The fear of the Lord is again eulogized; claiming it is a secure fortress, a refuge, and a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death. The word picture establishes that fear of the Lord is a powerful and undefeatable defender who aids in the time of need. The enemy is death, the sting of death’s trap is sin, and the power of sin is the law. (1 Corinthians 15:56)
What is sin and why is it powerful enough to kill? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his book “The Plight of Man and the Power of God” wrote in chapter 3, “The Nature of Sin”, “…it is not enough just to say that sin is a power that has independent existence. It is a mighty power, a terrible power. It has a fiendish quality, a malignity that is truly terrifying. It is a definite spirit, a positive attitude, active and powerful. Furthermore, it is a power that we have allowed to enter our life and which affects us profoundly and vitally. It is not something light and comparatively trivial. It does not belong to the order of vestigial remains. It does not merely affect one part of us and our nature. It is so deep-seated and so much a part of us that the entire person is affected – the intellect, the desires, and therefore the will. Indeed, it constitutes such a terrible problem that God alone in Christ can deal with it.”
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the battle against the snares of death and its sting sin. The end is the love of Christ displayed on the cross, battling and defeating the terrible foe of sin with the power of his death and completed with his resurrection and victory over death.
