Sunday, December 30, 2018

Bible Study: The Spiritual Warfare Weapons Week # 2


"Loins Girt About with Truth" (Belt of Truth)

         

Our Prayer:     Let's Pray

Heavenly Father, Your warrior prepares for battle. Today we claim victory over Satan by putting on the whole armor of God!  We put on the girdle of truth! May we stand firm in the truth of Your Word so we will not be a victim of Satan's lies. We put on the breastplate of righteousness! May it guard our hearts from evil so we will remain pure and holy, protected under the blood of Jesus Christ. We put on the shoes of peace! May we stand firm in the Good News of the Gospel so Your peace will shine through us and be a light to all we encounter. We take the shield of faith! May we be ready for Satan's fiery darts of doubt, denial, and deceit so we will not be vulnerable to spiritual defeat. We take the Sword of the Spirit! May the two-edged sword of Your Word be ready in our hands so we can expose the tempting words of Satan. By faith we warriors have put on the whole armor of God! We are prepared to live this day, this week in spiritual victory! In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN.

Our Scripture:                   Let's Read:       Ephesians 6:10-18

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in  the spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

This is where our armor really begins: with the truth.

Ephesians 6:10-18 Spiritual strength and courage are needed for our spiritual warfare and suffering. Those who would prove themselves to have true grace, must aim at all grace; and put on the whole armor of God, which he prepares and bestows. The Christian armor is made to be worn; and there is no putting off our armor till we have done our warfare, and finished our course. The combat is not against human enemies, nor against our own corrupt nature only; we have to do with an enemy who has a thousand ways of beguiling unstable souls. The devils assault us in the things that belong to our souls, and labor to deface the heavenly image in our hearts. We must resolve by God's grace, not to yield to Satan. Resist him, and he will flee. If we give way, he will get ground. If we distrust either our cause, or our Leader, or our armor, we give him advantage. The different parts of the armor of heavy-armed soldiers, who had to sustain the fiercest assaults of the enemy, are here described. There is none for the back; nothing to defend those who turn back in the Christian warfare, but there are breastplate for the back too. Truth, or sincerity, is the girdle. This girds on all the other pieces of our armor, and is first mentioned. There can be no religion without sincerity. The righteousness of Christ, imputed to us, is a breastplate against the arrows of Divine wrath. The righteousness of Christ implanted in us, fortifies the heart against the attacks of Satan. Resolution must be as greaves, or armor to our legs; and to stand their ground or to march forward in rugged paths, the feet must be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Motives to obedience, amidst trials, must be drawn from a clear knowledge of the gospel. Faith is all in all in an hour of temptation. Faith, as relying on unseen objects, receiving Christ and the benefits of redemption, and so deriving grace from him, is like a shield, a defence every way. The devil is the wicked one. Violent temptations, by which the soul is set on fire of hell are darts Satan shoots at us, and hard thoughts of God, and as to ourselves.  Faith applying the word of God and the grace of Christ quenches the darts of temptation. Salvation must be our helmet. A good hope of salvation, a Scriptural expectation of victory, will purify the soul, and keep it from being defiled by Satan. To the Christian armed for defense in battle, the apostle recommends only one weapon of attack; but it is enough, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. It subdues and mortifies evil desires and blasphemous thoughts as they rise within; and answers unbelief and error as they assault from without. A single text, well understood, and rightly applied, at once destroys a temptation or an objection, and subdues the most formidable adversary. Prayer must fasten all the other parts of our Christian armor. There are other duties of religion, and of our stations in the world, but we must keep up times of prayer. Though set and solemn prayer may not be seasonable when other duties are to be done, yet short pious prayers darted out, always are so. We must use holy thoughts in our ordinary course. A vain heart will be vain in prayer. We must pray with all kinds of prayer, public, private, and secret; social and solitary; solemn and sudden: with all the parts of prayer; confession of sin, petition for mercy, and thanksgiving for favors received. And we must do it by the grace of God the Holy Spirit, in dependence on, and according to, his teaching. We must preserve in particular requests, notwithstanding discouragements. We must pray, not for ourselves only, but for all saints. Our enemies are mighty, and we are without strength, but our Redeemer is almighty, and in the power of his mighty we may overcome. Wherefore we must stir up ourselves. Have not we, when God has called, often neglected to answer? Let us think upon these things, and continue our prayers with patience.

Verse 14. - Stand therefore, having girt about your loins with truth. The "stand" in ver. 13 denotes the end of the conflict; this "stand" is at the beginning. Obviously there must be a firm stand at the beginning if there is to be at the end. In order to this, we must fasten the girdle round our loins - truth, here used in a comprehensive sense, denoting honesty; sincerity of profession in opposition to all sham, levity, hypocrisy; and likewise the element of "truth in Jesus" (Ephesians 5:21), the substance of the gospel revelation. We are to gird ourselves in truth, establishing ourselves in that element, wrapping it round us, literally, "girded in truth." And having put on the breastplate of righteousness.

The Full Armor of God:

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;…

Cross References

Job 29:14
I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban.

Isaiah 11:5
Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

Isaiah 59:17
He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

Luke 12:35
"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,

Romans 13:12
The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Ephesians 6:13
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

1 Thessalonians 5:8
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

1 Peter 1:13
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

Treasury of Scripture:

Ephesians 5:9 "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth"

Isaiah 11:5   "And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness …"

Luke 12:35  Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

2 Corinthians 6:7  "By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness …"

1 Peter 1:13  1Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; The [thorax,] or breastplate, consisted of two parts; one of which covered the whole region of the thorax or breast, and the other the back, as far down as the front part extended."

Isaiah 59:17  "For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation …"

1 Thessalonians 5:8   But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate …

Revelation 9:9, 17   "And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron…"

To put on the "full armor"--and enjoy a daily and eternal love-relationship with Jesus Christ, thank Him for what He has shown you in His Word. Know the Scriptures behind your prayer so that your words and faith are grounded in the authority of the Bible.

Let's look at our study books now!

Day 1:      "Strengthen Your Core"

A strong core helps with your balance, your stability, your resistance to injury, your stamina over time and under pressure. In fact, as the aging process sets in, a weak core could mean the difference between being able to walk upright or being relegated to a chair. The condition of your core affects everything. Truth is your core support. It provides the essential backing you need when you're in the midst of spiritual war.

For today read these scriptures (Ephesians 6:13-14; 2:13-17; 4:14, James 1:2-4).  Truth becomes your starting place, and then everything else begins falling into a much better place.  We must stand for the truth no matter what!  It's the core of our strength in the Lord.

Day 2       "Truth Checkup"

Your enemy is looking for weaknesses-for loopholes in your resolve that he can take advantage of and exploit. But if you aren't even aware that your commitment to truth in some areas is flimsy, we don't even have a way to do sit-up, much less a way to keep standing up. Let's look at signs of a weak core now. Number one, poor posture, two,  injury prone, and three, body fatigue.   When the core isn't well supported, it's unable to supply the level of strength you need for other body movements. We are talking about truth!

Listen to this, when you are standing firmly on the truth of God as revealed in His Word-when His truth is at the core of your existence-strength flows into every other area of your life daily. All your movements and activities (work, school, ministry, relationships) bear witness to the power of God at work in you. Glory to God! They become a beneficiary of divine favor and wisdom. Your firm confidence in His promises gives you not only a holy courage, but also the spiritual muscle to carry out whatever He calls you do. So even when facing a challenge, you still feel the full weight and wind of God's Spirit reverberating behind you. Please read more of this book to get more out of it, "The Armor of God" pages 49-51.

Day 3       "The Hanger"

This one is unique!  The hanger! I must say, when I saw day three, I didn't understand it; but let's look into it for a minute. The Roman soldier's belt or girdle served several purposes.  One was to add support and strength to his core, as we've already discussed. But another purpose was equally important: the belt secured several additional pieces of his armor and kept them solidly in place. The girdle did three things; gave support to the core, held and stabilized other key pieces of armor, and secured the tunic.  Please read the book for more information.  We've considered how truth acts as a "hanger," but in what other ways do you also think truth helps us bear some of the weight and responsibilities of the other spiritual virtues, as well?  As with the soldier, the purpose of all this girdling was to get moving and avoid falling-to experience freedom of movement.  Restricting the tunic released and freed the feet too.  Read (John 8:32).

Day 4       "Walk This Way"

The thing about deception is that it's, well! . . . deceptive. If it'd just come out as the bold-faced lie that it is, we could much more easily detect it and deal with it. But deception is rarely outright. It's a lie cloaked in a tweaked version of truth. A fraud. An illusion. A wolf in sheep's clothing. It doesn't wear a sign on its back or badge on it chest. Just lures us toward it's sneaky, outstretched fingers until . . . Gotcha!  All the more reason why girdling ourselves with the real McCoy of truth is so imperative. We need something guaranteed that can lift the guise of deception and reveal the slick-selling underside. We need a way to expose the one who "disguises himself an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). The light is what separates fact from fiction. The Bible also separate fact from the truth! Please read pages 58-62 for more information.

Day 5       "Strategy Session"

When Roman soldiers was being disciplined for inappropriate behavior, a superior officer would often punish them by "making them stand outside headquarters clad only in their tunics and without their belts so that they looked rather ridiculous in long tunics and deprived of the one item that marked them as soldiers." To be caught without their belts was embarrassing to them. Punishment, The belt, after all, marked them as soldiers.  God's truth should be a banner that flies high on the flagpole of your life, and over those you love and share relationship with. The church, as His body and warrior against darkness in the culture, should be known for its commitment to the unchanging, unadulterated truth of our great God. Without this prevailing standard, we'll always be subject to falling for the enemy's dangling carrots. Truth, don't leave home without it! Read (Genesis 2:16-17, as well as 3:1-6). There will be questions at the end of the study.

Each Week Study "Overcomers" by Dr. David Jeremiah

Week # 2     Overcoming Falsehood with Truth

We overcome falsehood by seeking the truth; we overcome falsehood by speaking the truth; we overcome falsehood by living the truth. God's truth is so important to the Christian.

Week #2      Nuggets:      Suit up Cards

Scripture:              (Psalm 25:5) "The belt and the girdle"

Characteristic:    certainty

Usage:                      Bind reality to the wearer, grants proper perspective

Armor Location: Waist

Arch Enemy:         Falsehood

Enemies:                 Lies, Deception, Gossip, Half Truths, Counterfeits.

Charge:

Truth is not open to reevaluation or redefinition. Truth is a clearly defined entity, the ultimate reality, which resides in the God of the universe.

Questions:

1).     In your own words explain each armor.       

2).    Why do you suppose truth is the first piece?

3).    What is the reason to be girded with truth?

4).    Read the cross references, and explain each one.

5).    Read Ephesians 6:14-18, and Galatians 5:22-23.

6).    When we put on this armor, what kind of relationship we have with Jesus Christ?

7).    What does a strong core  present in our life?

8).    What are the signs of a weak core?

9).    Name three things the girdle does to help you.      

10).  Read 2 Corinthians 11:14, why is this?

11).   Explain God's truth in our lives today.

12).  To be caught without our belt leave us in what condition?

13).  In our suit up cards, what is the arch enemy?

14).  Identify the steps you are taking to girdle yourself. (Overcomer study book).

15).   Jesus used the Word against Satan when He was tempted (Matthew 4:1-11). Share some of them

16).  Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, Word of God, and prayer; share how you use each one of these weapons.

17).   What is your daily/weekly Bible reading plan?

18).  How consistent are you in meeting that goal?

19).  How often do you pray?

20).  What Christian books are you currently reading now.

Remember This. . . .(Isaiah 54:17)

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."

Thursday, December 27, 2018

WHAT DID YOU GET OUT OF THIS LESSON?


This lesson gave me strength and I am an overcomer because of Jesus Christ our Lord. Isaiah 41:10 says, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." I must suit up each and every day with the armor of God, but first I must know how to do that, and who I am in the Lord, then I can know that the battle is not mine, but the Lord. I must stand strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. This is the whole armor of the Believer, and the enemy will plan on our weakness; he uses fatigue, persecution to get us down where we can not fight God tell us to leave battle to Him. We must claim the strength God has promised us. We can overcome anything in the strength of the Lord.

On December 17 I posted a devotional that tells us about our spiritual warfare in the mind, we must believe God's Word with our heart, and act upon it too! This is our victory every time. The Word says, "the just shall live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2:4).

Believe God with Your Heart:

Let these sayings sink down into your ears. —Luke 9:44

In today's civilized societies, we've spent a great deal of time educating our minds far beyond our spirits. So when we start reading the Bible, our minds often say, "I've got this already. I don't need to study anymore." Unfortunately, that usually means we've grabbed hold of the Word with our minds and not with our hearts.

The only way to believe God's Word with the heart is to spend time feeding on it. You have to get the Word rooted deep in your heart so that its truth becomes more real than the doubts in your mind.

A lot of people just mentally assent to the Word. In other words, they agree with Scripture in their heads. But you cannot have faith or believe God until the Word is planted in your heart.

You see, you cannot believe God with you mind. And you certainly can't believe God with your body. God is a Spirit, and you must believe him with your spirit or with your heart. When God's Word takes root in your heart, you can be strong and believe it even in the face of big obstacles. Some of the greatest faith victories come when you are believing God with your heart while doubts are firing at your mind and symptoms are firing at your body like machine-gun bullets.

Plant God's Word in your heart, believe it, act upon it, and win your victory today.

Confession: I need the Word of God It's life to me and medicine to my flesh. God's Word was sent to heal me, so I plant it in my heart and let it grow there I believe and act upon it, and it works in my life!

WEEK # 1 BIBLE STUDY SHARING

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for blessing us to be able to stand against anything that comes up against us in Jesus' name, amen.



Questions:

1).      The battle is unavoidable.

2).     The enemy is invisible.

3).     Read these scriptures (Ephesians 1:3; 1:7-8; 1:13; 1:18-20; 2:5-6; 3:10) Explain each one.

Ephesians 1:7-8

(The divine plan of salvation)

Ephesians 1:13

(The redemption plan of God through Christ Jesus)

Ephesians 1:18-20

(The spiritual enlightenment of Christ Jesus and where He is right now)

Ephesians 2:5-6

(Once we are saved by faith we are alive with Him in heavenly places)

Ephesians 3:10

(We can win this battle because we have everything we need in Christ Jesus our Lord.)

4).    Our weapons are not physical?

5).    What do (Isaiah 59:17-18) talks about?

This scripture talks about the divine warriors' weapons just as Ephesians 6:10-17.

6).    In (Corinthians 10:3-4) describe what our divinely powerful weapons can do.

We do not war according to our flesh and describes what our divinely powerful weapons can do as to destroying fortresses, destroying speculations, destroy every lofty thing, and taking every thought captive.

7).    Name some of Satan's names that reveals his overarching methodologies of attack against God's people.

(He is an adversary of God, a slanderous enemy, an enticer, the ruler of the world, princes of darkness, accuser of brother, and father of lies.)

8).    Pray a fervent, precise, effective prayer right now.

(Jesus, You are the Overcomer Who has all-power, Who and Ruler of heaven and earth, we come to You for the power we need to overcome the enemy right now in Jesus' name. amen.)

9).    What are your strategy to walk in peace?

(I will pray at all times, and trust the Lord with all my heart; stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.)

10). Read James 5:16, explain

(We must pray for all saints and confess our faults to each other. We must pray for healing with the prayer of faith.)

11).   According to Scriptures (John 8:44, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Revelations 20:10), what is the enemy's most calling card?

  1. John 8:44 (He is a liar).
  2. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (He has blinded the minds of unbelievers).
  3. Revelations 20:10 (He is a deceiver).



    12). The cross and the resurrection were the final steps in sealing the claim of victory over Satan's kingdom; name some.



    (Jesus has disarmed, embarrassed, overruled, mastered, rendered him powerless, and all his hard work destroyed.)



    13). What practical parameters can you put around your life to safeguard yourself from the enemy's attempts to bait you in these areas of your life?



    From this lesson I truly believe that we must keep our eyes on the areas of greatest strength and areas of greatest weakness. These are the areas the enemy will attack most. When you know where to look, you can see him coming from a mile away.



    14). Read (John 16:33), what did Jesus say He has overcome?



    "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  (Jesus said, He has overcome the world)



    15).   How is (Romans 12: 21) a principle for all challenges?



    "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Either we overcome them or they overcome us!



    16). What principle of overcoming is found in (2 Peter 2:19)? What happens to us if we do not overcome life's challenges?



    "While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." We become in bondage again of them.



    17).   What danger is always lurking, even after we overcome a challenge? (2 Peter 2:20).



    "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning."  The Words, things will become worse if we are entangled again.



    18). Cite a problem you have overcome in the past. Have you been able to avoid "relapsing"?



    Sometimes I can't until God intervene in my life



    19). Why is (1 John 4:4-5) the reason we know we can overcome life's challenges?



    We are of God and have overcome the world, because Jesus has made us to be greater than the world, amen.



    20). What role does faith play in your certainty of overcoming? (1 John 5:4)



    Our faith helps us to stand as overcomers in this world system, which is our victory.



    21).  How did David prepare himself for battle with Goliath? Why did he take only a sling and stones?



    David had courage and faith in God. His characteristics  were all spiritual in nature, and overcomers are always defined by their spiritual traits. AMEN.

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Bible Study: The Spiritual Warfare Weapons Week # 1

"Sizing up the Enemy"

Date:   12/4/18


Our Prayer:   Let's Pray

Heavenly Father, Your warrior prepares for battle. Today we claim victory over Satan by putting on the whole armor of God!  We put on the girdle of truth! May we stand firm in the truth of Your Word so we will not be a victim of Satan's lies. We put on the breastplate of righteousness! May it guard our hearts from evil so we will remain pure and holy, protected under the blood of Jesus Christ. We put on the shoes of peace! May we stand firm in the Good News of the Gospel so Your peace will shine through us and be a light to all we encounter.  We take the shield of faith! May we be ready for Satan's fiery darts of doubt, denial, and deceit so we will not be vulnerable to spiritual defeat. We take the Sword of the Spirit! May the two-edged sword of Your Word be ready in our hands so we can expose the tempting words of Satan. By faith we warriors have put on the whole armor of God! We are prepared to live this day, this week in spiritual victory! In Jesus' name, we pray, AMEN.

Our Scripture:       Let's Read:     Ephesians 6:10-19

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Week 1:

Sizing up the Enemy There is an invisible enemy scheming against you and me, a "reign of terror" you might say. But His number is up… the game is done… you've been directly authorized by God to stop him. How? By "armoring up"… and "activating" the strength of God in you through targeted, specific, precise, and detailed prayer.

Let's recap Reading:        (Ephesians 6:10-19)

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Day 1:       Wrestling Match:

I pray you will be able to get these study books if you are going to follow alone with us. I will be sharing as much as I can; I will read each day reading of these books. There are five days of reading in each study; Read Ephesians 6:12 now.

There is nothing like writing out Scripture to imprint it on your heart and encourage you to implement it in your actions. We'll be doing it a lot throughout our study. So turn to Ephesians 6:12, in your Bible or on page 7 of your workbook, and write it in the space provided below.

Reading back over it, circle what the Bible says you are not wrestling against, then underline the four entities that you are wrestling against.

In the book there is a circle she wants us to write the name of the most difficult person, most pressing problem, and/or most overwhelming circumstance you're facing in your life right now. Mention several if you'd like. Take your time. You'll be referring back to this list several times throughout your study.

_________________________

In what ways are you currently "wrestling" with this person or circumstance?

"Everything that occurs in the visible, physical world is directly connected to the wrestling match being waged in the invisible, spiritual world.

Write the last sentence, then rewrite it in your own words.

Read:

Ephesians 6:10-12, Ephesians 1:3; 7-8, 13, 18-21, Ephesians 3:14-19, 2 Kings 6:15-17

• The enemy may be invisible, but he is not fictional. The more you disregard him, the more damage he is free to do.

• Being a believer doesn't give you immunity from the assaults of the enemy, but it does give you access to the power of the Father - His power to defend you as well as reverse what's been done to you… the key to winning the fight is realizing you're connected to more spiritual brawn than is coming against you.

• Prayer is able to change the trajectory of your life.

• The first step in utilizing my spiritual resources is to recognize them.

• The first key to understanding how spiritual blessings connect with spiritual armor and weapons to pin down the enemy is VISION• Whatever or whoever you are "struggling with" is not your real problem. The most troubling things in your life - things you perceive with your five senses - are not your real issue. Wrestling with them verbally, emotionally, financially, even physically, is a waste of precious time and energy.

• Everything that occurs in the physical world is directly connected to the wrestling match in the invisible, spiritual world.

Day 2:                Undisguised:

Read:

Acts 19:11-41, 2 Corinthians 11:14, Ephesians 1:3, 20-22, 2:6, 3:10, 6:12, John 8:44, 2 Corinthians 4:4, 10:3, Revelation 20:10, Colossians 2:15, Philippians 2:9-11, Hebrews 2:14, 1 John 3:8 •

As we live our beliefs about the spiritual realm, we tend to make one of two mistakes:

1. We overestimate his impact in our life.

2. We underestimate him and miscalculate the impact of his influence on us.

• We tend to focus on what is visible and physical, instead of zeroing in on the invisible and spiritual. We aren't quite sure how to engage and defeat him.

• Spiritual victory is directly connected to your ability to "undisguise" the enemy. Vision, i.e. realizing the riches made available to us through Christ, helps us detect the enemy under the surface of life's pressing difficulties.

• The names of the enemy reveal his character, intention and activity (adversary, slanderous, alluring, tempter, steers entire societies, a tribe, condemns, liar)

• The enemy's calling card is deception. His deceptive tactics are specifically designed and personalized to keep you from experiencing abundant life.

• I have the home court advantage. Christ is seated in the "heavenly places" - the symbolic posture of a king whose army has already won - and YOU are seated beside him according to Scripture! The enemy KNOWS this.

• Satan has been disarmed, embarrassed, overruled, mastered, rendered powerless, and all his hard work destroyed. Through Christ, we can bring the victory of heaven into our experience on earth.

• Satan cannot destroy you - the best you can do is to make your time on earth futile and unproductive, to suffocate you with sin, insecurity, fear, and discouragement until you are unable to live freely and fully. He can't "unseat" you, but he can intimidate you and render you ineffective and paralyzed.

Day 3:      Lazy Days:

Read:

Ephesians 6:10-19, Philippians 2:12b-13, 1 Peter 5:8

 • The enemy's goal: to distract, discourage, divide, and disable you. He celebrates lethargic Christian living. Our inertia work to his advantage - rolling out the red carpet for his entrance into the unlocked door of our indifference and despondency. THAT's why he works so hard to beat us into discouragement, discontentment, doubt, shame, guilt, hopelessness.

• You don't have to be afraid, but you DO need to be alert and on guard.

• You must believe and receive, then USE what God has given you! Putting on the armor ACTIVATES the strength that God has already promised to give.

 • The call to armor up is urgent and resolute. We must "plug in" to access God's strength.

• Lazy Christianity is not an option… we are called to action - firm resolve, forward movement - prayer, righteousness, faith - serious, strategic, intentional.

Day 4:      Bait Selection:

• Detecting the enemy's strategies is the first step in defeating him. He is the master at choosing the right kind of bait to snag you. The greatest fears and anxieties in your life are clues to some important spiritual information about your vulnerability. Prayer and spiritual armor allow you to detect his plans/attacks before they unfold! You can sabotage his efforts!

 • His strategies are personal, targeted against yours:

• Passion: your whole desire for spiritual things - Ephesians 6:10-20

 • Focus: directing your weapons toward the wrong enemy - 2 Corinthians 11:14

• Identity: magnifying insecurities - Ephesians 1:17-19

 • Family: dividing your home - Genesis 3:1-7

• Confidence: reminding you of the past - Revelation 12:10

• Calling: amplifying fear and anxiety - Joshua 14:8

• Purity: convincing you to tolerate sin - Isaiah 59:1-2

• Rest and Contentment: overloading your life/schedule and pushing you beyond your limits - Deut. 5:15

• Heart: keeping old wounds fresh - Hebrews 12:15

• Relationships: creating disruption and disunity among your friends and shared community in the body of Christ - 1 Timothy 2:8

 • Two questions to consider:

 1. In what ways do I post the biggest threat to the enemy and His purposes?

 2. What are my flesh's tendencies, innate passions, and weaknesses?

• Keep an eye on your areas of greatest strength and your areas of greatest weakness. Those are likely targets! Be ready, prayed up, and standing guard!

Day 5:      Strategy Session:

Read:

Ephesians 6:18-19

 • Prayer. This is how you Take Stuff  Back, In Jesus' name.

• Prayer is the divinely authorized method that activates your spiritual armor and makes it effective.

 • Unless prayer is a vital and thriving part of your life, you will never achieve spiritual victory.

• Prayer is the connective tissue between you and heavenly places - and that is where spiritual battles are won.

• "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf…" – Ephesians 6:18-19

• Prayer is the linchpin that holds the armor together.

 • What is your personalized, prayer strategy?  Girded in thanksgiving and gratitude for what God has already done… punctuated with promised from His Word…

Prayer that ASKS God to open your spiritual eyes, to alert you to the enemy's intentions, and to give you the proactive courage to lay down your fallback…

• In spiritual warfare, as we detect enemy activity and deploy the different pieces of armor, our prayers need to be fervent and specific, strategic, and personal.

• The enemy is going to be sorry he ever messed with you as you… shut him down in JESUS' NAME!

Verse 12 "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."

Each Week Study "Overcomers" by Dr. David Jeremiah

Week # 1      "We are overcomers"

Read:            (1 Samuel 17:1-51)

The Overcomer's Challenge:         (2 Samuel 21:19-22)

The Overcomer's Character: (1 Samuel 17:26)

The Overcomer's Conquest: (1 Samuel 17:43-48)

The Overcomer's Calling: (1 Samuel 17:34-37; Romans 8:31)

Nuggets: Week #1   Suit Up!

"Our spiritual clothing can determine the success of our spiritual life in this world."

Questions:

1).      The battle is ____________.

2).     The enemy is ____________.

3).     Read these scriptures (Ephesians 1:3; 1:7-8; 1:13; 1:18-20; 2:5-6; 3:10) Explain each one.

4).     Our weapons are not what?

5).     What do (Isaiah 59:17-18)  talks about?

6).     In (Corinthians 10:3-4) describe what our divinely powerful weapons can do.

7).     Name some of Satan's names that reveals his overarching methodologies of attack against God's people.

8).     Pray a fervent, precise, effective prayer right now.

9).     What are your strategy to walk in peace?

10).   Read James 5:16, explain

11).    According to Scriptures (John 8:44, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Revelations 20:10), what is the enemy's most calling card?

12).   The cross and the resurrection were the final steps in sealing the claim of victory over Satan's kingdom; name some.

13).   What practical parameters can you put around your life to safeguard yourself from the enemy's attempts to bait you in these areas of your life?

14).   Read (John 16:33), what did Jesus say He has overcome?

15).    How is (Romans 12:21 ) a principle for all challenges? Either we _____them or they______ us.

16).   What principle of overcoming is found in (2 Peter 2:19)? What happens to us if we do not overcome life's challenges?

17).    What danger is always lurking, even after we overcome a challenge? (2 Peter 2:20).

18).   Cite a problem you have overcome in the past. Have you been able to avoid "relapsing"?

19).   Why is (1 John 4:4-5) the reason we know we can overcome life's challenges?

20).   What role does faith play in your certainty of overcoming? (1 John 5:4)

21).   How did David prepare himself for battle with Goliath? Why did he take only a sling and stones?

Prayer:

Remember This. . . .(Isaiah 54:17)

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."