Lesson Seven: Six Enemies to Faith

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

John 16:23–24 ESV

In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Romans 10:10 ESV

For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Mark 11:23–24 ESV

Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Lesson Seven: Six enemies to Faith

Central Truth: When We “fight the good fight of faith,” we can step out of the narrow place of failure into the boundless power of God

Our Lesson today focusses on the Christian’s “good fight of faith,” that is mentioned in 1 Timothy 6:12 , “Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses”

We are called to fight- agonizomai- To contend: to be engaged in a fight or carry on a fight

The Good fight-

good- kalos- pertaining to a positive moral quality, with the implication of being favorably valued

Having desirable or positive qualities; especially those suitable for a thing specified

It is a fight worth fighting because of what it holds for your life

Fight- agon: to engage in intense struggle, involving physical or nonphysical force against strong opposition11 Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. 1996. In Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains, electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., 1:495. New York: United Bible Societies.

any contest or struggle

Faith- Pistis: to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance—‘to believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust, faith, trust.’11 Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. 1996. In Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains, electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., 1:375. New York: United Bible Societies.

Strong confidence in, reliance upon someone or something; often with the object of trust understood

Believing is a fight that is worth fighting because it shows our faith- confidence in God

I have heard and seen teachings where people say they were going to fight the devil. I honestly don’t understand why they says this, because, people are not match for the devil, ands Jesus already defeated the devil for us

Jesus was our Substitute

I have also heard people say they were going to fight sin- But I am not going to fight sin, I am goign to Preach the cure for sin, which is Jesus

Jesus is the cure for sin

The Only fight that the believer has to fight is “the Good fight of faith.”

if the bible says there is a fight of faith then there must be enemies or hinderances to faith (For if there were no enemies to faith, there would be no fight to it)

In this lesson we will deal with the six enemies to faith

Enemy No. 1- Failure to understand what it means to be a New Creature in Christ.

2 Cor 5:17

A Lack of understanding of what it means to be a new creature hinders our faith life. Many people dont realize that they actually are new creatures.

They think that when they were seved, God simply forgave them of their sins

It would do very little good if this were are that sinners received- Because they would still be a child of the devil and still would go to hell

They must be born again- Spiritual Birth

They must become a new creation:

Putting the old off

dyng to To sin

no longer being master by sinful ways

We are not just forgiven sinners- WE ARE NOT BARELY-GETTING-ALONG CHURCH MEMBERS

WE ARE NOT LIVING AT THE END OF THE BLOCK ON STRUGGLING-TO-GET-TO-HEAVEN STREET NEXT TO GRUMBLE ALLEY-

THAT IS NOT FOR US

We are new creatures, created by God, in Christ Jesus with the very life and nature of God in our spirits.

We are Children of God,

Sons & Daughters of God

Joint-heirs with Christ Jesus

Enemy No. 2- Failure to understand Our place in Christ

A Great practice for believers, would be to go through the New Testament, especially the Epistles and write down the phrases

“In Christ,”

In Whom

In Him

Writing them Down help us remember them:

there are approximately 140 such expressions in the New Testament

If you read and meditate on these Scriptures until they become a part of you- Life for you would change drastically

As you read these verses, say to yourself “This is who I am, This is what I have in Christ Jesus.:”

Keneth Haggin-

“In one church I visited, there was a woman whom the pastor described as one of the most outstanding Christian workers he had ever known. She had a degree in Christian education from a leading seminary, and she gave her time to the church free of charge.

During our revival there, I urged the people to begin memorizing and claiming these verses. After a while, this woman came to me and said she had been confessing 25 of these scriptures, and she had become an entirely different person. She said she didn’t worry any more. She said she thought and acted differently. She felt differently, she was amazed at herself, and she couldn’t help but say, ‘Is this really me’

I told her she was only then beginning to walk in the light of what she had had all the time.”

There is a difference when the work becomes alive- Head ascent Versus Heart Faith

1 John 2:27

Matthew 16:17

Like many Christians, this lady didn’t have an understanding of what Christ was in her life.

This hindered her faith- getting this understanding cured her of her worry habit.

Enemy No. 3- Failure to understand Righteousness

2 Cor 5:21 “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,* so that we could be made right with God through Christ.1* * 5:21 Or to become sin itself.

The Blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin

1 John 1:7 “ But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

Therefore, by our New Birth, we become a righteous new creature.

We know God did not make us unrighteous new creatures.

We are created by God in Christ Jesus and He made us righteous new creatures.

WE are Sons and Daughters of God as though we never had sinned.

Justified- Just as if I had never sinned

we can stand in His presence without

sin-consciousness

feelings of guilt

or feelings of shame

We don’t have to be paralyzed with fear

WE CAN COME INTO GOD’S PRESENCE BECAUSE WE BELONG THERE!

When we were born again our sins were remitted- because our past life stopped existing.

God Said He wouldn’t remember our transgressions

Jer 31:34 “And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

And if He doesn’t remember them, why should we?

Some might ask “But I have committed sins since becoming a Christian. How can I be righteous?”

The answer to this question is found in 1 John 1:9 “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”

When the Believers who has sinned confesses his sin and asks for forgiveness, The Lord does two things:

He forgives us

He cleanses us from all unrighteousness

When We sin, we feel guilty and have a sense of unrighteousness.

We feel unworthy to come into God’s presence.

But when we confess our sins, He forgives and cleanses us

We regain our right standing with Him.

The Word “unrighteousness” is simply the word “righteousness” with the prefix “un” in front of it; this means “not righteous” or “non-righteousness.

If we are cleansed from “non-righteousness,” we are righteous again.

Enemy No. 4- Failure to understand our right to use the name of Jesus

John 16:23-24 “At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. 24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.”

When we fully realize the power of Jesus’ Name- when we understand what that Name will do- then we can defeat Satan and enjoy Victory.

Jesus says in Mark 16:15-17, “And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.”

These miraculous sign will follow (accompany) those who believe the Gospel -

This is not just the early Church

not just the apostles

not just the preachers

All believers can cast out demons in His Name

All believers have authority over evil spirits in the Name of Jesus.

In His Name they will speak with new tongues

In His name they will lay hands on the sick and they shall recover

Enemy No. 5- Failure to Acts upon the Word

If we know that God’s word is true and we act as if it is true, it becomes a reality in our lives

Proverbs 3:5-8 “  Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.

6 Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take.

7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.

Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

8 Then you will have healing for your body

and strength for your bones. 1

All that we need to do is ask, “What Does God’s word say?”

People often ask why they don’t receive healing. they will quote scriptures like 1 Peter 2:24 “  He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.”

they will says that they believe the scripture- but then when they are asked, “But have you ever acted like these scriptures are true?”

A.B Simpson-

When He was in His forties, A.B. Simpson, a Presbyterian minister who later founded the Christian Missionary Alliance, was told he was dying of a heart condition and only had a few months to live.

He took a vacation to Old Orchard Beach Maine, where he could spend time studying the Word of God on the subject of divine healing, a subject that had gained his interest.

He writes in The Gospel of Healing… “The summer I speak of I heard a great numberof people testify that they had been healed by simply trusting the Word of Christ, just as they would for their salvation. It drove me to the Bible. I determined that I must settle this matter one way or the other.”

“I am so glad I did not go to man, “ He continued. “At His feet, alone, with my Bible open, and with no one to help or guide me, I became convinced that this was part of Christ’s glorious gospel for a sinful and suffering world, and the purchase of His blessed Cross, for all who would believe and receive His Word.”

Simpson solemnly vowed to God that He accepted healing without question;

That he took Jesus as his healer

and that He preach and minister healing in any way God asked Him to.

Two days later, Simpson was invited to speak at a service in New Hampshire. He testified about Jesus and His faithfulness to heal and shared that He had just taken Jesus as his healer.

The next day he was invited to go mountain climbing. His first reaction was that he couldn’t go because of his heart condition. Then He remembered he had declared his healing, so he accepted the invitation

Until this time, he had not felt his healing; he had just declared it.

He battled all the way up the mountain. Every time he got his mind off the Scriptures, he felt weakness, pain, and fear. But as he overcame these feelings and claimed his healing, the symptoms would leve. He fought this battle all the way to the top of the mountain- and walked away victorious.

He went on to lead an active, energetic life in God’s service, and He suffered no more symptoms. “I needed to step out and claim my victory,” He concluded.

Real Faith is the child of the knowledge of God’s word- Simpson acted on the Word and got real faith from it.

Instead of trying to believe, he acted upon the Word

Enemy No. 6- Failure to hold fast to our confession of faith

Romans 10:10 “For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”

Mark 11:23-24 “And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead.* For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. 24 I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.”

Kenneth Hagin- A Young minister in St. Louis once said to me “I am 32. Doctors have said it is impossible for my wife to have children. Will you talk and pray with us?”

As we talked and prayed together, his wife said she would confess that they would have a child. In the past she had always said she would like to have a child. Now she would say that they would have a child

Twelve months later I received a letter announcing that they had had a bouncing baby girl. All they needed was act upon the Word.

Faith is measured by our confession- Our usefulness in the Lord is measured by our confession

Eventually we become what we confess- whether good or bad

There is a confession of our hearts and a confession of our lips, and when these two harmonize, we become mighty in our prayer life.

The reason why so many christians are defeated is because they have negative confession. They always are talking about their weaknesses and their failures and invariably they sink to the level of their confession

There is a scriptural Law- The Law of Confession - our confession rules us- We are what we say

We see this with the woman with the issue of Blood Mark 5:25-34

What she said was her faith speaking- and it came to pass

When we “fight the good fight of faith” as the apostle Paul admonishes us, we can step out of the narrow place of failure and weakness in which we used to live into the boundless power of God

Memory Verse:

1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.”

Lesson in Actions:

James 1:22 “but be doers of the word, and not hearers only…”