Your heart is racing.
Your mind won’t stop spinning.
You’ve prayed. You’ve tried to “just trust God.” You’ve quoted every Scripture about peace you can remember.
But you still can’t calm down.
If this sounds familiar, I want you to take a deep breath. Because what I’m about to share might change everything.
You’re not failing at faith. You’re fighting a battle—and you need to know what you’re up against.
Why “Calm Down” Doesn’t Work
How many times have people told you to “just calm down“?
As if you haven’t tried. As if it’s that simple. As if anxiety, worry, and fear are just choices you’re making instead of battles you’re fighting.
Here’s what I’ve learned after years of struggling with anxiety and spiritual attacks: You can’t calm down through willpower alone.
Telling an anxious person to “calm down” is like telling someone drowning to “just breathe.” It’s not that simple.
So what does work?
The Real Reason You Can’t Calm Down
There are three things stealing your peace right now, and until you address them, you’ll keep spinning:
1. You’re Believing Lies You Don’t Even Realize Are Lies
The enemy is called the “father of lies” for a reason (John 8:44). And his lies sound like your own thoughts:
- “God doesn’t care about your problems”
- “This situation is never going to change”
- “You’re all alone in this”
- “Everyone else has it together except you”
- “You should be stronger than this”
These thoughts feel true. They sound reasonable. But they’re lies designed to keep you anxious and defeated.
You can’t calm down because you’re fighting lies with worry instead of fighting lies with truth.
2. You’re Fighting FOR Victory Instead of FROM Victory
Here’s a game-changer: Jesus already won your battle.
When He died on the cross and rose from the dead, He defeated sin, death, Satan, and every force coming against you.
Most Christians are trying to fight FOR victory—hoping they’ll win, trying their best, unsure of the outcome.
But the truth is, you’re fighting FROM victory. The war is already won. Your job isn’t to win the battle. Your job is to stand on the victory Jesus already secured.
That shift in perspective changes everything.
3. You’re Trying to Do It Alone
God never designed you to fight your battles solo.
He gave you the Holy Spirit who lives inside you, guides you, comforts you, and empowers you.
He gave you the Body of Christ—people who can pray for you, encourage you, and walk with you through the hard times.
Isolation is one of the enemy’s most effective weapons. When you’re alone, the lies get louder and the battle feels impossible.
You can’t calm down because you’re trying to handle everything by yourself instead of receiving the help God has already provided.
What the Bible Actually Says About Peace
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).
Notice what Jesus didn’t say:
He didn’t say, “Peace comes when your circumstances are perfect.”
He didn’t say, “Peace comes when you have control over everything.”
He didn’t say, “Peace comes when all your problems are solved.”
Jesus said, “My peace I give to you.”
His peace is not circumstantial. It’s relational.
Peace is not the absence of problems. Peace is the presence of Jesus in the middle of them.
You can have a chaotic situation and supernatural peace at the same time. Not because you’re pretending problems don’t exist, but because you’re anchored in the One who is bigger than all of them.
5 Biblical Steps to Actually Calm Down
So how do you actually experience this peace? Here are five practical steps that work:
Step 1: Recognize the Enemy’s Voice
Learn to identify when the enemy is speaking. His voice accuses, condemns, creates hopelessness, and brings death.
God’s voice convicts gently, offers truth, creates hope, and brings life.
When you recognize a lie, you can reject it instead of believing it.
Step 2: Speak Truth Over the Lies
Don’t just think truth—speak it. Out loud if possible.
When anxiety says, “God has forgotten you,” speak Hebrews 13:5: “He will never leave me or forsake me.”
When fear says, “This is too big for God,” speak Luke 1:37: “Nothing is impossible with God.”
The enemy cannot stand against the truth of God’s Word spoken in faith.
Step 3: Remember Jesus Already Won
Every time you start to spiral, remind yourself: “Jesus already defeated this. The outcome is secure. I’m standing on His victory, not fighting for it.”
This isn’t denial. This is anchoring yourself in the finished work of the cross.
Step 4: Reach Out for Help
Text a friend. Call your small group leader. Schedule the counseling appointment. Ask someone to pray for you.
It’s not weakness to need help. It’s wisdom.
God uses people—and professionals—to help you. Don’t refuse the help He’s providing.
Step 5: Take One Faithful Step
You don’t need to solve everything today. You don’t need to see the whole plan.
Just ask God, “What’s the next step You’re asking me to take?” Then take it.
One faithful step forward is better than standing still in fear.
My Story: When I Couldn’t Calm Down
I’ll never forget the season when I felt like I was drowning in anxiety. Every prayer felt empty. Every Scripture felt flat. I kept thinking, “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just trust God?“
That’s when I learned something crucial: The problem wasn’t my faith. The problem was that I didn’t understand the battle I was fighting.
I didn’t know how to recognize the enemy’s lies. I didn’t know I was fighting from victory instead of for it. I didn’t know that asking for help wasn’t weakness—it was part of how God designed community to work.
Once I learned these truths and put them into practice, everything changed.
I’m not saying I never struggle with anxiety anymore. I’m saying I now have tools that actually work when I do.
And that’s what I want for you.
I Created Something to Help You
After walking through my own battles with anxiety and spiritual attacks, I created a resource I wish I’d had years ago.
It’s called “Calm Down: 7 Days to Peace” – a devotional specifically for Christians who can’t calm down no matter how hard they try.
Over 7 days, you’ll discover:
- Day 1: Why God sees you even when it feels like He’s forgotten you
- Day 2: Why your current crisis is not your forever
- Day 3: How to recognize and fight the enemy’s lies
- Day 4: The game-changing truth that Jesus already won your battle
- Day 5: Why you’re not alone and where to find help
- Day 6: How to take the next step when you can’t see the whole plan
- Day 7: 7 sustainable practices for maintaining peace long-term
Each day includes:
- Biblical teaching
- Practical “Calm Down” exercises
- Ready-to-pray prayers
- Reflection questions
- Scripture to carry with you
This isn’t about toxic positivity or pretending problems don’t exist. This is about anchoring yourself in truth that actually works.
“Calm Down: 7 Days to Peace”
Purchase for $12
Get instant access to the complete 7-day devotional PDF.
Less than the cost of two coffees for a resource you’ll reference for years.
You Don’t Have to Stay Stuck
Friend, if you’re reading this and you can’t calm down—if the anxiety is constant, the enemy’s lies are loud, and you’re exhausted from trying to hold it together—I want you to know:
There is hope. There is help. And peace is possible.
Not because your circumstances will magically change. But because Jesus offers you His peace—a peace that doesn’t make sense, a peace that guards your heart and mind, a peace that’s available right now.
You don’t have to figure it all out today. You just need to take the next step.
And maybe that next step is downloading “Calm Down” and starting the journey toward the peace Jesus promises.
Your Next Step
Don’t let another day go by believing the enemy’s lies, fighting alone, or trying to manufacture peace through willpower.
Instant digital delivery. Support the ministry.
A Prayer for You
Before you go, can I pray for you?
“Jesus, I pray for everyone reading this who is battling anxiety, fear, and overwhelming circumstances. Meet them right where they are. Remind them that You see them, You haven’t forgotten them, and You’ve already won their battle. Break the power of the enemy’s lies. Surround them with Your peace. Show them their next step. And help them remember that they are not alone—You are with them always. Amen.”
Continue the Conversation
Have you struggled to calm down? What lies have you had to fight? Share in the comments below—your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.
And if this post helped you, please share it with someone who’s struggling. You might be the person God uses to bring them hope today.
Blessings and peace,
Wanda
Following Jesus 101 Ministries
Helping hearts find fresh starts with Jesus
