As we started to move into our farmhouse, I still couldn’t believe how God made it all happen. What seemed like such a far fetched dream getting this home was finally signed sealed and delivered, and I was in a state of bliss so excited to be moving in this dream home. After years of bouncing around from home to home, we finally finally had a place to plant roots, and I couldn’t wait for our daughter on the way at the time to grow up running around this acre and a half as she explored her way through her childhood.
But then a few days after we moved into our farmhouse, my worst nightmare happened. I was unloading the trunk of the car and I heard a rustle in the bushes. Thinking it was a cute squirrel, I looked at the rustle and froze. Absolutely froze. My eyes locked eyes on a huge long black snake about 10 feet away from me. My heart began to race in fear that my perfect little dream home was now tainted with a big black ugly snake crawling through our yard. “Oh great,” I said under my breath, “now I have to fear walking around stepping on a snake.”
But then I paused. And I shook my head and I shouted, “NO. NO, I will NOT fear. I fought too hard for this dream home to live in fear. In the name of Jesus, Satan get thee from me. I know it’s you, just like you appeared to Eve as a snake. You can’t stand that God is being so good to us right now, blessing us with this home, and I will not let you rob my joy! I will NOT live in fear. Flee!”
If my neighbors heard me on the other side of the fence, they have been wondering who their crazy new neighbor was. But I didn’t care. God tells us in Proverbs 18:21, there is power in the tongue, and in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing. And in order to let my faith be bigger than my fear, I needed to hear myself say “I will NOT live in fear”, not just think it.
And the other thing is, though Satan roams around like a thief in the night (John 10:10), God’s word tells us in Luke 10:17, we have the power through Jesus Christ to rebuke the enemy. He tells us in Ephesians 6:16, if we hold up the shield of faith, it WILL stop our enemy. It will STOP our enemy. It. Will. Stop. Not just our enemy, but our fear as well. So these days, while my fear may still flare up from time to time in different situations that arise, I’m trying to actively choose in those moments to let my faith be bigger than my fear.
In the days since I saw the snake, though I know he may lurk out there, I have had so much more peace knowing he doesn’t have power to make me shake in my boots anymore. And while I was told he was the harmless kind, a snake is a snake, and that didn’t stop me covering the property in moth balls which I was told deters them. I call that faith in action, y’all! And I’m happy to report that I haven’t seen him since those moth balls were put out, praise the Lord! 
TRUTH TO TUCK IN YOUR HEART:
“The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.” -EXODUS 15:2
“Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love drives out fear.” -1 JOHN 4:18
“But Jesus quickly spoke to them, “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” -MATTHEW 14:27
“So give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you.” -JAMES 4:7
PUT IT INTO ACTION:
What is your biggest fear? Write it in the comments below, and then write a bible verse to combat it with next time your fear tries to make your heart race. Then memorize it and speak it next time your fear creeps up.
