Troubled Church - Part 1

Lesson 2Battling Satan

This week I would like to continue our side trip from our normal study, as we continue to look at what it means to be in a spiritual battle. As we here at Southview continue to seek God’s will in dealing with our current challenge, it is important for us to understand spiritual warfare and to gain spiritual insight.

As I have mentioned before, it is difficult to seek out God’s will and wisdom in the midst of conflict and turmoil. It is always "easier" for us to take action ourselves by striking back, or lashing out, at what we perceive to be the issue or cause, without first seeking God’s direction. It is easier to hate than to love, easier to blame a person or group than to see beyond the carnal (physical) world we live in. It is considerably more difficult to gain and use spiritual discernment when see those we love in conflict, embittered, or hurt by the actions of others.

Bible

Last week in class, I mentioned that the moment we assign blame to an individual or group of individuals, Satan has already won. This is because assigning blame takes the focus off of the real cause of the conflict: Satan’s evil schemes. Further, we need spiritual discernment in order determine when something hurtful is actually caused by evil, or is indeed discipline that the Lord is bringing on his loved ones. How can we know the difference, and how can we successfully be ready to battle against Satan’s ways? If indeed the Church is to break through the gates of Hell itself to find the lost and bring the Good News of the Gospel, how do we know that we are ready, and how do we know where we are to go? I hope to shed some light on the answers to those questions in this lesson.

For this week, read Ephesians 6:10-18 and Hebrews Chapter 12; then consider the following:

  1. According to Paul, the writer of Ephesians, why do we need to put the armor of God on?
  2. What does Paul mean by putting on the armor? How is this done?
  3. What does Paul mean by "the devil’s schemes"? What would these be?
  4. Is our battle against specific people or individuals? What does Ephesians 6:12 say?
  5. Who exactly are we battling then?
  6. List below each specific piece of armor cited in the Ephesians passage, along with what each piece does.
  7. From this list then, you should be able to identify the various ways that Satan attacks us. For example, in Ephesians 6:14, the belt is defending the truth, or protecting us from lies and deceit. Thus, Satan attacks the truth using lies, deception, etc. List the remaining things that he attacks by looking at the rest of the armor. These are what we are to watch for when you are in a battle with Satan.
  8. After we put on the armor, we are instructed to use it against the devil’s schemes and to do one other thing as we battle him. What is it? (see Eph. 6:18)
  9. In Hebrews Chapter 12, we are called to cast aside the sin that can slow us down as we run the race (or "course") that God has laid out for us. And we can do this, if we are wearing the armor identified in our Ephesians passage. If we run this race, and we are wearing that armor, Hebrews 12:7 tells us that we will still encounter other hardships that are NOT the schemes of the Devil. What are they?
  10. So, as we have noted, hardships come into our lives several different ways: (1) simply because we are imperfect people living in an imperfect world (car accidents, hurricanes, etc), (2) due to Satan’s evil schemes, or (3) through God’s discipline. How can we tell the difference? I.e., when the world (or our world) is upside-down, how can we tell if this the result of Satan’s evil schemes against us, or the providential act of living in an imperfect world, or as a result of God disciplining us? This answer is key to developing spiritual "discernment" in times of turmoil. For the answer, read verses 11 through 15 of Hebrews Chapter 12 and jot down some of the ways that we can discern the root cause.

The schemes of Satan are meant to destroy, to tear down, to elevate himself over God, to spread discord, distrust, and to dilute the Word of God. God’s discipline on the other hand, while painful, is meant to bring growth and righteousness, and to benefit those he loves. God wants to build up, and Satan wants to tear down. So when turmoil surrounds us, we should consider that first and foremost we will be victorious if we stick with God and stay grounded in His Holy Word.

Always seek Him out through prayer, and be ready for His will to be revealed before taking any action. Waiting on the Lord is a key precept that we observe throughout both the Old and New Testament. Waiting on the Lord reveals to the discerner that what is the "good and perfect will of God", and it brings Satan’s schemes into the bright light of day.

In these times of tough decisions, great anxiety, and periods of uncertainty, remember that Satan’s battle plan can be summed up in three "C"s: contentiousness, complacency, and compromise. If we keep God’s armor on and stay grounded in His Holy Word, He will reveal his good and perfect will to us. If God be for us, who can be against us? For we more that conquerors through Christ Jesus!

Have a great week everyone, and may God richly bless you as you continue to study with us each week.

Yours in Christ,

Wes

[2002]

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