Faith Frees Us from the Terror of Terrorism

by Rex Rouis

Terrorism is nothing more than an organized approach to the spreading of terror. And terror is the fear of personal destruction in one way or another. Fear does not necessarily mean danger, it simply means fear. We associate fear with danger because that is how our body interacts with our God-given impulse for self-preservation. When we go into a dark room, we might sense fear, especially if we are apprehensive about the dark, but that does not mean that there actually is a danger. It only means that there is an unknown, and that unknown can breed fear – fear of the unknown. To fight the fear of the unknown, counteract it with faith-based on the known – the known will of God. Deliverance and protection are two benefits covered by our salvation (see, Salvation – What’s It Actually Good For?).

The United States Department of Defense defines terrorism as “the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.” Within this definition, there are three key elements-violence, fear, and intimidation-and each element produces terror in its victims. The FBI uses this: “Terrorism is the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.” The U.S. Department of State defines “terrorism” to be “premeditated politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience.

Less specific and considerably less verbose, the British Government definition of 1974 is, “…the use of violence for political ends, and includes any use of violence for the purpose of putting the public, or any section of the public, in fear.”

We are told to fear God, but this fear is not one of random terror but rather is one based on a realization that He is the One controlling the universe. We must be very concerned on how we respond to Him and how He in turn views us. A random fear of harm is not of God.

Find out His will for your peace and protection with the following scripture lists: Scriptures Against Fear – Scriptures Against Terror – Scriptures On Fighting the Enemy – Scriptures On God’s Protection – Scriptures To Fear Not – Scriptures To Strengthen Your Faith – Scriptures On God’s Favor