When I was a very young believer, I was a very fearful person.  I was afraid of the dark, I was afraid to be alone, and I was afraid for the safety of my loved ones. Sometimes, it would be so bad that when I was alone in the middle of the night I would literally be paralyzed in my bed with the covers over my head so that I couldn't see anything around me.  

    One night when after reading the above passage I went to bed.  My husband was not at home, he was on weekend maneuvers (he was in the Army at the time).  I had turned off all the lights and had fallen asleep fairly quickly.  All of a sudden I woke out of a sound sleep and opened my eyes.  When I did, I saw this black whirley thing right above my head.  I felt a sudden rush of terrible fear.  Then this little light came on in my head! I realized I was staring at a spirit of fear.  The scripture I read came flooding back to me.  I immediately thought "What do I do, LORD?"  

    Then I heard in my mind the words, "Rebuke it".   So I loudly said, "I rebuke you spirit of fear in the Name of JESUS".  I literally saw it shrink in size.  So I rebuked it out loud again, and it became even smaller.  Then on the third time, it disappeared completely. With it gone, I felt absolute peace, no fear at all.  I got up out of bed, and went to the phone and called a friend who was much older and wiser in the LORD.

    I asked her what had just happened?  She very wisely told me that the LORD had delivered me from a problem in my life and then had instructed me on how to not be afraid any more.  Then she told me that I would most certainly be tested.   Later, I was tested.  At that time, I  thought about what my life had been like before that incident.  It was so easy for me to say no to being fearful.  

    GOD gave me power to fight my enemy, and my sound mind came from the Scripture I had read that day.  For our heart to be open we each need the LORD to deliver us from our enemy's hold over our life.  For me it was fear.  No matter what it may be, the LORD has given us power and a sound mind to fight it!