Identifying and Confronting the Spirit of Fear and Intimidation

One of the tactics of the enemy in his war against the saints is to remain as anonymous as possible. During the Cold War double agents inflicted huge amounts of damage because the system was being undermined from inside. The enemy was hidden, unseen and was striking without warning. 

One of the purposes of C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, was to explain that Satan’s greatest plan is to convince people that he does not exist, therefore he can continue his work unhindered. Lewis wrote: ‘There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.’

In the Bible, many spirits are identified by name and by studying the Scriptures, we can learn more about how to identify and confront these spiritual realities. Jesus Christ himself confronted and cast out many spirits and in Matthew 12:43, He identifies unclean spirits and reveals what happens to them after they have been confronted and dealt with. In another example, in 1 Kings 22:23, Micaiah the prophet revealed that a lying spirit had been deceiving the people, but they refused to confront it.

One such spirit that likes to remain anonymous is the spirit of fear and intimidation. The job function of the spirit of fear and intimidation is to paralyze Christians emotionally and spiritually, so that the work of Christ in and through their lives will cease. One could ask, “Why is it that so many Christians have visions and dreams, yet never fulfill them?” One of the reasons that Christians do not embrace their call from God is because the spirit of fear and intimidation harasses them until they give up. 

The plan of this spirit is to attack our minds with fear and worry, until we are overwhelmed and intimidated into ceasing the work. One example could be overloading our minds with thoughts like these:

“What will people say if you go on a mission trip or do what God is asking me to do? I don’t have an anointing…I’m not called…I’m not victorious. What do you have to offer to God’s Kingdom?”

Experiencing the emotion of fear in small amounts is normal in life, but if you feel submerged, always having great ideas and dreams of things you might do yet never getting around to actually doing them as if the enemy is coming in like a constant flood, then this sounds like an attack from the spirit of fear and intimidation.

Just imagine that your mind is a blank canvas, and the job function of the spirit of fear and intimidation is to paint a dark and gloomy picture on that canvas (which you constantly focus on), until you become so overwhelmed and intimidated, that you give up. The warning is clear – don’t let the devil paint pictures on your imagination!

　

　

Challenging The Spirit Of Fear And Intimidation

 

In Luke 9:1, Jesus gave His disciples authority over ‘all demons.’ For every Christian who realizes they have been attacked by the spirit of fear and intimidation or any other spiritual reality, they must first recognize that Christ has given them authority over all the works of the enemy and second they must apply this victory to their life.

For Christians who feel oppressed, it is a powerful thing to speak-out the word of God verbally and into their own minds. Christians who feel like this could say:

Spirit of fear, you have no authority in my life. I now release myself from your grip and command you to go. The word of God says in Colossians 2:15 that Christ ‘disarmed principalities and powers. He made a public spectacle of them/(YOU), triumphing over’ them/(YOU) by the cross. You are defeated, I apply Christ’s victory. Go! in Jesus’ name!”

Finally, remember what Paul wrote to Timothy and feel free to declare this:

‘God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind.’
2 Timothy 1:7

　

　

Challenging the enemy in the battle of the mind

 

If we are going to overcome the enemy, we have to identify negative thoughts patterns, challenging and change them. In the Bible, in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, it explains this process very clearly.

‘For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience to Christ.’
2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Therefore, according to the Bible, we have to ‘cast down arguments’ in our mind, including everything that ‘exalts itself against the knowledge of God’ (as found in Scripture) and then we have to make sure that ‘every thought’ is subject to the teaching of Christ.

As an example, imagine that you are not busy and a thought comes into your mind saying, “God will never answer your prayers, you are wicked.” You can either choose to accept that message, or you can bring it into subjection to the Bible’s teaching. Your answer could be:

　

“Yes, I have sinned, but praise God the Bible tells me:

“if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
1 John 1:9

Therefore, God does hear my prayers because of what Christ Jesus did for me, and my life is now hidden in Him!”

As another example, you could get a thought saying, “You are worthless. Why don’t you just die?” Your answer could be:

“I am not worthless – Christ died for me! I am created in the image of God – I have immense value because of that! I reflect the image of the Creator. The Bible says I will not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord!”

Pay attention to the thoughts and words you use to describe yourself.

This battle in the mind is fought and won daily. For this reason, we need to go back to the Bible every day, to read the word of God and learn what He says about us. As we do this, we will have the ‘verbal’ weapons to fight the enemy. 

Finally, when the Apostle Paul wrote about the armor of God, he called the Word of God the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). The Sword of God’s Word is used to cut down all the lies of the enemy and helps us win the battle of the mind!

Get the Word of God into you hearts and minds and walk in the victory purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary!

　

He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Revelations 21:7-8

　

Trust JESUS!

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Special thanks to http://www.byfaith.co.uk