We have all, at some time or other in our lives, experienced its subtle onslaught, felt its deadly grip, and fallen helplessly under its devilish emotions.

But did we always know what it was or how its consequences could alter our course and permanently change our destiny if we allowed it to continue to control our lives?  No, we didn't know.  Therefore, many times we did nothing about it except yield to it.   
I'm talking about Intimidation.

There have been countless individuals who were born and have died, who, in their lifetime, experienced very little (if any at all) of the wonderful destiny God had prepared for them.   If you tracked each of their lives, you would find that most of them failed to reach their potential in God because of one ingredient:   Fear
Fear is the only real weapon satan has against a believer.  If he can get you to fear, he can control you.  But if you will resist him, resist fear, he has to flee.

There is something we must pay diligent attention to - and that is that fear won't always take on the same form.  The Word tells us that satan is the father of lies - he is a deceiver.  He will try as much as he can to even deceive us  as to what is fear and what is not.  
Since fear also manifests in the form of worry, grief, and, yes, Intimidation - it is vitally important to keep our hearts alert and sensitive to the Holy Spirit, so that He can identify to us in each situation whenever we are about to yield to some kind of fear.

It is necessary to stay free from fear in our lives.  Because intimidation is often so subtle, it often requires a little more discernment to detect it at work.
By staying full of the Word of God, especially what the Word says about how much God loves you, you will at the same time be pushing back the forces of fear in your life.

I John 4.18 says - "There is no fear in love (God's love for us), but perfect (growing, maturing ) love casts out all fear, because fear has torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."
Fear and Love cannot co-exist.  There is no fear in love.  That means that there also is no intimidation in a heart that is completely convinced that God loves them with all His Heart and will not in any way fail or abandon them in any situation. 
If you are convinced and confident that God is good and only good, and that He loves you with an eternal, unconditional love - you will not be intimidated by anything.

In careful observance of the things God has taught me and applying them to my heart and emotions, I have found that many times the devil can trick us out of some really beautiful experiences in our lives - even in the midst of seeming disaster - whenever we allow ourselves to fall to intimidation. 
I first found that out over three years ago when a very devastating  experience occurred in my life.  In the wake of that situation, I began to notice myself withdrawing emotionally from within.
In an effort to "protect" my soul from further hurt (or so I thought), my initial reaction was to try to disconnect myself from any place or any one that to me was some how connected to this experience.  But before I could go very far, even in my heart and mind toward this endeavor, the Lord stopped me. He then began to lovingly explain to me that by trying to protect myself in this manner, I was actually opening myself up for the devil to hurt me further.  God showed me that if I continued with this method, eventually satan would be able to keep me out of any and everywhere - I would be under his control through fear.  The Lord explained to me that that is how intimidation works.  I didn't even know it was intimidation I was dealing with!  
One day soon after, this phrase rose up in my spirit with a great boldness  -  " Nothing  intimidates me!"   I knew it was the Holy Spirit speaking inside me, so I embraced those words and began speaking them to myself. 

By refusing intimidation, we stop ourselves from being led purely by our emotions, and we block the enemy from knowing what we're going through inside -  therefore giving him no fuel to work with.

As one has stated - "Don't let the devil see you sweat".

Thereafter, I have been able to receive the restoring of my soul that God promised, which I would have never reached had I let intimidation control me. 
I can now look those past experiences eye to eye without there being any tendency to draw back in fear.  And the healing of my heart has sprung forth speedily. (Isaiah 58.8-9)

Sometimes, there can be some really embarrassing things that occur in life - if not with ourselves, perhaps within our family or with ones who are close to us.  During such times, it is equally important to not even allow those things to intimidate you.   Yes, you should make things right as much as depends on you, and help in whatever way you can - but never leave room for any intimidation.

Years ago I learned from the Lord what I  call -"separating myself out from a situation".

In other words, no matter what anyone was doing that to me might be embarrassing, or even if  I found myself making a mistake -  I would purposely envision (in my mind)  separating myself out from the situation and placing myself alongside Jesus Who was viewing everything from an entirely different perspective. Then I would ask Him what He would have me to do.  My  desired was  to bring every thought into obedience to the anointing, instead of  yielding to my own thinking. 
By practicing these principles, I was able to yield to Jesus' direction in what could have many times continued to be uncomfortable circumstances and allowed Him to step in and change me.
I learned through this that our identity is not based merely on our performance, our associations, or our circumstances - but our identity is in Jesus and His Lordship in our life.  Also, I was able to maintain love and honour in the Lord for my leaders and other relationships that otherwise could have been lost, as I had seen other teens do, had it not been for the Lord's help and instruction.  Most of all intimidation was eradicated.

Genesis Chapters 37, 39-45 is the life story of Joseph (the Dreamer).
In view of his life and accompanying circumstances, it is obvious that he probably encountered some intimidation in some form - along the way. 
Thrown in a pit, ....sold into slavery by his own brothers, ....falsely accused of wrongdoing when he was trying to do right....thrown in jail....showing kindness to others only to be forgotten in his time of need.... After all this - two full years later, he was finally remembered by a former acquaintance and called before the king to interpret his unnerving dream - but even then,  Joseph was the last  one called in to do the job - the only reason he was sent for was because no body else could do it.  If anybody ever had a reason to be intimidated by even life itself - it was Joseph.  But he refused it!
He refused to allow his circumstances to dictate his life and his destiny.  Because he stood his ground, he became second in command in all the land of Egypt.  
It was thirteen years before Joseph saw even the first step toward the fulfillment of the dreams God had given him. And more than seven years after that, that he actually experienced his eleven brothers bowing down before him like God had shown him would happen.  
What is more, he not only came to experience all that the Lord had promised, but he was also left with only love and forgiveness in his heart toward his brothers, instead of bitterness and hate.  Because he refused to be intimidated by anything, he experienced the beauty of restoration and the realization of his God-given destiny. 
It can be the same for you and me.

The more we allow the Holy Spirit to build in us that confidence in God's absolute Love and goodness to us in every area of our lives - we will be able to say in the face of any and every situation  - "NOTHING Intimidates me!"  Because of the Spirit of the Living God dwelling inside of us, we never have to succumb to any intimidation the devil throws at us.   Because of Jesus, we are more than conquerors.

Proverbs 28.13 says that the righteous are as bold as a lion.

That doesn't mean we have to be rash and go around tearing stuff up.   The word "boldness" or "bold" refers to having an inner confidence (in God) and an absence of fear or tendency to withdraw or retreat. Intimidation occurs when you feel that the person or circumstance you are dealing with is bigger, stronger, and more powerful  than you.  Intimidation always evokes a sense of inferiority.  But we know that God is greater, bigger than everything!  And guess what - we are one with Him in Jesus!

That means that in Him, you are never inferior to anything - greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

There is a little chorus from an old song that says -"God is bigger than all our problems, bigger than all our fears, God is bigger than any mountain that you can or cannot see ."  Glory!  He is even bigger than the mountains that we can't even see!  Well, if God be for us, than who or what can be against us?  NOTHING!

"The Lord is with you while you are with Him."  As long as you will stick with His Word, His Word and His power will stick with you in every situation.
Picture it - a life free from all uneasiness, and intimidation - never feeling that horrible sense of shrinking back or withdrawing from some looming situation or a nagging responsibility to meet.  It doesn't lord over you, through Jesus you lord over it.

As you stay sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, you will recognize the spirit of intimidation before it even has a chance to manifest in your situation.  Then as you pull on your confidence in the goodness of God and His awesome Love toward you at all times, you will be able to stop the devil's plans cold - 
and declare from your heart "NOTHING  intimidates me!" 
-  Because the One living in me is greater than he who is in the world!

FLM ©December 2005 
Sharah LaGail Wyatt / First Love Ministries
P O Box 163974  Ft Worth, TX 76161
www.ps27fr.org

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