There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18 (NIV)

The love John writes about in this verse is the love of God. It’s not, as some might think, any other love. Hence, “perfect love.” Furthermore, the love John writes about isn’t our love for God since we cannot perfectly love. Consider the context.

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us (emphasis added).

1 John 4:16-19 (NIV)

The fear of punishment is a punishment from God. Ultimately, if we consider it, all fear leads to a distrust that God will work out all things for our good (cf. Romans 8:28).

We’d never be afraid if we knew and understood how much God loves us. Note I didn’t say that fear wouldn’t come upon us. Fear is like temptation. In fact, if you think about it, when we are assailed by fear, we’re tempted to not trust God. The difference between being afraid and being tempted by fear is that we become fearful when we give into the temptation of fear. When we are scared, we’re in a state of being. We can be “being” afraid or “being” tempted by fear.

It’s essential to realize the difference between being afraid and being tempted by fear. The difference lies in how we respond to fear. When we give in to worry, we’ve given in to temptation. If we associate temptation with sin, that’s to say we think we’ve sinned because we’re assailed by fear, then we are in error because then we equate temptation with sin.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)

Hebrews 4:15 reveals that Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are-yet he did not sin.” Therefore, to be tempted doesn’t mean we’ve sinned.

Often, when I’m under a lot of pressure, I feel fear. I’m assaulted by fearful and anxious thoughts. However, those fearful and anxious thoughts do not mean I am afraid. Indeed, despite my feelings, I have not given in to fear when I reject those thoughts.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

This promise from Isaiah reminds us of how we can remain in God’s perfect peace. By keeping our minds focused on the Lord. Finally, James 4:7 gives us further insight into how we can get the temptation of fear to depart from us.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7 (NIV)

In our reverent, humble submission to God, we can resist the devil, the Tempter, and he will flee from us. Still, understanding God’s perfect love for us is vital to walking with him. After all, how can we humble ourselves before someone, which means allowing ourselves to be completely vulnerable, if we do not trust that God loves us completely?

Herein lies a paradox because we cannot understand God’s perfect love for us without faith. And what is faith but “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)? Since all faith comes from God, we cannot understand God’s perfect love for us without him helping us to see it. Again, we enter a paradox because it cannot be faith if we see it. Can it?

I suppose, then, that we must remember what God has done before (what we have seen) and then, based on his unchanging character, remember that if he did it before, he would do it again (what we have not seen).