Can faith and fear coexist — or does one always destroy the other? (discussion inspired by “Be Not Afraid — Book I”)

[Vasyl]

I’ve been thinking a lot about how faith and fear often walk side by side.
In Be Not Afraid — Book I, a young monk faces not only demonic forces, but also the fear that his faith might not be enough.
He learns that faith doesn’t mean the absence of fear — it means moving forward despite it.

So it made me wonder:
👉 Is faith stronger because of fear — or despite it?
👉 Can fear ever serve a purpose in helping us believe more deeply?

(Just to clarify — this isn’t promotion. I’m simply curious how others experience that fragile balance between fear, doubt, and belief.)

Be Not Afraid — Book I: A Spiritual Thriller About Faith, Fear, and the Battle Between Light and Darkness
Be Not Afraid – Book I: A Spiritual Thriller About Faith, Fear, and the Battle Between Light and Darkness

[Vasyl]

I think fear often reveals what we truly believe in.
When danger is real — a falling plane, war, or a moment when life feels out of control — fear strips away illusions and shows what’s left inside.
There are moments when we’ve done everything we can, and there’s nothing more to do — yet doing nothing feels impossible.
That’s when faith appears.
Not as words, but as the quiet act of trusting when reason has already given up.

[Vasyl]

Sometimes I wonder if fear is not the opposite of faith, but its shadow.
Because faith without fear would mean we already see — and then it wouldn’t be faith anymore.
Fear humbles us. It makes us depend on something greater than reason.
In Be Not Afraid, I tried to capture that moment when faith doesn’t silence fear — it walks through it.
I’d love to hear how others experience this balance between fear and belief in their own lives.
Be Not Afraid – Book I: A Spiritual Thriller About Faith, Fear, and the Battle Between Light and Darkness