Do Not Be Intimidated!

Philippians 1:28
without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.

New Living Translation
Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself.

Amplified Bible
And in no way be alarmed or intimidated [in anything] by your opponents, for such [constancy and fearlessness on your part] is a [clear] sign [a proof and a seal] for them of [their impending] destruction, but [a clear sign] for you of deliverance and salvation, and that too, from God.

Contemporary English Version
Be brave when you face your enemies. Your courage will show them that they are going to be destroyed, and it will show you that you will be saved. God will make all of this happen,

Good News Translation
Don’t be afraid of your enemies; always be courageous, and this will prove to them that they will lose and that you will win, because it is God who gives you the victory.

Apostle Paul tells the church of the Philippians not to be intimidated by their enemies. To be intimidated is to be made to fear. To be intimidated is to be scared. To be intimidated is to be made to believe that the worst will happen to us. To be intimidated is to be made to live in fear. Do not be intimidated!

You can look at facts around you and you become afraid, that is not intimidation. Intimidation is when another person wants you to be afraid and they cause you to be afraid. Intimidation is to be threatened and consequently developing fear and then operating in fear. Do not be intimidated!

When you live in fear and operate in fear, you easily get manipulated by the one intimidating you. When you are intimidated you don’t think straight or correctly. When you are intimidated you are a slave to the threat and the one threatening you. When you are intimidated you give up and believe you have lost the battle or the struggle and you can’t do anything differently except what your enemies want. Do not be intimidated!

Your enemies want you to live in fear that is why they intimidated you. Your enemies want to defeat you mentally and then control you and consequently give themselves a victory. Do not be intimidated!

There is a difference between real threats and intimidation. Real threats require that you run for safety. Intimidation requires defiance as a response. Sometimes intimidation may come with real threats and one must prefer to take the risk of suffering harm rather than live in fear. Do not be intimidated!

Philippians were being intimidated by their enemies so that they abandon the Christian faith. They were intimidated to believe that Christianity has failed and collapsed and they should go back to their past faiths. They were intimidated to believe that the God of Christians can’t save. They were intimidated to believe that God’s promises are not true and they are safe if they abandon faith. Do not be intimidated!

Do not be intimidated in your faith so that you end up backsliding. Do not be intimidated in your work so that you end up doing wrong things. Do not be intimidated in your relationship so that you become a slave to your partner, where you are not happy and you can’t leave. Do not be intimidated in your business so that you can’t take risks, proceed or expand. Do not be intimidated in your health and finances. Do not be intimidated!

Be daring, defy the danger and do the right thing. Be daring and trust God even when He seems silent. Be daring and confront your tormentor and demand that they stop it. Be daring and report to the authorities. Be daring and walk away. Be daring and do what your enemies don’t want you to do. Be daring and accept the worst to happen to you instead of living in fear. Be daring and move in the direction you are told by your enemies to avoid. Be daring and do what your enemies don’t want you to do. Don’t quit if they want you to quit. Quit if your enemies tell you that you can’t make it if you quit. Think for yourself prayerfully and do what is right even if your enemies threaten you. Be courageous and be sure God is with you then move boldly and strongly against the threats. Do not be intimidated!

The bible tells us today that if you defy those who are intimidating you, you will win. When you defy those who are intimidating you, you prove to them that they are losers because their intimidation did not work. The Bible tells us that the best response to intimidation is to defy it. That will prove to your enemies that you are a winner and they are losers. Do not be intimidated!

Finally, the reason why you should not be intimidated is that God will give you victory. To be intimidated is to believe your enemies and doubt God. To refuse to be intimidated is to believe in God and doubt your enemies. Do not be intimidated!

Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego were intimidated by a fire that was heated seven times. They refused to be intimidated. They told the king that even if we die by fire, we will not worship your idol. They refused to be intimidated and God gave them victory. The danger was real but they refused to be intimidated. The danger posed by your enemies is real. You can actually lose, you can actually be fired, you can actually be transferred, you can actually be demoted, you can actually be arrested, you can actually be divorced, you can actually be exposed on social media, you can actually be harmed, but if you are doing right on God’s side accept the worst rather than intimidation. Do not be intimidated!

Daniel was threatened with being thrown in a lions’ den. Daniel accepted the worst death of being mauled by lions rather than live in fear contrary to God’s will. When you accept the worst to happen to you rather than live in the spell of fear cast by your enemies, you will be free and God will give you victory. The danger is real, but God’s message to you today is, do not be intimidated!

Stephen died because he refused to be intimidated. Jesus died because He refused to be intimidated. You better have the worst happen to you and be on God’s side, than defy God in fear of your enemies. There is hope even beyond death. Even if death is the threat and it is real, if there is no other option except defying God in fear of your enemies, chose death. Do not be intimidated!

Bad employers and bosses intimidate workers. Business competitors intimidate others out of business. Bad marriages and relationships that are abusive are based on intimidation. Bad religions and faith keep people in by intimidation. It is not God’s will that any one of us should live in fear. Even God does not intimidate us, who else should? Do not be intimidated!

How can you sin against God just because you are intimidated? How can you continue staying in an abusive marriage or relationship just because you are intimidated? How can you give up on that business or idea, just because you are intimidated? How can you be an accomplice in crime just because you are intimidated? How can you be afraid of reporting to authorities to get justice just because your abuser and tormentor is intimidating you? How can you continue engaging in witchcraft and other devilish rituals just because you are intimidated? How can you continue attending the wrong church, a wrong religion, just because you are intimidated? How can you live in stress and even depression because you have been made to believe there is no other option. How can you continue in what deep within you, you know is wrong, just because you are intimidated? Do not be intimidated!

If you accept intimidation, you may be safe from your enemies but your mental health will degenerate. You will not be happy. You will be a slave. You will never explore your potential. If you accept intimidation, God will not be on your side, because you did not trust Him to save you from intimidation. If you accept intimidation you will slowly but surely lose what you were afraid of losing. There is only one safety, and that is, do not be intimidated!

God of heaven, helps us to identify intimidation. Give us the wisdom to know how to handle our enemies. Give us the courage to stand up against intimidation. Make us strong enough to accept the worst, yes even death, rather than live in fear of human beings. May the victory You promised everyone who refuses to be intimidated be our victory, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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