Fear prohibits the advance of the Gospel. Many causes for internal fear attack us, including lack of biblical knowledge, lack of assurance of salvation, lack of know-how and training, the possibility of failure and the certainty of social disapproval.

Fear is natural to the witness. The New Testament word “martyr” provides the root word for witness. Witnessing and martyrdom create the same emotional reaction – fear.

The Christian witness is to proceed in spite of fear. We know the origin of fear is not God, for He “did not give us the spirit of timidity, but the spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:5).

Peter was sharing his faith when he was hauled in before the city authorities, beaten and told not to witness again. He responded to the authorities who could have taken his life, “I must obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29 ). Such courage!

After being released, Peter went to a prayer meeting where he asked God for boldness. God responded by giving him the Holy Spirit.

Bruce Wilkinson wrote, “Callused Christians allow fear to stop them in their tracks because they assume that the feeling of fear is a red light from God (and a feeling of courage is a green light). Yet when we feel fear in following God, we are told to ‘take courage.' In fact, those who achieve greatness for God “run toward the discomfort zone because that's the primary place where borders expand.”

Christians are called to focus on the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit as essential for effective witnessing (Acts 1:8).