LifeGroup Notes June 13, 2010; The Fight of Your Life
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OPEN IN WORSHIP: (Song, prayer, scripture reading or thanksgiving)
OVERVIEW: Last week’s message addressed the reality of the spiritual battle we all must contend with as we journey through life upon this earth. We looked at the powers the Bible describes as our adversary, and we also looked at how God has given us His Spirit to equip us for victory in the conflict. In our discussion tonight, we’ll look briefly at who our enemy is, so that we are not unaware of his schemes. Then we will focus on the spiritual arsenal God has given us to defeat the powers of darkness, both in our life and in our world.
FIRST: Know your enemy.
Many people living in Western culture no longer believe in the “devil.” The metaphor for having that perspective could be of a boxer getting into the ring with a blindfold on. Not believing or seeing that our enemy exists gives him great advantage over us. While we are not to dwell on or focus upon the powers of darkness, we must acknowledge they exist, and know how to combat them.
Read Ephesians 2:1-2 and 6:10-18
- What is the Apostle Paul saying to us about our spiritual opposition?
- How does Eph. 6 describe the organizational hierarchy of rank within the kingdom of darkness?
- How does the reality that evil is ancient, organized and invisible give the powers of darkness advantage over the unsuspecting human?
SECOND: Jesus as our combat instructor.
Notice that the armor Paul is describing is both defensive and offensive. The offensive weapons are identified as the “sword” being the Word of God, and also prayer.
Read Matthew 4:1-11
- What can we learn from Jesus battle plan against the devil?
- How does it coincide with the offensive strategy Paul describes in Ephesians 6?
THIRD: Know who’s you are, and who you are.
Jesus said we must be born again in the Spirit to see the kingdom of God. Read how John puts it in 1 John 3:1-3.
Talk about how once we are conceived as natural children we cannot undo the DNA given us by our parents and how that relates to who we have become as God’s children.
- 1 John 4:4 states that “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” How does that give us confidence in midst of our struggle with evil?
- Read James 4:7-8. What does this passage tell us about our assurance in winning our spiritual battles?
FOURTH: Know the power God has given you.
Jesus was a good Christian for 30 years, but he did not begin his ministry with supernatural power until the Holy Spirit had come upon him when he was baptized.
- Read what Jesus tells his disciples in Acts 1:8 about what they will receive, and what they will do after they receive it.
- Read Acts 8:14-17. Notice that the Apostles recognized that there was something the believers in Samaria were missing in their new faith in Christ. Although they were believers (had accepted the Word and been baptized into the name of Jesus), they were missing something else. What was it, and why did they need it?
- Considering what the scriptures say, regarding the Holy Spirit coming upon believers with power, why do we need the Holy Spirit to come on us with power as we engage the spiritual resistance we face in this fallen world?
TAKING ACTION: Throughout the Summer we will be studying the book of Acts as a Church in the weekend messages. Read through the book of Acts this week and notice how the early Church embraced and lived in the power of the Holy Spirit.
MINISTRY TIME