Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the
devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking
whom he may devour Resist him, steadfast in the
faith. 1Pet 5.8,9.
War is no game, but gamesmanship is critical to winning a war. And it is no different with ‘fear’ when it uses devious tactics to gain the upper hand. If not aware of these ‘dirty tricks’
and wiles I want to now identify, you fight ‘blindfolded’ and face possible defeat.
SUBTERFUGE
Deception is the tactic used more than any other in war. The great military strategist of ancient China, Sun Tzu, said, ‘All warfare is based on deception’. Examples of it litter the pages of history, from the Trojan horse of the ancient Greeks to the Serbs in modern times deceiving NATO bombing missions with battle tanks made of wood. Even owls use it when threatened; they puff up their feathers so as to appear double their size. The lesson to be learned? Where the chances of victory for a weaker combatant are virtually nil, deception can change the odds.
Instances even exist of a stronger side surrendering without a fight after being tricked into believing the foe was much stronger. They calculated it was not worth testing to see if it was real. Wars have been won and lost based solely on perception, not reality. Tragic, don’t you think?
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‘Fear’ does this by making us believe it is stronger and to challenge this is futile. Many believers, therefore, have given up without a fight; as far as they are concerned, ‘fear’ is unbeatable—it is a given. An assumption made almost certainly without testing if it was true or with proof to support the notion.
Why such a lack of ‘due diligence’ in not considering it could be pure deception? In the main, I suspect, because ‘fear’
demoralized them; its intimidation took out of them any fight they had.
THE BIG LIE
Let’s see if ‘fear’ really is stronger, the unbeatable foe. Now, you might think it futile to disprove the notion as you already tried challenging the lie and are now deeply disappointed.
Despite rebuking the fear, telling it to leave you alone, it was to no avail. Or the ‘fear’ may have retreated, but it came back, so in the end, nothing changed. As far as you are concerned, it is stronger, an unconquerable foe, and to try to beat it is foolhardy.
You are not alone; many have this defeatist attitude, especially if
‘fear’ has been an unyielding ‘thorn in their side’, even since childhood. Others believe it only because everybody else says so.
But popular opinion should never determine what is true.
The only valid arbitrator of truth on this matter is the Word of God. It alone is the sole source of divine revelation about what is real and it dispels the lie of ‘fear’ being too strong to be defeated. First, by exposing how the devil is the ‘father of lies’
and this use of ‘fear’ is a ‘con job’, one of the hoaxes of all time.
But it also shows the devil and his forces are already defeated; 51
the redemption Christ purchased on Calvary stripped them of their power to harm. Sure, the devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking ‘ whom he may devour’ (1Pet 5.8) but is a predator without teeth. His only weapon is deception, and to our shame, we gullibly believe the hoax.
INTIMIDATION
For years, I too believed fear was stronger (a maxim not to be questioned) and embraced the fallacy along with a defeatist mindset. All because ‘fear’ had intimidated me with an insignificant piece of technology—the telephone. It may sound silly to say this about a device most people find innocuous, but not to me. Every time it rang, it was the club fear wielded to make me cower. I dreaded the ring…ring…ring as it was not signaling an incoming call but the ‘bell’ announcing another
'round' in my fight with ‘fear’. Most of them I lost, cowered, and disillusioned.
While face-to-face communication was difficult as a stutterer, talking into this piece of black plastic (the telephone) was torture. Every time I lifted the receiver to say a cheery greeting my vocal cords would freeze, and only after an agonizing, embarrassing silence could I force out a stammered response. No matter how hard and often I tried to win these battles, ‘fear’ pummeled me into a humiliating defeat. In the first pharmacy where I worked, this happened every day, and I lost every battle. Yes, back then, this intimidation by ‘fear’ had bullied me into submission. There was no doubt in my mind, it was too strong for me to expect to defeat it.
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The male lion is the 'king of the jungle' not because he is the largest or strongest but by dominating the other animals with his threatening roar; a bellow even elephants and other more powerful animals retreat from. This is the tactic of all bullies; they don’t rely on their fighting ability but on intimidation, both to gain a ‘reputation’ and stake out a ‘turf’. It is why the devil employs this tactic using ‘fear’, for once a victim is cowered, it is rare to see them challenge the lie with any real ‘fight back’. If they do, their counterpunches are usually tentative, and so they give up, ashamed and disillusioned at their ineffectiveness. In effect, robbed of their freedom because of a lack of courage to call the devil’s ‘bluff’.
TURNING THE TABLES
How, then, did I turn this wretched situation of mine around?
Was it a super-clever tactic that made the difference? No, it was not any sophisticated strategy that gave the breakthrough, just a simple change in mindset; but one so profound it answered what I was desperate to solve. Hallelujah! So, what was this simple
‘battle maneuver’ that allowed me to win the fight, the tactic allowing me to be free from its unrelenting intimidation? No longer a slave to what had caused so much anxiety over the years—the telephone.
As alluded to, a new (for me) mindset ‘turned the tables’.
Namely, this radical yet simple change in thinking—I would no longer view my enemy as unbeatable. Or, to say it another way, I would refuse to believe the deception. Yes, I decided to face my ‘fear’ of the telephone and boldly 'call its bluff’. I had been captive to the ruse long enough and what had ruled my life 53
would no longer be allowed to stand. To my delight, the results of this one shift in thinking came sooner than expected; the lie (‘fear’ was unbeatable) that used to torment me started to crumble almost immediately. Now, the outcome might have been different if I had committed some serious sin to breach the divine ‘wall’ of protection, but without any ‘curse’ in play, there was no legal right for a (supernatural) ‘serpent’ of fear to bite me. (See Eccl 10.8) I was innocent of anything incurring such a penalty and hence the result.
I admit, this courage to confront fear’s harassment only came after I had been a Christian for some time; possibly by divine design because I first needed to understand the dynamics of the intimidation. However, I somehow knew it was time for the
‘showdown; not going along with the hoax had been put off long enough. It was now or never to 'call its bluff' and expose the deception. In effect, this meant I had decided to stand and fight instead of doing what came naturally, run. To say it another way; hard as it was, I decided to make the effort to mount a serious counterattack. Now, this ‘tectonic shift’ in thinking required another radical yet simple change in mindset, and it will be the same for you. It was this: if I was to take the fight to fear, I could no longer be on the defensive, I needed to ‘do offense’, a drastic change for me.
A pastor I know was once walking a forest trail when a strong spirit of fear attacked him. It sufficiently frightened for him to turn around on the isolated bush track and head back to the support of friends. But with each step in his retreat towards the supposed safety of the cabin, the fear only increased. The 54
demonic force was following him, coming closer and closer. He realized there was only one way to stop the growing panic—to cease retreating—so he turned around, faced the spirit, and, speaking directly to it, rebuked it in Jesus’ name. To his delight, it left immediately at the command and he was able to carry on his walk without further harassment. He testifies to the lesson learned about facing ‘fear’ and not retreating.
The decision to refuse to be intimidated is the first step, but not the only one you need to take. A decision, by the way, you must cement with the resolve to keep it up, come what may. In fact, the spirits behind ‘fear’ will watch to see if the decision is serious, even testing you—often severely—to determine if it is genuine. If it is only half-hearted, a kind of ‘new year resolution’, or a passing impulse, you will be found out. Make sure then to follow through, for if you don’t, your attempt to break free is doomed and it will be much harder next time. Now, a radical turnaround such as this means a real ‘gear shift’ in thinking, so don’t be alarmed if there is a ‘crunching of gears’
before it is fully implemented.
REBUKING THE ENEMY
After the decision to stop running, what comes next is summoning the courage to confront ‘fear’. And by this, I mean withstand it with verbal rebukes. Now, this may sound radical, even extreme, but it was the other key to the success of my newfound offensive. Any previous attempts to resist ‘fear’ had mainly been defensive actions—timid and ineffective— as I had been using a small peashooter to combat a formidable enemy. It was time to bring out the ‘big guns’ if the ‘roaring lion’ of ‘fear’
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was to retreat, and this translated to taking out a weapon I had left ‘in its scabbard’— the ‘sword’ the words of my mouth create. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, you too can ‘roar back’
words to frighten any spirit of ‘fear’.
‘Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith.’ (1Pe 5:7-9). This is a warning of how the
‘devil’ burdens us with one facet of ‘fear’— ‘cares’ (‘ worry, anxiety and concern’ (AMB)). Fortunately, the same verses tell us we are to counter these attacks by steadfastly ‘resist(ing)’
(withstand) what he seeks to impose. The words you speak to spiritual powers do this most effectively. Evil can’t read your mind, so ‘fear’ must hear your rebuke if it is to recognize the refusal to accept its ‘unwanted goods’. It is how spirits fueling the ‘fear’ know of your newfound stance and it is what Jesus did when Satan, using Peter, tried to hinder the purposes of God. He rebuked the source (more than the messenger), saying "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God”
(Mk 8.33).
Now, it may seem outlandish to speak out loud like this, but you are not speaking the words into thin air. Unseen spiritual entities constantly wait to hear if their schemes are opposed.
Now, the rebuke does not have to be loud; if you can hear it, it is loud enough, and you can hear a whisper. But if no one is in earshot, why not say it louder, even with a shout. Just remember, your rebuke must be aggressive, spoken with conviction; insipid attempts will be found to be wanting, even sneered at. I once 56
had to tell a very refined lady coming under demonic attack to stop ‘sweet talking’ the enemy. In rebuking the attacks, she was reticent to sound too ‘militant’.
The bottom line: the counter-attack must be forceful, its posture aggressive if ‘fear’ is to get the message. My first attempts were certainly not convincing, but with perseverance, I eventually got it right. I did notice some difference after the first attempts, but this increased greatly as my rebukes grew in confidence and I became more forceful every time the phone rang. Eventually, what had tormented so many years was finally forced to retreat. Hallelujah!
Of course, I didn’t win every fight at first. I would win some rounds but then lose the next one. So it was important for me not to give up no matter how many losses suffered. Even when the
‘fear’ broke through to overwhelm my emotions, I had to continue with the strategy, to gather my wits quickly and remain positive about overcoming the shock from the severe attacks. If I could do this, panic didn’t set in. If I could keep poised, the
'where with all' to fight back would be there to demand ‘fear’
leave. Praise God, the telephone was no longer the ‘death knell’
it had been; it was now the 'bell' signaling me to come out of my
‘corner’ to fight! Which proved the maxim—‘the best form of defense is attack’.
In speaking a rebuke, what words should be used? Well, the exact phrasing is not important; what is, is the force you say them with. The words of Jesus, ‘get thee behind me Satan’ (Matt 16.23) are useful but others spoken assertively are just as valid if 57
they demand ‘fear’ go. Now, don’t be surprised if there is not immediate success with this; it could take some time, so continue with the rebukes until the results eventuate. Like many wars, yours could be an extended one! The dark spirits fueling
‘fear’ are also stubborn and hate to obey any command, so don’t fret when ‘fear’ tries to hold out. Continue with the ‘cease and desist’ commands—your right as a child of God—and they will eventually surrender. Also, don’t forget the commands you speak are based in your legal authority as a child of God, not in the first instance because the rebuke is bold and aggressive.
Even if you are the quiet, gentle ‘wall flower’ type, this will not be a hindrance. The right to resist is based on your position in Christ, nothing else.
COURAGE TO FIGHT
‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ (Jam 4.7) The question undoubtedly for many is, do they have the courage to ‘turn the tables’. Can they assume an offensive posture after being intimidated for so long?
And, yes, it is a daunting hurdle to overcome if left up to just
‘little old you’, especially if your nature is more passive. The good news is, God knows this and has sent the Holy Spirit, the
‘paraclete’ (Grk), or divine ‘helper’ so you can be what you are not.
Now, every Christian has the power of the Holy Spirit within them, and even more, if ‘baptized with (in) the Holy Spirit’, so reach out for this power and the courage will be there to make it work. No matter how intimidated you feel, you too can have the same boldness as was supernaturally imparted to the fearful, 58
despairing disciples. (Acts 4) With unusual courage, they boldly proclaimed the gospel in the face of fierce hostility from the Jewish authorities. Am I being overly optimistic? I don’t believe so because I proved this empowerment giving divine courage can ‘turn the tables’ on the bully of ‘fear’. Believe me, when you decide to ‘roar’ back, heaven will be on your side. Indeed, your counter-attack will make ‘fear’ afraid so it scampers away like a whimpering dog with its tail between its legs. Yes, the same fear will descend on your enemy as fell on the nations of Canaan when Israel went to battle. (See Josh 5.1) In the past,
‘fear’ may have played with you like some toy but not anymore.
You are now the ‘head’ and not the ‘tail’ and it will be the one cowering in the fight.
Remember in the movie ‘The Gods must be Crazy’ (if you saw it) how the hyena picked on the young pygmy boy because he was smaller. But the boy ‘turned the tables’ by placing a piece of wood on his head to increase his height. ‘Fear’ will also stop its torment when it knows you have grown in stature and the game is up. ‘ Build yourself up in your most holy faith’ (Jude 20) and you will be astounded at how weak it is when you refuse to be intimidated.
NO MORE PEACE PACTS
‘Fear NOT, for I am with you; Be NOT dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ (Is 41.10 To properly spoil the intimidation by ‘fear’, you must also tear up any agreement made with it (probably unconsciously). Any pact such as, ‘I will not trouble you if you don’t trouble me’. There 59
can be no peaceful coexistence with this enemy, and pacts never last long, anyway. ‘Fear’ has no compunction about breaking an agreement, so tear it up now before you are disappointed.
Declare war without reservation so ‘fear’ gets the message, and like Samson, you too will find the ‘lion’ that threatened previously will yield the sweetest honey of victory.
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