In this portion from his Synopsis, J.N. Darby (England, 1800-1882) explains how, if we truly know “Christ as Lord in our hearts,” it will destroy all the efforts of the enemy to turn us aside from the Lord by making us fearful.

— J.N. Darby —

Knowing
Christ as Lord
vs. Fear in Our
Hearts

Who is he who will harm you if you become zealous for what is good? But even if you suffer for the sake of righteousness, blessed are you! And

Do not be afraid of their fear,
Nor be troubled;
— Isaiah 8:12

But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, and be ready always to give a defense to all who ask you to give an account of the hope that is within you; yet with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, so that, in the matter in which you are being spoken against, those who revile your good manner of life in Christ will be put to shame.
— 1 Peter 3:13-16

The power of evil still acts upon the earth; those who are animated by it shew themselves hostile to the righteous, and act by means of that fear which Satan is able to produce. But by giving the Lord His place in the soul, this fear which the enemy excites has no longer a place there. If the heart is conscious of the presence of God, can that heart tremble at the presence of the enemy ? This is the secret of boldness and peace in confessing Christ. Then the instruments of the enemy seek to turn us aside, and to overwhelm us by their pretensions; but the consciousness of God’s presence dissipates those pretensions, and destroys all their power.

Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, Volume 5, page 444, on 1 Peter 3. Believers Bookshelf, Kingston, Ontario, reprinted 1992.

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— 19 November 2025 —