Small Groups: Spiritual Warfare Week #3: The Wisdom of God

Spiritual Warfare – 9.26&27

Week 3:  Spiritual Warfare – The Wisdom of God

Purpose: To help students recognize that spiritual warfare is fighting against our flesh and our victory is being able to rest on the Victory that Jesus provided for us.

Series Truth: God always causes us to triumph no matter what may come our way in life. (II. Cor. 2:14) - Now thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ…”

Main Ideas:

  • The wisdom of God is that Satan is a defeated foe!
  • Satan has no authority over the believer unless the believer gives him access or authority through lack of knowledge of God’s Word, disobedience, or failure to exercise His rights in Christ.
  • Satan wants believers to spend their time trying to fight a “war” that has already been fought and won by Jesus because the devil knows that it is a waste of their time.
  • Our seating and reigning with Christ in heavenly places is a position of authority, honor, and triumph. Not failure, depression, or defeat.
  • If you want to rise above your circumstances, take advantage of your position in Christ.
  • When believers get the revelation of their position in Christ, what a difference it will make in their lives.
  • It’s a position of authority not because of who you are, but who He is.
  • You don’t have any power in yourself, but you do have authority in Christ. (i.e. Policeman – authority…Directing traffic)
  • If believers would begin to stand in their position of authority in Christ, it would solve many of their problems.
  • Satan will always try to get you out of the realm of faith in God’s Word by making you doubt the Word, doubt God, and doubt what God has told you.
  • You can’t take advantage of something you don’t know about or exercise. You can also know what is yours in Christ, but not act on it, You can know what the Word says, but not be a doer of the Word. It’s knowledge acted upon that brings results.
  • Pray for understanding/wisdom by praying the Ephesians, Colossians, Phillipians prayers!

Scripture:

  • Eph. 1:16-23,  Mark 1:21-24, Hebrews 2:14, Col. 2:15, Phil. 2:9-11, Eph. 1:19-22, Eph. 2:1-6, Luke 10:19, John 8:31-32

Questions:

  • Do you find yourself fighting the “war” that Christ has already won for you?
  • Has living for God made a noticeable difference in your life? What differences have been made?
  • What problems are you facing now that you need to run to God with?
  • Do you ever doubt the Word, doubt God, or what He has told you? How often? What do you do when you have doubts?
  • Which of the three ways to open the door to Satan are you most susceptible to? (Lack of knowledge, disobedience, or failure to act on what you know)??
  • What area in your life do you most need to get the knowledge of God in your heart? What areas do you have the Word in your heart, but just need to act on?

Challenge:

  • Spend some time going over the Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossian prayers – Pray them every day

Things to Remember:

  • We’ll be serving at the Special Olympics next Sunday (October 4th) – Sign up online!!

Recap of Chapter

  • The believers inheritance in Christ is the wisdom of God, grasping that truth and walking in the reality of God’s inheritance for us as saints is the key to taking our place as the triumphant church, reigning as kings in this life.
  • Eph. 1:16-23
  • The Holy Spirit wants the eyes of our understanding opened to understand Jesus’ complete victory over Satan in the triumph of the cross.
  • You need to pray for the eyes of your understanding to be enlightened
  • Mark 1:21-24 – Jesus Authority
  • Matthew 4 (Jesus led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil) – As we grow and mature in Christ, we find out that sometimes it’s in the hard places where we grow the most in God.
  • Jesus didn’t “do battle” with Satan; He simply stood His ground and overcame Satan with the Word alone.
  • The wisdom of God is that Satan is a defeated foe!
  • Hebrews 2:14 – He destroyed Him that had the power of death, the devil.
  • Col. 2:15 – He disarmed the principalities and powers of Hell!
  • Satan has already been dethroned and the believer has victory over him in Christ.
  • Satan has no authority over the believer unless the believer gives him access or authority through lack of knowledge of God’s Word, disobedience, or failure to exercise His rights in Christ.
  • The wisdom of the devil is that believers’ still have to struggle and war against the hosts of darkness in an effort to try to defeat and overcome them.
  • Satan wants believers to spend their time trying to fight a “war” that has already been fought and won by Jesus because the devil knows that it is a waste of their time.
  • Phil. 2:9-11 – Jesus authority
  • Eph. 1:19-22 – Where Jesus is seated!
  • Eph. 2:1-6 – You’re position in Christ – Seated together with Him!
  • Our seating and reigning with Christ in heavenly places is a position of authority, honor, and triumph. Not failure, depression, or defeat.
  • If you want to rise above your circumstances, take advantage of your position in Christ.
  • Believers can’t take advantage of what rightfully belongs to them in their inheritance in Christ unless the eyes of their understanding are enlightened to see what they really possess in this life.
  • When believers get the revelation of their position in Christ, what a difference it will make in their lives.
  • Romans 8:37-39 – We’re more than conquerors… Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
  • It’s a position of authority not because of who you are, but who He is.
  • Satan can’t rule over you unless you allow him to through ignorance of your rights in CVhrist or you open the door to him.
  • Luke 10:19 – Our authority
  • You don’t have any power in yourself, but you do have authority in Christ. (i.e. Policeman – authority…Directing traffic)
  • If believers would begin to stand in their position of authority in Christ, it would solve many of their problems.
  • Satan will always try to get you out of the realm of faith in God’s Word by making you doubt the Word, doubt God, and doubt what God has told you.
  • The church is to preach the good news to every creature… that’s how we are to “wage war” on the devil.
  • Eph. 1:3 – He hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing
  • You can’t take advantage of something you don’t know about or exercise. You can also knows what is yours in Christ, but not act on it, You can know what the Word says, but not be a doer of the Word. It’s knowledge acted upon that brings results.
  • John 8:31-32 – You’ll know the truth, and the truth will make you free
  • You have to know the truth before it can make you free
  • You must know the Word before the Word can make you free, then act on the Word you know, then the Word you know and act on makes you free!
  • Ultimately you’ll have to learn to stand against the devil for yourself. That’s how you grow up in Christ.
  • You can dwell on the negative side of things and you will become what you dwell on. What you are thinking about and dwelling on is what you are believing. What you are believing is what you are talking about and eventually what you’re believing and talking about is what you’ll become.
  • Many are defeated in life because of a negative confession – always taking bad – it opens a door to the devil in their life.
  • They’re always telling what they’re not and what they don’t have and about their weaknesses, failures, and lack. They go down to the level of their confession.
  • Thank God we can triumph over sin, sickness, disease, poverty, and bad habits because of our inheritance in Christ.

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