Bible Question:

Other Christians and even the Bible says, “The Lord is with us, and man can do nothing to us.” How does this help throw away fear?

Bible Answer:

The statement “The Lord is with us, and man can do nothing to us” does not appear in scripture, but something similar can be found in the Bible.

The Lord Is With Me

The statement you are looking for may be the one found in either Ps. 56 or Ps. 118.

This I know, that God is for me. . . . In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? (NASB) Psalm 56:9, 11

The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me? The LORD is for me among those who help me . . . (NASB) Psalm 118:6-7

In both of these passages, the writer says that he was trusting God because he believed that God was for him. The answer to not having fear is to focus on God and trust that He will take care of you. He is not saying that people cannot harm or hurt him. His point is different. He is saying he is not concerned about what people might do to him since God is for him. He seeks to please God and not men. God is greater and he trusts in God. He is not saying that God will protect him if he trusts. For example, God has been for all of His prophets; yet some of them have suffered and died.

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect. (NASB) Hebrews 11:32-40

God will not always protect us from harm. Otherwise, why would Jesus encourage us to rejoice when we suffer (Matt. 5:12)? We must also remember that it is God’s will that we suffer for him (1 Pet. 3:17) on occasions.

Bad Advice

We can also make a mistake by believing that we are doing God’s will when, in fact, we are not. That some pastor or church leader tells us that we are doing God’s will and quotes Bible verses to us does not mean that he is correct. He may sound wonderful and emotional, but he may also be in sin. Here is an example from the prophet Jeremiah.

I have listened and heard, They have spoken what is not right; No man repented of his wickedness, Saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turned to his course, Like a horse charging into the battle. Even the stork in the sky Knows her seasons; And the turtledove and the swift and the thrush Observe the time of their migration; But My people do not know The ordinance of the LORD. How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes Has made it into a lie. The wise men are put to shame, They are dismayed and caught; Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, And what kind of wisdom do they have?” (NASB) Jeremiah 8:6-9

The people believed false teachers and/or preachers because they sounded spiritual. They did not know their Bible. They did not know the truth. The teachers/preachers were wrong, but they were still considered to be religious leaders.

Conclusion:

God is for those who are His – those who trust Him and love Him. Yet, God expects us to know His truth and act accordingly. Christians often get themselves in trouble because they ignore His Word and follow unbiblical teachers. When we ignore biblical truth, God will allow discipline to enter our life. God will allow us to suffer. God wants us to hold to truth and trust Him. We must remember that He is for His saints and always He supports those who love Him.