The Believer’s Warfare

The Believer’s Warfare

Message 1

The Devil’s Schemes

Me:

MMA

a. It’s violent

i. Two very strong guys going to war with each other

ii. I admire the work and dedication that goes into it

iii. In my fantasies I want to be strong and quick also

iv. I’m drawn to bodybuilding for the same reason

v. The macho image

vi. Trust me only in my dreams

We:

Mighty Power

a. We admire the strong

i. Take leadership for example

ii. A “strong leader” is a value to any company

iii. If a leader or boss is weak, he loses the respect of his/her employees

iv. A weak leader is taken advantage of.

v. When the leader is strong, he/she earns the respect of those under them.

vi. Side note a strong leader is also a wise leader.

b. Translate into the life of the believer

i. A strong believer vs a weak one.

ii. A strong believer would be…

God fearing, Humble, Faithful

Galatians 5:22–23 NIV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

iii. A weak believer would be…

1. It would be the opposite of what we just read

James 4:4 NLT

4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

3. Ouch

4. Are you offended by the truth of God’s word?

5. Everyone wants a good pastor until he expects you to be a good Christian

We dislike the weak leader

i. Why would we accept being a weak believer?

God:

The Devils Schemes

a. Let’s read Eph 6:10-11

Ephesians 6:10–11 NIV

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.

ii. God want us to be strong in the power of his might (I love the language here)

iii. To put on the full armor

iv. To stand against the schemes of the devil.

Let’s identify the enemy

i. He’s real (demons)

ii. Many of you don’t think you have ever had an encountered a demon

iii. Many in our culture don’t even believe in demons

iv. But you have been influenced demons and probably frequently

v. They are a little more subtle now than they were back then.

What Satan is after is not your recognition but your destruction.

vii. He’s the one who whispers to you that it is a ridiculous idea to believe in him.

viii. He’s not after your recognition but your destruction.

ix. When you are weak you don’t stand a chance

x. You must take a stand and fight

xi. It’s your only hope.

You:

The Armor of God

a. What is it?

i. It’s very important

Ephesians 6:13 NIV

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.

Here’s your homework assignment

i. Pray (For Protection)

ii. Read this passage

iii. Read the book to put this passage in context

iv. Study the back page

v. Put on your armor

vi. Fight the good fight

Just imagine:

The Gospel

a. Applying the Gospel

i. Each piece of the armor is a way of applying Gospel

ii. The Gospel is the power of God in your life and the way God reverses the corruption of sin and repels the power of Satan from you.

iii. The way we keep the corrupting influence of the enemy out of our lives is by establishing every part of our life—our hopes, our dreams, our failures, our worries, our fears, our relationships, our pleasures, our disappointments—on the Gospel.

iv. It’s the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that has saved you from the plenty of sin.

end