Fear attracts attack. My neighbor has a dog named Ginger. I hate Ginger. Ginger is a bully. Every now and again, Ginger escapes and comes looking for my little Shih Tzu, Fancy. Fancy is all of 10 lbs soaking wet. Ginger is somewhere around 35 or 40 lbs.
A few days ago, I was in my yard trimming hedges. Suddenly, I heard a fast rustling of leaves and looked up to see Ginger charging towards me. Without thinking I raised the 24 inch pruners high and yelled loudly, “COME ON!!!” I thought; “please give me a reason to beat you with these pruners!”
As fast as she began, Ginger stopped dead in her tracks. Quietly she turned around and crossed the street trotting back into her own yard. Ginger was looking forward to a fear based response. That was not her day. She stopped because dogs can sense fear. Fear attracts attack.
Satan is a bully just like Ginger. The enemy intimidates through fear. Intimidation works until it encounters someone who is intimate with God. Intimacy imparts true identity. When you know who you are, you are no longer affected by intimidation. David had no fear of Goliath because of his intimacy with God. His FEAR LESS NESS canceled the power of intimidation.
Intimidation causes us to do what the enemy wants through fear.
Intimacy inspires us to do what the Father desires through love.
It is interesting that intimacy and intimidation have the same word origins. (IN) is to place within. In other words, to intimidate is to place fear with-in. Intimacy on the other hand is to place within you what you are close in proximity to. David was close in proximity to God. He constantly worshiped and admired the face of the one who described David as a man after his own heart. David was close in proximity to the heart of God. That closeness placed LOVE in David.
The closer we draw to the heart of the Father, the more his face shines upon us. We bask in love rays. When we live in love, we live in God which allows God to live in us in return. We become immune to the effects of fear. Where there is no fear, there is nothing in us for the enemy to attach himself to. “Jesus even described this state of being in John 14:30 “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me;” I love it! Intimacy is God shining himself into me. He burns his love on the walls of our heart. And fear is cast out by that love.
1 John 4:16-18 says, And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. Love makes you bold. We become like the one we behold.
Allowing God to love on you activates intimacy and eradicates the intimidating effects of fear. Makes the devil a lot like Ginger. When fear has nothing to hook on to, we are empowered to resist him. Thus, the enemy must flee and go home to his own yard.