Wednesday Bible Study

Reminders:

• The Reality of the Unseen Realm
  • Angels: uniquely created, immortal spirit beings who possess a level of power and intelligence greater than our own but limited by God, as well as personality and morality, who serve primarily as messengers of the Lord, protectors of and ministers to God’s people, and warriors who execute God’s judgment.
  • Demons: Fallen angels who bear the power, intellectual, and special limitations of the angelic but lack the power, favor, and glory of God behind them. They act as messengers of deception and death, who attack and seek to destroy people, especially God s people, but have already been judged and will receive the full weight of God’s judgment.
• The Stakes of Eternity
  • Heaven: Heaven is the real, literal place where God’s presence and glory are on full display and is the final place for all who have been made righteous in Christ by grace through faith.
  • Hell: Hell is the real, literal place of eternal, conscious, just punishment for the unrighteous and wicked, both human and demonic.

Look and See the Actual Enemy and the Real Battle: Know your enemy and his modes operandi

• Ephesians 6:10-12: The Nature of the Battle
  • Devious, Well-Thought Schemes
  • Personal, Intense Struggle
  • Powerful, Unseen Enemies
• 1 Peter 5:8: the Nature of the Enemy
  • A Personal, Slanderous Enemy
    • Job 1:9-11, 2:4-5
    • Zechariah 3:1-2
    • Revelation 12:10
  • Devoted Pursuer of Death and Destruction
• Realities of Spiritual Warfare:
  • Satan’s aim is complete, murderous destruction — to devour
  • Satan is active and intentional in his assault
  • Satan is an opportunist, rarely attacking from the front but when you least expected and are in lull. Ex. Judo vs Boxing
  • Satan’s attacks are going to come in the form of:
    • Major Spiritual Things — i.e. Demonic Possession
    • Sufferings/Persecutions/Discouragement meant to intimidate, leading to quitting
    • Slanderous accusations — Condemnation — Ex. Reminding of past, repentant sin
    • Temptations — Does not have to be “big” sin and tempt, little steps take you over
      • With pride, pleasure, acceptance, fear, worry, and doubt.

• • • Lies — The primary means of Satanic assault
      • John 8:44 — Father of lies
      • 2 Cor. 4: Satan masquerades as angel of light
      • Regarding God’s nature, character, Word; the World; sin; Ourselves
      • Both on a personal and societal level
  • Satan, and all demons, are defeated and on a leash
    • Job
    • Luke 22:31-32
    • Colossians 2:15
  • Spiritual warfare is far more mental than it is exorcist! We must be prepared for the battle over ideas, pleasure, and The world is watching.

Stand and Fight the Real Fight

• 1 Peter 5:9: The Fight
  • Be Awake!
  • What are the warning signs you may be caught in Spiritual Warfare:
    • Temptation that is out of the blue or not tied to a poor choice you have made
    • Increased anger, lack of patience, etc. in emotion in an abnormal way

• • • Being presented with ideas that sound really good and accurate but fall short upon further investigation

• • • Dealing with hostility from an individual or individuals that does not subside no matter what you do
    • Finding major tension between Christians over doctrine, living, etc.

• • Know that there is ultimately always an element of spiritual warfare as broken humans react to the ruler of darkness with their own sinful brokenness.
  • Resist in Faith!

• 2 Corinthians 10:3-6: The Mental Game
• Romans 12:1-2: The Transformation of the Mind and the Living Sacrifice
• James 4:7: Submit to God – Resist the Devil
• Ephesians 6:10-13 – The Heavenly Warrior’s Armor
  • Be Strengthened with the Armor of God!
  • Resist in, with, and by Truth
    • Belt of Truth: Actively searching out, eating of, and knowing the Truth
    • Breastplate of Righteousness: Actively living out the Truth
    • Shoes of the Gospel of Peace: Actively equipping oneself with Truth to dig in and run
    • The Shield of Faith: Actively appropriating Truth into daily life
    • The Helmet of Salvation: Actively finding my identity in Christ
    • The Sword of the Spirit: Actively fighting with Truth
  • Resist in, with, and by Prayer