CENTRAL TRUTH: Victory in spiritual warfare comes through relying on the strength of Christ.
MEMORY VERSE: 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. ------ Ephesians 6:13.
LESSON TEXT
Genesis 3:15; John 12-31-33; Ephesians 6:10-18
Genesis 3:
15. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
John 12:
31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
Ephesians 6:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
INTRODUCTION
The Apostle Paul pictures our spiritual resources as that of a heavily armed Roman foot-soldier. Equipped with all God has provided, we are well able to win the spiritual battles we must fight. As Christians, we have redeemed by God, as such we must wage war against sin, the sinful nature, and the devil.
Sometimes the enemy is clearly seen. Other times the battle is against a foe that cannot be identified. This lesson will help us understand the spiritual nature of the Christian’s warfare and how we must equip ourselves for spiritual battles we engage in.
LESSON
Paul in this epistle is reminding all believers to be conscious of the spiritual battle that exist between them and all the forces of darkness. As children of God we must be conscious of the fact that the Christian life is warfare. The hosts of Satan are committed to hinder and obstruct the work of Christ and to destroy the individual believer’s relationship with Christ. The more committed a believer is to the Lord, the more that believer will experience the savage attacks of the enemy because the devil does not waste his ammunition on Christians who are not committed to their relationship with Christ. It must be noted that in our own strength we are no match for the devil. So the first preparatory command is that we should be continually strengthened in the Lord and in the boundless resources of his might. The second command is concerned with the need for divine amour. The believer must put on the whole amour of God that he may be able to stand against the strategies of the devil. It is necessary to be completely armed. Nothing less than the whole amour which God provides will keep us secure. The devil has various strategies he may use against believers- discouragement, frustration, confusion, moral failure, and doctrinal error. He knows our weakest point and aims for it. If he cannot disable us by one method, he will try another.
We must be mindful of the fact that the battle we engage in is against demonic forces, against battalions of fallen angels, against evil spirits who wield tremendous power. Though we cannot see them, we are constantly surrounded by wicked spirit-beings. While it is true that they cannot indwell a true believer, they can oppress and harass him. The apostle speaks of these fallen angels as principalities and powers, as rulers of the darkness of this age, and as spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.
The Christian should not be unduly occupied with the subject of demonism; neither should he live in fear of demons. God has provided all the armour and weapons we need to overcome the wiles of the devil.
LIFE APPLICATION
In the battle against evil, it is important to remember that we are not wrestling against flesh and blood. If we try to fight with human strength we will end up exhausted, defeated, and in despair. We must develop a habit of prayer, constantly communicating with God about the battle in which we engaged. As we grow in our knowledge of God and drawing closer to him, He will show us His victory. Spiritual warfare must not be entered into lightly. With proper preparation, putting on the whole armour of God, and knowing how to use spiritual weapons, God will bring us victory over all the powers of the enemy.
DIALY BIBLE READING
Monday: Victory Obedience. (Exodus 19:3-8).
Tuesday: Victory through Worship. (Job 1:12-22).
Wednesday: Wednesday: Victory through Trust. (Psalm 118:5-14).
Thursday: Victory through Divine Strength. (Isaiah 41: 10-16)
Friday: Victory through Prayer. (2 Corinthians 1: 8-11).
Saturday: Victory through Faith. (Hebrews 11:32-40).