Whom Do You Fear? 

   “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna." (Matt 10: 28) 

   To fear the Lord is different from how we think of fear in the world.  Fear of God is to be in awe before His majesty, to humbly and obediently follow His ways, a desire to never offend Him by our actions.  It is a fear of separating ourselves from the one who is our only hope.  To fear the Lord is to give one’s life to Him, accepting His will in all things.

   Fear of Satan, the one who can destroy both body and soul in Hell is a visceral fear, fear of total, complete, and eternal damnation.  Fear of eternity without the love of God and with no way to beg forgiveness and receive salvation.  Those opportunities die with the body, while the soul must eternally pay the cost of refusing them.

   The forces of Satan, both the spiritual demons and the people who serve his will should be the subject of fear for they can take not only our life, but our very soul.  The enemies of the faithful are many and vile; they seek nothing less than our eternal destruction.  These are the ones who should be the object of our fear.

   The armies of God, the angels, the saints, and all his faithful children are our defense and our hope.  They provide a safety-net of love, faith, and hope to overcome the fear and the threat of Satan.  Our greatest fear should be to separate ourselves from the Creator, to turn our back on God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to forfeit the eternal life He desires for us.