How I Overcame Fear, Anxiety & Panic Through the Word Of God

Do you struggle with fear, anxiety, or panic? I did too. Let me share my testimony of how the Lord taught me to fight fear with the Word of God.

Since I was a small child, I had been plagued with anxiety and night terrors. I would wake from a deep sleep in complete terror. They became so bad that, as a teenager, I turned to alcohol. Drinking became a way for me to pass out at night so I could sleep.

When I got sober at the age of 21, the night terrors seemed to disappear. But around the age of 24, they returned. I began waking up in complete terror and panic. It felt as though I were a child again—completely frozen with fear.

After a series of terrible nights, I went to the Lord in desperation. I felt Him telling me:

“Dennis, you need to use your sword!”

I asked, “How?”

The answer was to begin speaking God’s Word when those attacks came.

My Battle Scripture

Isaiah 41:10

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

At first, the battles could last a long time, and afterward it was difficult to get back to sleep. But something began to change.

The more the attacks happened, the more I used the Sword of the Lord—the Word of God. The attacks began getting shorter. Then they began happening less often.

After a month or two, they stopped.

If I ever felt one beginning again, I immediately drew my sword by speaking Isaiah 41:10, and the fear would stop in its tracks.

I have now lived free from those anxiety attacks and night terrors for decades. This is what the Lord taught me through that battle.

What the Lord Showed Me

In the beginning, my faith felt like a little spiritual penknife. I would speak the Scripture, but fear would come right back at me.

But I kept fighting.

As I continued standing on God’s Word, my little penknife became a Bowie knife, and eventually it became a full-on Roman sword!

My faith was growing.

James 4:7 says:

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Every time fear attacked, I resisted it with the Word of God. Battle after battle, my confidence in God’s Word became stronger.

Eventually, instead of panic controlling me, I learned to stand my ground.

What I Learned From the Battle

• Put your faith in God. Faith means taking God at His Word rather than allowing fear to have the final word.

• Find a Scripture you can stand on. Learn it. Believe it. Speak it when fear comes.

• Say what God says. Don’t spend all your time rehearsing the problem. Remind yourself of what God’s Word says about it.

• Be patient while your faith grows. I didn’t wave a magic wand and suddenly become strong. I learned through the battle.

• Don’t quit. Keep trusting God, keep praying, and keep standing on His Word.

Most importantly, if you have never put your faith in Jesus Christ, I encourage you to begin there. The greatest victory isn’t simply overcoming fear—it is knowing the One who promises never to leave us or forsake us.

A Final Word

This is my personal testimony—my experience of what God did in my life and what I learned through it. It is not intended to replace medical care, counseling, or prescribed treatment. If you’re struggling with severe or persistent anxiety or panic attacks, please seek appropriate professional help as well as prayer and spiritual support from trusted Christian leaders.

I pray my testimony encourages you. Fear may feel powerful, but you don’t have to face it alone.

Take courage. Trust God. Stand on His Word. And don’t quit.

Go Deeper

The spiritual principles behind this testimony are explored more deeply in my book, Whose Voice Are You Listening To? The Battle of David and Goliath.

The battle often comes down to a simple question:

Whose voice are you going to believe?

God bless,

Dennis Stauffer Jr.