Why do you exclude yourself from friendship with God? What makes you think that you cannot be God's friend? Do you think that you are not good enough, or if you can imagine yourself as a friend of God, do you somehow feel that you have to wait until you get to Heaven to get close to Him? Do you have this impression that you are here on the Earth and God is somewhere else, a place known as Heaven?

While it is certainly true that none of us is good enough to be His friend, that is why Jesus died on the Cross for each of us! He, the Righteous One who is truly worthy, died in our place so that we could become worthy to have the closest of relationships with our loving Creator. Furthermore, just as our own unworthiness is no hindrance, in God's eyes, neither is this relationship meant to begin in the Afterlife. No, we do not have to wait until we get to Heaven to begin enjoying the presence of God.

So what is the problem? What is keeping you from entering into His presence? Today? Now? This very moment? Can you even bring yourself to the point where you can honestly say that you even want to be a friend of God? Perhaps there is some secret, or not-so-secret, sin in your life that keeps you feeling condemned in your heart. You could have the feeling that becoming more spiritually minded or even becoming a Christian means being cheated out of something this life has to offer. You may have the mistaken notion that such a relationship is reserved for someone else, someone special, or it could be that there is simply some unexpressed feeling of dread or uneasiness that will not let you. After all, it is quite easy to feel intimidated by God.

The answer to all of this is to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ.

For starters, it should be obvious that Jesus Christ was never intimidated by anyone, and especially not by His Heavenly Father (how could God the Son be intimidated by God the Father?) Next, Jesus told us plainly that He is the only way for any of us to come to the Father.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

It is a serious mistake to conclude that this verse simply refers to the Afterlife and has no practical application in this Life. For example, consider these verses from Hebrews: "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14,16)

These words must be interpreted in light of the fact that Jesus Christ is the only way for us to approach the "throne of grace" in our times of need. Even more than that, it is simply wrong to assume that the only times we are to come to the throne of grace is when we have a need. Yet, so many of us take that approach, limiting ourselves to seeking God only when we are in trouble too deep for us to handle: In Case of Emergency, Break Glass!

Getting saved, being born again, or however you wish to phrase it, means so much more than getting an Eternal Fire Insurance Policy, A Get Out Of Hell Free card. The Apostle Paul tells us that God has predestined us "to be conformed to the image of his Son." (Romans 8:29) The Apostle John says "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2) The Apostle Peter reminds us that we have been given "exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 (Peter 1:4)

They all agree: We are to be changed into the very image of the Son of God! It does not look that way, yet, but we already are the sons of God and we have already "escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." This is why when we come to God through Jesus Christ, there is absolutely no need to feel intimidated by God. However, this does not mean we are allowed any room for arrogance, pride, or presumption. God makes His dwelling place with the humble and He keeps the proud at a distance.

So we return to the Great Partnership between God and the believer. If we abide in Christ, and if His words abide in us, then we will see the ever increasing fulfillment of those "exceeding great and precious promises." By their fulfillment we become "partakers of the divine nature." Say that to yourself, again. S-l-o-w-l-y. Make it personal. Linger on this thought: I will be a partaker of the divine nature. God has made me His partner, so that He can change me to be like Him!

"We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

Thus, we are to humbly, with great thankfulness in our hearts, proceed on the Narrow Way that leads to Life. How are we to proceed? "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2) God, by His grace, has already "given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness." (2 (Peter 1:3) His Word has been given to us for the renewing of our minds so that we may be partakers of the divine nature. The primary thing keeping us back is ourselves. As Jesus said, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." (John 15:7)

Jesus also said this: "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)

Thus, we see the importance of Truth. Jesus is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. His words are spirit, and they are life. There is, then, a progression: Jesus is the Way to the Father. Once we have accepted Him as Savior, we then need Him as Truth to have His Life, because His Words are spirit and life. For without Him, we can do nothing. Through Him, we can do all things, because He strengthens us. His Truth is crucial and essential for all of this. God's Truth is to be the very foundation of our lives and is to be woven throughout our very being. This can be seen in the passage that describes the whole armor of God.

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." (Ephesians 6:11-18)

The first piece of armor is to have our loins girt about with Truth. To "gird about" means to surround and the "loins" refers to our inner being. So, our entire person is to be surrounded with Truth. The rest of the Armor and our success in overcoming "the wiles of the devil" depend upon us having first surrounded our hearts with Truth. One critical observation to make is that God has provided His armor to everyone. It is not reserved for certain people, some special chosen few. It is however God's armor and will not fit anyone else! It will only fit those who are being conformed to His image. The Armor of God is not for babies in the Lord, either. But as we mature spiritually in the Lord, His armor will begin to fit us and we will enjoy success in overcoming the wiles of the devil. It should also be quite evident that the time to put on the armor and become skillful in using the weapons of the Spirit is not during the heat of battle! Just like our loving and serving others, overcoming unclean spirits is all a part of our becoming Christ-like in nature! When we have properly prepared ourselves in advance under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, we will not be overcome by the enemy's tactics or tools. No matter how viciously persuasive their attacks may be, we must remember that we possess the authority as believers in Jesus Christ to render satan's destructive efforts fruitless in our lives, just as Jesus did. However, we can only exercise this authority through Him. This is a point that tends to become lost with those who are selfishly seeking to acquire things or recognition for themselves. If we are ever going to accomplish the things that God has for us, we are going to have to learn that intimidation or any other unclean spirit can only be overcome as we are in partnership with God, wearing His Armor, and wielding skillfully the weapons of the Holy Spirit.

Consider then the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. As we grow in the Lord, His Word, which is our very lives, also becomes a weapon to overcome the devil and his temptations. Contrary to popular belief, satan cannot make you do anything! He will however, tempt you with deceptive thoughts and ideas. Whether you choose to act on them or not is totally up to you. It is our decisions that ultimately determine our circumstances in life! "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Galatians 6:7) Think about it for a moment. Did the serpent have to cram the fruit down Eve's throat? Of course not. All he did was convince her that, despite anything God said, that she would be as god, able to know good and evil. All she would have to do is take a bite of what was forbidden them by God. Here is how it came about.

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman," (Here is the setup) "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (He sows confusion and doubt by turning God's positive command into a negatively phrased question) "And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." (Eve's answer was wrong! God had not forbidden touching the tree or its fruit. Not knowing the Truth, she gets trapped by the lie of the devil. Satan sees his opening and springs the trap.) "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." (Genesis 3:1-6)

Do you see how satan convinced Eve to eat the apple? He started with confusion and doubt, dangled an enticement in front of her eyes, and then exploited Eve's imperfect knowledge of God's Word to convince her to disobey the commandment. When we stray away from God's word or have an imperfect knowledge of His word, trouble always follows. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." Hosea 4:6

Contrary to the way Eve responded to satan's lies, Jesus, while in the wilderness, handled the same type of situation that was presented to Eve but in an entirely different manner. "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (Luke 4:1-8) Jesus overcame each of the temptations using the Word of God. This is exactly the way that we must handle temptations, or they will detour us from God's will for our lives!

You might ask, "That was Jesus, how does this relate to me?" The answer is that all temptations have similarities: "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." (1 John 2:16) Jesus was tempted in all three of these in the same way that Eve was and the same way that we are.

"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16)

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)

The way God has provided to escape all forms of temptation is His Word! What is intimidation? Intimidation is nothing more than another form of temptation. Jesus used the Sword of the Spirit against the three temptations of the Devil, each time Jesus was tempted, He wielded the mighty Sword of the Word: "it is written, it is written, it is written." Jesus, armed with the Word of God, defeated the lies of satan. There are many other accounts where Jesus, with a word, spoke and people were healed, demons were cast out, a fig tree died, the dead were raised and many other things that Jesus did by speaking a word. This is not to even mention what took place that never made it into the Holy Scriptures as we know them to be. That is what John meant when he wrote, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." John 21:25

Concerning His mighty acts, Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." John 14:12-13

These "greater works" certainly include speaking God's Word, not just thinking God's Word! For example, how was the world and the things in it established? By the Word of God. He spoke everything into being with His Word. We, too, as partners of God, are to likewise become armed with the Word of God, so that we may stand in the Victory that Christ has won for us. As the Apostle Paul wrote "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." (2 Corinthians 2:11)

One of those devices of satan was described in Part I of this teaching. According to the apostle Peter, satan is as a roaring lion. Peter writes, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." (1 Peter 5:6-9) Did you see that Peter said that satan is as a roaring lion, and did not say that he actually is one?

Satan has been reduced to using fear, including intimidation, in order to accomplish his devious objectives. Why? Because of the Victory of the Lord Jesus Christ. After He was crucified, Jesus descended into Hell "and preached unto the spirits in prison." (1 Peter 3:19) When He rose from the dead, He took the power of death, that is, the fear of death, from satan. Jesus said, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." (Revelation 1:18) By taking the power of death from satan, Jesus left the devil in the same predicament as the old male lion in our story, toothless, and dependent upon deception. So now, satan and his unclean hoards roam about seeking anyone who will succumb to or buy into their lies. That is how they operate. They seek out people who will allow their own wills to align with satan's will to accomplish his objective in a given situation. The sad fact is, while satan has conditioned the vast majority of the church, through Hollywood, to view demonic activity in a physical "pitchfork and horns" kind of way, unclean spirits are having a heyday. What is actually taking place on a major scale is what prize fighters call the sucker punch technique! They get you focused on one area and then blind side you from another. Make no mistake about this, much of what goes by the name of "Christian" has little or nothing to do with Jesus Christ! This includes what takes place within the walls of most church facilities in this country.

Jesus, addressing a group of Scribes and Pharisees in the temple one day said, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44) Why did Jesus say that to them? Because they had chosen rather to uphold the satanic ways of dead religion rather than to walk in ways of God. It would not have been as bad if it were just a small group of them that believed that way, but they, sometimes forcibly, made many others buy into and act on the same lies as well.<

We see this very thing taking place in so many of our churches today. People who initially come into the church looking for God, but instead of finding themselves being encouraged to "seek ye first the kingdom of God and His rightousness", they are pressed (intimidated) into conforming to a particular group's ways of doing things. They are made to feel that they must first please those around them before they can be accepted by God. Remember, the battles of life are fought in the mind. Fear, perpetuated by lies, is the basis of all intimidation. Just like a snake's venom serves to paralyze its prey, intimidation will always attempt to paralyze anyone who endeavors to accomplish anything of Kingdom value. This is why it is imperative that we continully gird ourselves with the full armor of God as Paul teaches us. Without it, we are open to all manner of attack.

Fear, including intimidation, will only work on us when we lose sight of Jesus, period! Consider the example of Peter walking on the water. Peter started sinking only when he lost his focus on the Lord and regarded the wind and the waves and became afraid. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3) Likewise, when we focus on ourselves or on the opinions of others, when we go along with the crowd, we cannot walk in the blessings of the Lord. "For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." (John 12:43) "And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." (Luke 16:15)

We are at war, and intimidating spirits never, I repeat, never show up to play. They show up to try to steal, kill, and destroy the great things that God has for each of us. How does satan and his demons steal, kill, and destroy? With lies! In order to achieve their goals, they attempt to persuade a person or persons to take up their cause by manipulating them with lies. They will work on a person until that person either believes their lies or until the person sees them for what they really are and chooses to cast them away or ignore them all together. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) If we buy the enemy's lies to the point of acting on them, we have set ourselves up as a means by which they can then bring harm to ourselves and even to those around us. This is why it is imperative that we pursue the Truth, so that our hearts and minds will be protected from all deceptions and the destruction they bring.

I will leave you with this. Can you ever remember a time when a situation actually turned out as badly as the deceptive lies of intimidating spirits tried to make you think they would? Selah! "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Revelation 3:21

There is only one true lion in the kingdom of God and that is Jesus, the lion of the tribe of Juda! "The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion." (Proverbs 28:1) This is something that all believers must remind themselves of continuously. When we are walking humbly with our God, wearing the Breastplate of Righteousness, remembering it is His Armor, His Righteousness, and His Victory, then we can be bold as a lion, too. No matter what situation we are facing.

Without Him, we can do nothing. Through Him, we can do all things, because He strengthens us.