”

Our God says, “Fear not,” but that’s easier said than done. How can we make progress in fearing not—being strong, of good courage, and walking by faith and obedience when we are afraid?

Our passage provides three ways to fear not when we are afraid:

1. Humble Yourself (vv. 1–3)

2. Fear Christ (vv. 4–9)

3. See the Unseen (vv. 10–21)

HUMBLE YOURSELF (vv. 1–3)

Daniel was afraid for two reasons, and both are revealed in Daniel 10:1:

“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.”

The first reason Daniel was afraid was the year—the third year of Cyrus’s reign. In the first year of Cyrus’s reign, he decreed that the exiles could begin returning to Jerusalem. However, by the time Cyrus issued that decree, Daniel was in his eighties and likely too old—and in too high a governmental position—to make the trip home. So Daniel stayed, but he had high hopes and godly desires for his people as they returned to rebuild God’s city and God’s house.

By the third year of Cyrus king of Persia’s reign, Daniel received word that because of severe opposition from without and spiritual lethargy within, God’s people had already given up rebuilding God’s city and house. Daniel was afraid because God’s people were not doing well. Fear that life is not unfolding the way you want, stress that everything is falling apart, and worry over the mess you’re in are very common.

The second reason Daniel was afraid was the future. He knew from the vision that life for God’s people was going to be full of trials and tribulations. Biblical counselor Ed Welch says that fear’s preferred time zone is the future. He says that worriers are “visionaries minus the optimism.” If you’re stressed about how your life, your household, or the household of God are doing in the present, then you know how Daniel felt in chapter ten. If you are afraid of walking faithfully with God into an unknown future, then you know how Daniel was feeling.

What did Daniel do first when fear began to rise and discouragement began to set in? What should we do? Daniel humbled himself.

Daniel 10:2–3 – In those days, I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.

When Daniel learned that things were not going well for God’s people, he mourned, fasted, and, as confirmed later in the chapter, prayed. Daniel responded to fear by getting on his face before the Lord. When Daniel was afraid, he didn’t panic, pretend to be an unaffected stoic, or rage. Daniel humbled himself.

When fear arises, if you’re going to walk by faith and not be enslaved, if you’re going to resist allowing fear to lead you into doing things you shouldn’t or neglecting things you should, you must first humble yourself.

1 Peter 5:6–7 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

When you’re anxious—when fear begins to rise and take control—humble yourself right away by casting yourself completely on God, because He cares for you.

Ed Welch writes, “‘Humble yourselves’—those are the arresting words. God is God, and we submit to His sovereign control. We don’t try to figure out our circumstances; we simply trust Him. Habakkuk captures it nicely: ‘The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him’ (2:20). These words are potent enough to interrupt the anxious heart and quiet the proliferation of doomsday scenarios.”

Question: What is the first thing you do when you feel afraid, anxious, worried, disappointed, or discouraged? Do you allow your mind to proliferate doomsday scenarios, pridefully thinking you can predict the future? Do you try to immediately figure out your circumstances, pridefully thinking you can control the present through proper reasoning? That’s how pride responds.

Instead, humble yourself by fasting and casting. Don’t live in your head—turn to the Lord. Humble yourself. Fast. Pray. Tell Him you don’t know how this is going to work out or where it’s all going, but you’re submitting to His sovereign control rather than sinning or pretending your way out of it. Humble yourself by fasting and casting. Humble yourself by turning to the Lord as a first response, not a last resort.

And if you don’t know what to pray, pray the words the Lord Jesus taught us: Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. The Heidelberg Catechism unpacks that prayer this way:

“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”—that is, grant that we and all people may renounce our own will, and without murmuring obey thy will, which alone is good; that everyone may attend to and perform the duties of his station and calling as willingly and faithfully as the angels do in heaven.

Our God says, “Fear not.” Therefore, when you’re afraid, the first thing to do is humble yourself.

FEAR CHRIST

After three weeks of fasting and prayer, Daniel had a vision of a heavenly person. There is significant disagreement among Bible students and scholars about who this heavenly being is. Some think he’s an angel; others believe he’s one of the cherubim that guarded the way to the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve were exiled. I believe the heavenly being Daniel saw was a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ—a Christophany.

Daniel 10:5–9 – I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.

There are a few reasons why I believe Daniel was given a vision of Christ Himself. First, notice the effect this vision had on Daniel. Daniel had interacted with angels throughout his life, but no angel ever had this strength-draining, completely overwhelming effect on him. This was someone else.

Second, the effect of this vision on Daniel is very similar to the effect Paul’s vision on the Damascus Road had on him—and that was definitely a vision of Christ.

Third, and most importantly, there’s a striking parallel between the description of the person in Daniel 10:5–9 and the description of Christ in Revelation 1:12–16:

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

I believe that in verses 4–9 Daniel saw a heavenly being different from the angel he interacts with in 10:10–21. I believe he received a vision of Christ.

Why might Christ have appeared to Daniel in radiant glory when Daniel was afraid and confused? Notice the effect it had on Daniel: Daniel was so full of fear of Christ that he was no longer afraid of the future. The answer to the fear of man, fear of walking by faith, fear of pursuing holiness, fear of killing sin, fear of building a household for God’s glory, fear of pouring out your life in ministry to others, fear of sharing the gospel, and fear of seeking first God’s kingdom in all areas of life is to fear Christ more than you fear those things. Fear is driven out by a greater fear.

Isaiah 8:13–14 – But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary…

When the Lord is your fear, He becomes a sanctuary from all other fears.

This reminds me of the night when the Lord Jesus and His disciples sailed across the Sea of Galilee. A huge windstorm arose, the waves were crashing over the boat, and it began to fill with water. Of all the ways a person can die, drowning at night seems among the most awful. They were moments away from that, and the Lord Jesus was asleep in the stern. The men were terrified, but like Daniel, they prayed as a first response, not a last resort. They woke the Lord, and when He awoke, He rebuked the wind and the sea—and they were silent. The sea turned to glass.

Listen to how Mark describes the emotional state of the disciples after the sea was no longer a danger to them:

Mark 4:41 – And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?”

The reason they could “fear not” was because they were filled with a greater fear—a fear of Christ. As John Piper says, “If you reverence God, you will consider the prospect of displeasing Him a more fearful prospect than displeasing man.”

Three great ways to cultivate reverence for Christ are to regularly read His Word, pray His Word back to Him, and gather with His people to worship Him. Doing these three things day in and day out, year after year, will cultivate a reverence for Christ that expels lesser fears.

SEE THE UNSEEN

At the end of the first part of Daniel’s vision, all his strength was drained. Seeing the glory of Christ overwhelmed every sense. However, in verse 10 another hand—an angelic hand—touched Daniel, lifted him off his face, and set him on his hands and knees. Then this angel spoke words that strengthened Daniel in the midst of his fears.

What does he say to fearful Daniel?

Daniel 10:20–21 – Then he [the angel] said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince.”

The angel says, in essence, “Don’t fear the future—see that we’re fighting for you.” Did you know that angels fight for God’s people?

If you’re somewhat new to Christianity, Christians believe what the Bible teaches—and the Bible teaches that there are angels and demons. The theologian Thomas Sappington succinctly summarizes the biblical teaching this way:

The term “angels” refers to spiritual beings created by God before the world was created for the purposes of worshiping Him and accomplishing His will. Angels were given the ability to choose whether to follow God’s will and obey His commands, and a certain faction followed Satan in his rebellion against the Lord. In the New Testament, these rebellious angels are referred to most commonly as “demons” or “unclean spirits.” Most angels, however, chose to follow God and obey His commands. They are mighty and powerful, and they possess an abundance of wisdom. The roles angels play in Scripture include offering worship to God, serving as messengers from God to humans, assisting in accomplishing God’s redemptive purposes, helping and protecting God’s people, and executing God’s judgment.

Typically, angels are unseen, but Daniel is invited to see the unseen—to see that angels fight for God’s people so that he will fear not.

Let’s return to a question I raised earlier: How is fear keeping you doing what you should not do, not doing what you should do, or keeping you discouraged rather than joyful in the present?

Our God says, “Fear not.” The final way to not be controlled by fear as you seek first God’s kingdom in all areas of life is to see the unseen—to see that as you seek first the kingdom of God, angels fight for you, help you, protect you, and come to your aid. Don’t pray to angels, but see—see the unseen; see that they fight for you.

Seeing the unseen reminds me of a moment in the Old Testament when the prophet Elisha and his servant were surrounded by an enemy army, facing certain and swift death. Elisha’s servant wanted to trust God but was understandably afraid.

2 Kings 6:15–17 – When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

He saw the unseen—and he was able to fear not. Fear not; see the unseen. Heaven fights for you.

And the ultimate reason you can trust that heaven fights for you is because in Christ, heaven is on your side. It was not always that way. We were born dead in our trespasses and sins. The Bible says we were once, by nature and by action, objects of God’s wrath. Heaven’s army was once arrayed against us, and we were headed for eternal ruin.

But God, being rich in mercy, made us alive through His Son Jesus Christ. Instead of heaven pouring out its wrath on us, God sent His Son as our substitute. The sword of God’s wrath fell on His sinless Son so that, if we trust in Christ, we are forgiven and adopted by God.

Heaven is on your side. Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ. Therefore, God says, “Fear not, I will fight for you.”