The Enemy Uses Fear and Self-Preservation

The Battle Within: Recognizing the Enemy’s Tactics

Scott opened with a personal reminder: the spiritual battle is not just somewhere out there, but often close to home, sometimes inside our own hearts and decisions. As he put it:

"We have the enemy and that's that, that's Satan and his kingdom, just be straightforward with it, who's always trying to usurp God's authority...and it's taking place through human beings a lot of times."

He retold the story of leaving Indiana, how a clear call from God was soon met by real fear and the crumbling of safety nets he’d carefully planned. When the sale of his house fell through just weeks before moving with his wife and two kids, he found himself wrestling with the choice between obedience and self-preservation. He remembered:

"We'd come this far with the Lord, we were going to go the rest of the way. And so, we came. There were those times that it was a struggle. And there were two years there that it was a major struggle. And self-preservation would start to show up again."

Scott made it plain, spiritual battles are often fought through fear and self-preservation, and the enemy uses these tools to keep God’s people from obeying. He warned that our perception can be manipulated, not just by people outside the church, but by our own instincts and worries.

Obstacles to Obedience: The Enemy’s First Strategy

Turning to Matthew 16:21-28, Scott pointed out how the enemy tried to derail even Jesus through well-intentioned friends. As Jesus spelled out the hard road ahead (“he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things...and that he must be killed, and on the third day be raised to life”), Peter couldn’t bear the thought.

"Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 'Never, Lord,' he said. 'This shall never happen to you.' Jesus turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan. You are a stumbling block to me. You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.'"

Scott noted that Peter’s reaction sprung from good intentions, he loved Jesus and feared for his safety. But fear and concern for self-preservation were, in this moment, being used by the enemy. Peter’s very desire to protect became a temptation for Jesus to abandon His Father’s will. Scott made the connection clear:

"What was happening was the way that I was perceiving things and the way that I was thinking through these things, it was the enemy who whispers in your ear."

The lesson is stark, sometimes the hardest thing is to obey because fear tells us we are being foolish, and self-preservation feels responsible.

The Mindset Shift: From Worldly Concerns to Godly Priorities

Scott asked us to examine what fills our minds. He told stories about hiding from friends while trying to walk into church, and about caring too much for an image he’d built in the bar scene. The core question: what are we truly afraid of losing? Our stuff, our safety, our appearance in others’ eyes?

"The enemy uses fear and self-preservation so that minds will be set on worldly things. And when we do these things, we're always being tripped up."

He turned to Jesus’ words in Matthew:

"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life from me will find it."

Scott challenged us: are we refusing to deny ourselves because self-preservation sits above Jesus in our priorities? Do we only serve, give, or love when it's comfortable or safe? He was honest about how easy it is for fear to be masked as wisdom or caution.

Preparing for Reward: Judgment Day and the Danger of Fearful Living

The third movement dealt with eternity. Scott didn’t soften the edge here. He read verse 27:

"For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done."

Scott pressed the point that this is not just about believing the right doctrines, but about following Jesus into a life of doing God’s will. He acknowledged how easily the church can drift into half-truths, watering down Jesus’ expectations because we’re afraid of losing people, security, or comfort.

"If you've spent your life taking your money and keeping it for yourself, for your enjoyment, you're getting your reward now...If you're only using your influence somehow to build your business, your job, your political career...you are not being faithful to what God has given you. You'll get your reward when that day comes."

He reminded us that the streets of gold, the rewards we chase, are meaningless next to loving the people Christ died for. What matters is not what we believed about Jesus in the abstract, but what we did for those He cares about, the “foreigners, fatherless, widows.”

Scott named the risk: “If you're self-preservation that's being driven by fear is causing you to neglect these people, you will miss heaven.” He challenged all of us, pastors included, to examine our hearts and habits.

Living It Out

Scott closed inviting honest reflection: What obstacles in your mind or life keep you from doing God's will? Is fear of loss or safety stopping you from following Jesus where He asks? He called us to ask Jesus to help us change and to share this truth where it is needed. The most important battle is often inside our own head and heart, winning there prepares us to join God in the bigger cosmic battle He is fighting for this world.

Discussion Questions

1. When have you felt fear or the instinct to preserve yourself stop you from obeying what you sensed God wanted you to do?
2. What steps could you take this week to set your mind on things that matter for eternity, not just for today?
3. How does Jesus calling His followers to deny themselves and take up their cross challenge your usual priorities or habits?