Intimacy vs. Intimidation

The David Alliance

 

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I journal a lot. Not just my quiet time, but also every book I read, podcasts, sermons online, audio books - you name it and I journal it. So I am reading my old journal from about 20 years ago and there is a simple quote that I wrote down that says Failure is simply a few choices in error every day. And success is simply a few disciplines practiced every day.

I couldn’t agree more… but then today I was also reading about how the enemy intimidates us… you see we do not fight against flesh and blood- we know that. So the enemy can’t punch us, kick us or physically push us around… there is some debate on that for another time… but the point is satan and his demonic influences basically can only drop thoughts into our head and that with living in a sinful world.. well, we have our hands full. But all this to say… I believe failure is more than a few choices in error every day… and more like it is actually bowing to intimidation a little every day.

Look I have grown up with the ideal that if the world starts saying you need to put a mark on your head or hand to buy food, use money or travel… we’ll we would say no way Jose - but we just came off of a season where we were told to wear masks, take shots, stay in doors, social distance, use digital currency so as not to spread germs… and people were intimidated to do just that. 

Scripture is clear that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion… first off, if a lion is prowling he is old, he is roaring trying to get his prey to freeze up so he can catch them… His game is intimidation.

But think about it… its only noise! He’s to old to catch you, he is to old to compete against the younger lions, he is not willing to fight unless you are frozen in fear. 

He intimidates! Thats all he’s got. but if you give into it a little every day… in just a few short days and weeks he owns you. 

Do you recognize his intimidation?

Remember the spirit behind the object of intimidation… 

The red sea was parted… it was not removed. The red sea was there to intimidate… God did not remove the intimidation, he just moved them through it.

Shad shack and benny thrown into the fire… he did not put the fire out… the fire was there to intimidate… 

David and Goliath… Big G was there to intimidate… God did not take out Goliath, he had David go through him. 

The demoniac running at Jesus when he got out of the boat… Jesus realized this was intimidation… and he stood his ground and did not falter. It is not the fire, the sea, the giant, the demon… it is the spirit behind it that is there to intimidate you.

Don’t run, don’t cry, don’t falter, don’t wither, don’t whine… recognize the intimidation… speak to it “thats all you got? All you got is fire? A giant? A sea? A demon?” and as David said “I come to you in the name of Jesus and today you will fall… today you will be handed to the birds to feed on you”. I will not be intimidated because i serve a God who rules all of eternity… I will not be intimidated because I am intimate with Jesus. Intimacy trumps intimidation every time!!!