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In Lord of the RingsKing Théoden weakens as he listens to the words of Wormtongue, his advisor. These lies poison the mind of the King of Rohan and prevent him from posing a threat to the evil sorcerer Saruman.
It is only when Wormtongue’s lies are exposed by Gandalf the White that Théoden is freed from slavery and can see the truth.
Characters like Wormtongue remind us of an important lesson: be careful who you listen to.
We all recognize the need to heed this advice, but we often don’t apply it to the voice in our head that speaks up when we’re anxious and afraid. This voice can weaken and hinder us. People who live with anxiety know all too well what these words mean and what they look like.
Listening to whispers of anxiety is not wise because they are not words of truth. Rooted in fear and worry, anxiety tells us lies that can keep us from living in faith.
We must learn to ignore these words and instead listen to the truth. By using the scriptures, we can fight against the twisted words of fear. Because in truth, these words can sometimes come from the enemy.
The first step to combating the lies of anxiety is learning to identify them. Sometimes, in our fear, we can rationalize the worry we feel and come up with convincing excuses for our anxiety. We may even feel that the words that come to mind during times of anxiety are true.
To combat the lies of anxiety, we must practice discernment and test everything against Scripture. We can’t always control the flood of fearful thoughts that overwhelm us during times of stress and hardship, but we can control how we respond. By applying the Bible to our lives, we can learn to combat lies with truth.
An important note before we begin: If you find that your feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, or fear persist, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone you trust. Persistent, chronic anxiety may be a sign of an anxiety disorder or may be linked to other problems, such as depression.
A trusted family member, friend, or ministry leader can help you find a Christian counselor or therapist. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help, and you shouldn’t be afraid to do so if your anxiety is crippling.
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1. God would not choose you to do his will
Anxiety can arise when we desire to obey God. We know what His Word says and what He has called us to do, but our anxious thoughts whisper that “God would not call God.” You to do this. »
Self-doubt sets in and we start to think about all the reasons why we are not good enough or well-equipped enough to complete the task.
Such thoughts plague Christians when they wish to share their faith with others or become involved in ministry. Our anxiety tells us that surely God could not call us to do this, because we would surely be wasted.
During these times, we obsess over our weaknesses and struggles. But that’s not where we should focus. We must remember the One who called us and commanded us to obey. He is more than able to strengthen us and enable us to accomplish the task He has given us.
Furthermore, we have the wonderful promise that our Lord is with us (Matthew 28:20). Although our fear may make us feel like we are alone, we are never alone.
Instead of giving in to the sneaky lies of anxiety, we need to remember: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. » (Joshua 1:9ESV).
Whenever you think that God might not ask you to do a certain task, such as evangelizing or serving, keep in mind that the Lord is strong and faithful.
He is with you and will never leave you. You might feel weak and incompetent, but “the power of God is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
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2. Someone else is better suited for this task
Anxiety often occurs in a whirlwind of thoughts in which one fear leads to another. When we face a major challenge or feel God calling us to accomplish a task, not only may we doubt God’s choice, but we may also think that someone else would be better suited for Him to use. Our anxiety lies to us and tells us that we are not good enough to complete the task.
Of course, none of us are “good enough.” If that were the case, we wouldn’t need grace.
Being “good enough” is not the point. When Christ offers you the opportunity to serve and obey Him, He doesn’t look at whether you are “qualified.”
Our Lord does not choose people for tasks in the same way that the world does. In society, we might look for the most charismatic and successful leader – someone who can captivate a room or wield political power.
In contrast, Scripture tells us that “God has chosen things that the world considers foolish to shame those who think them wise. And he has chosen things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful” (1 Corinthians 1:27NLT).
Consider the disciples. They were simply fishermen who had no particular training or education (Acts 4:13). The Bible even describes them as ordinary.
Yet Christ chose them to be his disciples and to spread the good news throughout the world. If He can use them, then He can use you too.
We can easily fall into the comparison trap when we encounter difficulties. Especially in today’s world where social media shows us the strengths and accomplishments of others, we can look at others and think anxiously about how God may be using them, but not us. Don’t listen to this lie. The Lord can use whomever He wants to accomplish His will.
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3. You will fail if you try
Another sneaky lie that anxiety tells you is true is: “You will fail if you try.” » Cue the scene playing out in your head, where you fail at the task. Then you’re bombarded with reminders of past mistakes. Soon you conclude that if you’re going to fail, why even try?
One of the problems with this lie is that it contains some truth. This little pinch is enough to make the idea convincing. In life there is the possibility of failure.
However, sometimes we mistakenly think something is a failure when it is not. For example, you see an opportunity to share the gospel with a friend, but you hesitate.
In the past, you had evangelized your colleague, but she did not have faith in Christ. You have decided that you are a failure at evangelism, so you consider it pointless to try to tell your friend about Jesus. Her answer will be the same as the colleague’s, right?
In this scenario, the person assumes that they are a failure because the desired outcome did not occur. This person needs a change of perspective.
Actively sharing the gospel with someone else is a success because you have obeyed the Lord’s command (Matthew 28:18-20). You can’t control the person’s response; all you can do is obey what God has called you to do.
But in life we will sin and fail. All men fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Even Christians struggle with sin sometimes, even though they have been redeemed and given new life. We are not thinking biblically if we demand perfection of ourselves.
Fortunately, as Christians, we have God’s Holy Spirit living within us. It produces spiritual fruit in our lives and enables us to pursue godliness (Galatians 5:1622-23). Even though we sometimes fail, the Lord gives us grace.
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4. You are only worthy if you succeed
Linked to the lie that you will fail if you try is the lie that you are only worthy if you succeed. These two thoughts often go hand in hand.
If we examine these thoughts more closely, we reveal an underlying problem with perfectionism: the idea that you must always act perfectly. Anything less than perfect means you are a failure and worthless.
Like the previous lie, this one is also misleading. Many of us are led to believe that others will only accept or appreciate us if we meet their standards. For example, a student thinks he is successful only if he gets good grades.
A worker only feels confident if he receives approval from his boss or manager. A pastor believes he can only make a difference if he increases the size of the congregation or church building. A person’s value is linked to their performance.
These anxious thoughts that cause us to strive for perfectionism also impact our relationship with God. If others only love or care about us if we do the right thing, then we assume the same is true of the Lord. We fall into the trap of the lie that our Savior only loves us if we do everything right.
Even if we make mistakes (which we will), God still loves us. Nothing can separate us from His love, not even our unrealistic expectations of ourselves (Romans 8:38-39).
The Lord’s love for us has nothing to do with our successful actions. He saved us because of his grace and love, not because of anything we have done or will do (Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:8-9).
Your worth is not tied to your performance and success. You are a child of God, appreciated and loved by your Savior (John 1:12). Nothing can ever change this truth.
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5. Staying in fear is safer than stepping out in faith
On the surface, this lie appears to be true. There is something comfortable about staying in what is familiar and expected instead of stepping out in faith. Our anxiety feeds on the assumption that we are safer where we are than where we could be following the Lord.
But make no mistake, it’s a lie. Fear can make it seem like even circumstances The terrible things are safer than faithfully following the Lord. Anxiety can cause us to stay when we should go, or to run when we should stay still.
I can look back on my life and see times when I gave in to fear and anxiety and missed opportunities to serve Christ. In the moment, it was easy to give in to the lies of fear, but looking back, I regret the decisions I made. Instead of trusting the Lord, I doubted. Maybe you can understand.
The problem is not that we are afraid. Fear is an emotion that everyone feels. No, the problem is that we allow anxious fear to control us and drown out scriptural truths and commandments. By submitting to terror, we demonstrate a lack of trust in God.
We also ignore the truth that the Christian life is difficult. Jesus promised that we would have difficulties in this life, but he also told us that he has overcome the world (John 16:33). Stepping out in faithful obedience and self-sacrifice is often scary, but it is worth following Jesus (Luke 9:23; John 14:15).
So if your anxiety is telling you that your fear is a safe place to stay, remember that living in disobedience and regret is far more terrifying than taking up your cross and following Christ.
You may be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, but you will be happy that you obeyed God and followed Him in faith.
Don’t let the lies of anxiety keep you from living for the Lord.
To go further:
7 Ways You Let Anxiety Control Your Day
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This article was originally published on Christianity.com. For more faith-building resources, visit Christ ianity.com.
Originally published on Friday June 26, 2026.
