Subject: EVERYDAY VICTORY FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE - WEEK 3 - DAY 1 MEMORY VERSE: 1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. You cannot win a war if you don't understand you are in a way. You cannot conquer your enemy if you don't recognize your enemy. Christians are in a spiritual war fighting a spirutual enemy. God gives you the strategic advantage. he provides the weapons, tactics and strategy for success. however, it is up to you to use what God provides. In this week's study, you'll learn about your real enemy. What yo learn will help you win the battle when your enemy attacks. AN ENEMY AND A BATTLE Christians wage spiritual battles in a physical world. In his popular book "This Present Darkness", Frank Peretti tells a fictional story on two levels simultaneiously. The intriguing physical realm story unfolds, but Peretti addsa a twist: he allows the reader to see the spiritual activity taking place that influences everyday events. As the human characters interact in the physical realm, angels and demons bicker and battle in the spiritual realm. The spiritual realm story becomes as real as the physical realm story. Christians sometimes fail to understand the spirutal dimension of the physical, mental and emotional problems they face. You can approach your problems as strictly belonging to the area represented: physical battles are caused by physical circumstances and emotional problems are caused by emotional weakness. However, a spiritual dimension can be found in every problem you face whether it be with weight loss, in relationships with family, health problems, or in your relationship with God. The Bible teaches that a spiritual battle is raging around you. *From Ephesians 6:12, list the four groups against which you battle. 1. 2. 3. 4. What a formidable battle you face. Behind the scenes, the leader of this spiritual army plots strategy to destroy your life. You are not alone in the battle. Your enemy looks for anyone he can devour. This means your friends and family face the same enemy in their lives. You can learn more about your enemy from this week's memory verse. Read 1 Peter 5:8 aloud. *Who is your enemy? *To what is your enemy compared? *What does your enemy want to do to you? *what must you do to prepare for your enemy's attack? On one occasion, the religious reformer Martin Luther was asked, "How do you overcome the devil?" Luther replied, "When he comes knocking upon the door of my heard and askes, 'who lives here?' the dear Lord Jesus goes to the door and says, 'Martin Luther used to live here, but he has moved out. Now I live here.' The devil, seeing the nail prints in the hands, and the pierced side, takes flight immediately." Submit your life fully to Jesus Christ. Ask Him to be the influence in your life that will resist the devil and cause the devil to flee in fear. Subject: EVERYDAY VICTORY FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE - WEEK 3 - DAY 2 Much To Lose Satan wants to devour your life. He knows what he wants; his goal is clear. He will use any means available to accomplish his objective. If he can use any problem, he will. Any area of your life can become a tool for Satan to use against you. Once you understand this fact, you can take steps to insure that Satan has less to work with in your life. *Has any area of your life become a tool that Satan could use to harm you (for example: resentment or anger toward someone who has hurt you)? If so, briefly describe it. *How can you prevent Satan from devouring you and causing you harm? Your enemy wants to devour your life. He even wants to destroy the good things in your life. In the process, he hopes to hinder God's work in your life and hinder your joy in life. *Read 2 Corinthians 11:14. How does Satan disguise himself in order to fool you? *Who is the only true light? *How has Satan disguised himself and used his wiles in an attempt to devour you and cause you to question God's power in your life (for example, stress on the job)? *How can you defeat Satan? *Has anything in your life allowed Satan to devour your confidence and self esteem? If so, how can you defeat it? *Have your actions toward otehrs provided Satan an opportunity to undermine your testimony to others about Christ? If so, how can you defeat Satan? If you are uncertain how to defeat Satan in these areas, ask your Christian friends to give you prayer support. Jesus recognized the need for a little help from friends. In Mark 2:1-5 is the story of a man who was paralyzed. He desperately needed to get to Jesus and find help. His persistent friends helped. *Jesus saw something in the man's friends. What did Jesus see and what impact did it have? The man's friends refused to stop until their paralyzed friend experienced Jesus' fullest work in his life. For many people, problems can become emotionally paralyzing. They have failed so often in attempts to solve their problems that they find it difficult to bring the problem to God alone. Like the paralyzed man, everyone at some point needst help bringing needs to Jesus. The Old Testament prophet Joel spoke words of hope from God to people whose lives had been devastated by swarms of locusts. *In Joel 2:25, what did God tell the people? You can take comfort in this truth: What you have lost to Satan, God can restore. Lord, thank You for restoring joy and happiness in my life through Your love. God, thank You for providing Christian friends who pray and offer me support in time of need. Amen! Subject: EVERYDAY VICTORY FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE - WEEK 3 - DAY 3 Spiritual Strongholds In military terms, a stronghold is an occupied position that provides both defensive and offensive benefits. The defensive benefit is that the stronghold is positioned in such a way that it can easily be held and defended. The offensive benefit is that the stronghold provides a strategic position from which to launch attacks on an unsuspecting foe. The Bible speaks of spiritual strongholds. Such strongholds are good or bad, depending on who occupies them. *How did David describe the Lord in Psalm 27:1,2? Obviously David experienced the positive benefits of having a stronghold in life occupied by God. Second corinthians 10:4-6 describes a negative stronghold - one occupied by Satan and his forces. *How are you to fight Satan according to verse 4? *How can arguments and pretension that set themselves up against the knowledge of God become a stronghold? *How can negative thoughts become a stronghold? What must be done with them? *How can acts of disobedience become a stronghold? What must be done? Satan's primary stronghold in the lives of Christians is their thoughts. Since thoughts can lead to actions, evil thoughts can lead to evil actions. Ultimately, you must take personal responsibility for confronting the spiritual strongholds in your life. Friends can help. The time comes, however, when you must deal personally with Satan - in God's power. James 4:7 reveals two actions to take in dealing with Satan and his stronghold in your life. *How can you submit yourself to God? *What have you learned that can help you resist Satan with confidence? *What happens when you resist Satan? God has given you full life in Jesus Christ. He has set you free! Father God, thank you for my life so full and free. Help me to serve You faithfully. Lord, Your promises of help in time of need give me hope for the future. Amen! Subject: EVERYDAY VICTORY FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE - WEEK 3 - DAY 4 God's Stronghold or Satan's Stronghold The Bible says someone will occupy the stronghold in your life - God or Satan. If you do allow God full access to your life, Satan will seek to exert any influence he can over you. Initially, Satan will settle for a foothold,some part of your life in which he can exert control. In time, Satan hopes that tiny foothold can become a stronghold. God has built a strong wall of faith around you. If any little part begins to crumble, Satan pounces on it and begins to pick away at it until he can get his hand through. He'll continue to work until he can get inside the wall and begin to weaken it from inside. All Christians need to be on guard agains Satan, who prowls around just looking for the weak spots in their lives. The more you learn about Satan and his strategy, the more effectively you can battle him. *In John 10:10, how does Jesus describe Satan and what he seeks to do in your life? *Think about various situations in your life. In what ways has Satan attempted to use any of them to steal, kill and destroy your life? Satan will use any foothold in your life to harm you. Jesus, however, can use any foothold in your life to do incredibly positive things. *What does John 10:10 say Jesus wants to accomplish in our lives? *What do you think Jesus meant by the phrase "have life.... more abundantly"? *According to 1 John 4:4, who is the one who is in you and greater than the one in the world? Paul assures Christians with a great promise for the fight against Satan and the lures of the world. *Write the promise of 2 timothy 4:18 in your own words. *In Romans 7:24, how did Paul refer to himself? *What did he want someone to do for him? How did he describe his body? When you reach a point of despair in your life, you position yourself for God to work in you. Turn your problem over to God. Trust Him to break the stronghold. Subject: EVERYDAY VICTORY FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE - WEEK 3 - DAY 5 Ready for Action Many things, including poor eating habits and lack of exercise can become a stronghold in your life. Satan can use this foothold, develop it and strengthen it until it becomes a negative spiritual stronghold. You must take decisive action to remove Satan's destructive influence in your life. Satan take indecision and turns it to his benefit. The initial step in dislodging Satan's stronghold is to come to the place where you will no longer tolerate his influence. At that point, you commit yourself to taking whatever action is necessary to remove him. Sometimes your own faith is weak. Believing God will actually help you is sometimes difficult. In that situation, it's possible for you to benefit from the faith of others. Even Paul struggled with sin in his life. *According to Romans 7:15, how did Paul feel about the sins with which he struggled? *How can Paul's statement apply to you as you battle strongholds in your life? The frustration paul expressed about sin certainly applies today. The good news is that no matter what the sin is, God forgives and restores the joy of salvation. David gave in to the temptation Satan set before him and committed adultery with Bathsheba. In addition, David arranged to have Bathsheba's husband put in the forefront of battle so that he could be killed. When the priest Nathan confronted David, he repented and asked God's forgiveness. *Read Psalm 51:1-4,10-12,17. Verses 1 through 4 are David's confession and plea. What was his plea? *Against whom did David sin? *What does David ask of God in verses 10 through 12? *According to verse 17, what are the sacrifices that please God? How comforting to know that Christians have a compassionate and loving God who forgives His children in repentance. When you look at men and women in the Bible, you can benefit from their faith, but before others can help you deal with spiritual problems, you must open up your life and confess just as David and so many others did. James 5:16 gives guidelines for opening up to and trusting in fellow Christians. *What must you do with other believers? *What benefits will you receive? Being honest with your Christian friends about the struggles you face in your life will bring powerful prayer support to encourage you and sustain you through any struggle. Lord God, thank You for the christian friends You give me. help me to be an encourager and helper to them. Oh, Father God, create in me a clean heart and forgive me when my faith is weak and I give in to the power of Satan. Amen. Subject: EVERYDAY VICTORY FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE - WEEK 3 - DAY 6 In this week's study you have learned how circumstances in life can become a stronghold and weaken your faith. Think about what a stronghold is. It has been defined as anything that exalts itself in your mind and pretends to be bigger or more powerful than God. Strongholds steal much of your focus and can cause you to feel overpowered. Remember your struggle is a warfare waged by the enemy with the primary battlefield being your mind. The strongest weapons against any stronghold are scripture and prayer. Memorizing the Bible and using those verses in prayer gives you such a powerful weapon that can be compared to two sticks of dynamite strapped together to demolish the enemy. You serve a Savior so powerful that Satan flees from His presence. When you call upon the power of God to help you overcome strongholds, you call down a weapon that renders Satan powerless in your life. Remember, God is on your side and He cares about you. He wants the best for you, and His best for you includes confessing your sin and turning away from Satan. With God's word in your heard and mind, Satan can't even get a toehold much less a foothold in your life. Subject: EVERYDAY VICTORY FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE - WEEK 3 - DAY 7 This week's Bible study emphasized how God gives you courage and power to fight the wiles of Satan. Confessing sins and seeking forgiveness daily in your prayers sets up obstacles that Satan finds difficult to climb. God gives you what you need each day to fight against evil and your own sinful nature. So many times when sin is mentioned or discussed at length, people have a tendency to think about sins such as sexual sin, murder, slander, stealing or addictions. These are sins, but not the ones you face daily. Paul reminds you that everyone has a sinful nature. The sins you commit are usually those that involve your relationships with others, unhealthy lifestyle habits, a broken promise, resentment or anger. These must be confessed daily! You may even believe that those are not really sins. Think about each thing mentioned; then acknowledge each as a weakness if it applies to you, and seek God's help in overcoming it. Some of the weaknesses that many face include making excuses for not exercising, eating or drinking unhealthy foods, being unkinda nd hurtful to someone, holding a grudge or resentment against another, not really believing that God will take care of you, making a promise to God and then amking excuses for not keeping it, failing to hold your tongue and saying things you shouldn't say, not responding to the needs of others, not giving back to God a portion of what He has given you, keeping silent instead of voicing your concern or belief, or failing to use an opportunity to witness when God gives you one. No matter how strong a Christian is, seemingly little things can creep in, build up and slowly destroy your spirit. Don't be discouraged. You have great hope in the Father. Reread the great promises of this week's study. Be strong in the Lord, and He will give you great victory. Use the weapons God provides, and defeat even Satan, the one who seeks to devour you. Here are some verses to focus on in prayer as you make changes in your life: 1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Psalm 121:7,8 - "The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore." Psalm 27:1 - The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" 1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."