The Fear of Man

What’s your greatest fear? Public speaking? Heights? Spiders? We all know our phobias — but I believe the most common, and the most dangerous, is the fear of man.

Some can’t open their mouths to share the gospel because they’re choked with anxiety over what people might think. Others stay silent in a just cause. Some refuse to discipline their children because they crave their children’s approval more than their character. Still others let dread of rejection keep them from living out their own convictions.

It sets a trap. And once you’re caught in it, the door opens to a multitude of problems.

What Is the Fear of Man?

The fear of man is a morbid concern about what other people think, say, or might do to you. It’s Bible language for insecurity — deriving your worth from the affirmation of fallible, frail human beings instead of from God. Think about everything that can be taken from you: wealth, health, ministry, relationships, even life itself. The only secure refuge, in time and eternity, is the Lord Jesus and His unchanging Word. At its root, the fear of man is pride — it’s what happens when we see people big and God small.

What It Does

It deadens the conscience. It seals the lips in witnessing. It opens the door to temptation and paralyzes the work of God. Picture a bull with a ring through its nose — one yank and the massive animal goes wherever it’s led, however painful. That’s what the fear of man does to us. Anyone who reaches out and pulls the ring can immobilize us instantly.

Nine Snares of a Man-Fearing Heart

1. Deceit — Afraid the Egyptians would kill him for his beautiful wife, Abraham told Sarah to lie and say she was only his sister (Gen. 12). His son Isaac later did the exact same thing (Gen. 26). A half-truth is still a total lie. Fear of man weaves a web of deceit, and deceit, left unchecked, becomes an inherited family pattern.

2. Cowardice — Nicodemus came to Jesus only under cover of night (John 3:2). Many religious leaders believed in Jesus but wouldn’t confess it publicly, “lest they should be put out of the synagogue” (John 12:42). Loss of position trumped the witness in their hearts. When the fear of reprisal outweighs the fear of God, courage dies.

3. Compromise — While Moses was on the mountain, the people pressured Aaron to build them a golden calf — and he caved (Ex. 32). “Designer gods” are still fashionable today. It’s easy to bend the Bible around the prevailing consensus instead of bending the culture around the Bible.

4. Disobedience — God told Saul to destroy all the Amalekites; Saul made “small exceptions” instead. His own confession says it all: “I feared the people, and obeyed their voice” (1 Sam. 15:24). That single compromise cost him the kingdom.

5. People-Pleasing — Even Peter, the Rock, withdrew from eating with Gentile believers the moment certain Jews showed up, “fearing them which were of the circumcision” (Gal. 2:12). Paul confronted him to his face. Men-pleasers are two-faced by nature — they shift their words and actions to fit whoever’s watching.

6. Injustice — Herod knew executing John the Baptist was wrong, but he’d made a foolish public promise and feared losing face in front of his dinner guests more than he feared doing right (Mark 6). The fear of man doesn’t just make us passive — it can make us complicit in real evil.

7. Denying Christ — Under pressure from a servant girl, Peter denied even knowing Jesus — three times, with an oath (Matt. 26:69-75). Maybe you’ve never denied Christ with words, but have you ever denied Him through silence?

8. Passivity — The servant who buried his one talent gave a fear-based excuse: “I was afraid” (Matt. 25:25). He was more concerned about failing than faithful about serving. Doing nothing is never a neutral option for a follower of Christ.

9. Bondage — When people’s opinions loom larger than God’s, the result is a self-imposed prison. Refusing to confess sin to a trusted friend, for fear of what they’d think, keeps besetting sins in the dark where they thrive (James 5:16).

Overcoming It

Ask yourself honestly: why am I so preoccupied with what others think of me? Biblically, you’re obligated to love people — not to need them. Doing God’s will is seldom popular; it put Jesus on the cross.

The first step to victory is acknowledgment. If God is convicting you about fearing man, admit it — grace runs toward the humble. Then go vertical. This stronghold isn’t demolished by willpower; it’s demolished by the weapons God has given us (2 Cor. 10:3-5).

Jesus put it plainly: “Fear not them which can kill the body, but rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Stop fearing men. Start fearing God. As John Witherspoon said, “It is only the fear of God that can deliver us from the fear of man.”