Mayaggie, Hope you are OK, still praying for you.
This particular day from Kelli from flowersoverthewall.com really helped me and I think will be helpful for you -
Week 3 Day 5
Spiritual weapons
Day ___________________________ Date ___________________________
This battle of the bulge is truly a war, a raging war. The emotional battles are intense and we need to understand the seriousness of it.
It is a difficult and arduous fight; I get tired and depressed sometimes. The enemy’s weapons come in so fast and furious and just when I think I have won the battle, he attacks from a different angle.
That’s why it’s so important to learn how to use our mighty weapons. You can’t fight Satan with conventional weapons like will power. He is too strong for you.
You need to fight him the way David did, with faith in the Lord of Host. David always had faith in God to protect and defend him.
You can see he depended on God, not only in his battle against Goliath, but also in how he handled his relationships with Saul and Absalom.
II Corinthians 10:3-6 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
Consider our divine example Jesus. He fought off Satan by the power of Gods word and faith in that word.
To get the maximum results you need to bombard the temptation with prayer. Prayer that is rapid and relentless, like the persistent widow in Luke.
Luke 18:1-8 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, "Get justice for me from my adversary.' 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, "Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."'
6 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"
Pray until you don’t feel tempted any more. That could take from one minute to one hour. It’s up to God He knows these test build your spiritual muscles.
He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to resist. Think about that when you are being tempted; tell yourself and Satan, this temptation is not more than I can bear. We know that this is true because, God says so in His word.
For the next few days we will be studying our spiritual armor and Weapons, and how to use them. The first article of protection a soldier wore was his clothing. If a soldier were to wear heavy armor without the soft protective garments underneath, it would have been enormously uncomfortable.
Read: I Peter 5:5-9 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
In what does this scripture say about what we need to be clothed? _______________
___________________________________________________________________________
Who is your enemy or adversary? ________________________ The devil is described here as a lion. A lion will pick out those who have strayed from the flock so we need to stay close to our Shepherd and fellow Christians.
What do you think being clothed in humility has to do with fighting a war against a lion, the devil? ______________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________
Just as you can’t fight a lion with your bare hands, you can’t fight Satan with will power in your own strength. We have to turn the Lordship over to God; quit being your own god by deciding to sin. Stop the rationalizing. You must be humble and know your place. Even Michael the archangel didn’t presume to fight with Satan but instead he said the Lord rebuke you.
Jude 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
You have the authority to rebuke Satan but only, and I mean only through the power of the Holy Spirit. I remember a time in my life when I was on a spiritual high. I thought I was so strong that Satan could never make me fall and in essence, I called Satan on.
I remember saying, “Hit me with your best shot Satan.†Don’t ever do that! It took about a year before God could pull me out of that deep depression.
Satan is strong, you have to humble yourself and rely on God. Satan always tries to get you to elevate yourself and become your own God. In most cults, the “you can be a god†dogma is at the foundation of their belief. Satan used it with Eve in the garden. Satan loves this scheme. It’s why he was thrown out of heaven. Every time you fall to temptation, you are in a sense becoming your own God and deciding you know what is best for yourself. Write the following scripture verses.
Proverbs 3:34 Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.
Use your own Bible and complete the following passages, James 4:6,7 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “ God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.â€Â
7__________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
Finish writing I Peter 5:5-8 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “ God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.†__________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
Revelation 12:11 ______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
In your own words briefly summarize the previous scriptures. What is God’s instruction for fighting Satan? __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
The freedom from arrogance grows out of the recognition that all we have and are, comes from God. To fight Satan we need to humble ourselves and depend on God and resist Satan through faith. Use our weapons and lift God up. Spiritual warfare is not a bolstering of our strength and will power, but of humbling ourselves and letting God do the work, following His will.
The Dictionary defines Humble as: low not proud or haughty not pretensions unassuming “insignificant.â€Â
The world has always despised humility because of its implied inadequacy, lack of dignity and worthlessness. This is not the meaning of humility as defined by the Bible.
Read: Matthew 11: 29, 30 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
John 13:4-17 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?"
7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this."
8 Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."
9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!"
10 Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.†11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean."
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross
Jesus is the supreme example of humility and He is completely adequate, He is infinite dignity and worth.
Finish writing verse eight of the previous passage. And being found in appearance as
___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
What did Jesus do to become obedient to the point of death? ____________________
___________________________________________________________________________
He humbled Himself. What do you think being humble means? _________________
___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
Biblical humility is not a belittling of oneself like the hypocrites in Matthew 6:16 "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
It is exalting God, true humility does not produce pride, it generates gratitude. Since God is both our creator and redeemer our existence and righteousness depends on Him.
Read John 15:5-8 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
What does the previous scripture mean to you? ______________________________
___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
According to the preceding scriptures, Can we do anything good outside of God? _________ Explain ____________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
You have to stay in touch with God every second to be obedient.
Read I Thessalonians 5:16-18 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Acts 17:28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, "For we are also His offspring.'
Let’s read how Jesus handled attacks from Satan. Luke 4:1-13 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
3 And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."
4 But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."
8 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.
9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: "He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,' and, "In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, "You shall not tempt the LORD your God.]
13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
In the passages above, what weapon did Satan use to fight with? _______________________
___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
He distorted the Word of God. Just like in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:1-7 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die." 4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Satan has always used the Word of God, the Bible to deceive. That’s why you have to stay in the Word and go to church and pray so you will see his deceptions. His favorite tactic is to tell you “you will be like Godâ€Â. Most of the cults have this philosophy as doctrine.
What mighty weapon did Jesus use to fight Satan? ____________________________ Jesus being tempted, not only used Scripture (Truth) but in so doing praised God and acknowledged His dependence upon Him. When we choose to follow Satan and walk our own path, we are taking control from God and making ourselves a god.
Matthew 4:11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
II Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Read Psalm 95
In light of today’s study, what was the scripture or statement in today’s lesson that most spoke to your heart? __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
What steps of faith does God want you to take towards Him today? ____________________
___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
Rephrase the scripture or statement into an expression of faith_________________________
___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
Write this weeks memory verse, Hebrews 11:6 _________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
