Ephesians 6: Do You Christians Know Your Spiritual Enemy?Shine for the people who shade you.
If you’re in the resident congregation, turn off your electronic devices and put them away. Let this be a place where you aren’t distracted by the world.
Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES
Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with a worldwide impact. My name is Pastor Rory Clark.
In Matthew, Chapter 18, Verse 20, the Lord says…
MATTHEW 18:20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I (the Lord Jesus Christ) am there in their midst.”
Thanks for listening to this Bible lesson, and welcome to a place where you can be with the Lord!
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Do You Christians Know Your Spiritual Enemy?
LESSON INTRODUCTION
Our God is a planner, and He is always providing believers in Christ with the information they need to be ready for anything, especially to prepare us for the wily schemes of the devil.
Over the past two weeks we've learned how the enemies of God operate. Like every great teacher, the Lord gives us the questions that will be on the test and the answers to the test before He gives us the test.
Today, you' ll get a quiz on what you have learned. In addition, you'll see Biblical evidence that reveals the character of God's enemy, Satan.
OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s hear some music! As a great Coach, the Lord always prepares us to handle what the artist Cain sings about…TROUBLE.
MUSIC OPENING SONG Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises
TROUBLE Cain
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray...
Father, at this time of the year for gratitude, we reflect on the privilege and the gift You give us year round…the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…
Father, the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are the best of times and the worst of times…for some of us there is joy and great memories…for some of us there is pain and sadness…thank you for being there for those who experience each of these emotions…thank you for being omniscient, knowing all the knowable, and thank you for using omniscience to provide the exact remedy for each person’s joy and sorrow…
…as we continue to study our enemies today, those who look to steal and kill and destroy our lives, thanks for giving us the exact antidote for the pain they attempt to inflict, and thank you for giving us the victory through Your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, under the watchful eye and loving hands of God the Holy Spirit and His enabling power…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Do You Christians Know Your Spiritual Enemy?
LESSON PART ONE
We continue our study of Ephesians, Chapter 6 where the Lord is preparing us to take a STAND against our enemies. Before we go on to the final part of this closing passage, let's remind ourselves of what we have learned so far with a quiz.
Here is the passage we are studying in the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD translation… Ephesians, Chapter 6, Verses 10 to 24…
EPHESIANS 6:10 Finally, brethren, be strong in union with the Lord and in the strength of His might.
EPHESIANS 6:11 Pick up and put on the full armor of Godso you will be able to STAND firm against the schemes of the devil.
EPHESIANS 6:12 For our spiritual struggle (our spiritual wrestling match) is not against flesh and blood (other human beings)…we wrestle against the rulers…against the powers…against the world forces of this darkness…against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
EPHESIANS 6:13 Pick up and put on the full armor of God (in every spiritual wrestling match)…so you will be able to resist evil on that day…having done everything to stand firm (against your spiritual enemies).
EPHESIANS 6:14 Stand firm, therefore, having girded your loins with truth…havingpicked up and put on the breastplate of righteousness…
EPHESIANS 6:15 …and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace…
EPHESIANS 6:16 …in addition to those things, keep on taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
EPHESIANS 6:17 Pick up and put on the helmet of salvation, and keep on taking up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God…
EPHESIANS 6:18 With all prayer and petition keep on praying at all times in the Spirit…and with this in view, keep on being on the alert, with all perseverance and petition, for all the saints…
EPHESIANS 6:19 …and keep on praying on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of mymouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel…
EPHESIANS 6:20 …for which gospel I (Paul) am an ambassador in chains…that in proclaiming the gospel message I may keep on speaking boldly, as I ought to speak.
EPHESIANS 6:21 Also, so that you may know about my circumstances and how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lordwill make everything known to you.
EPHESIANS 6:22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts.
EPHESIANS 6:23 Peace be to the brethren, and unconditional love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
EPHESIANS 6:24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.
What are the quiz questions the Lord has given us the answers to as we study our enemies?
KNOW YOUR ENEMY!
1 Who are the three enemies of the Lord and of Christians? 2 How does the Lord equip Christians to deal with the enemies?
KNOW YOUR ENEMY!
3 What are the six pieces ofequipment God gives Christians in the spiritual battle?
4 What do the six pieces of equipmentprovide?
KNOW YOUR ENEMY!
5 What is our primary weapon against the enemy?
6 What is the SIT portion of Christianity?
KNOW YOUR ENEMY!
7 What is the WALK portion of Christianity?
8 What is the STAND portion of Christianity?
KNOW YOUR ENEMY!
9 Whose power do we use to take a stand against our enemies?
10 What does Sun Tzu warn us to consider about our knowledge of our enemies?
There are more questions. We’ll tackle the rest in the next lesson. Let’s remember these.
Who are the three enemies of the Lord and of Christians?
They are SATAN, the enemy of God and of Christians; THE WORLD (Satan’s Outside Agent); and THE FLESH (Satan’s Inside Agent).
How does the Lord equip Christians to deal with the enemies?
He gives us the “full armor of God.”
What are the six pieces of equipment God gives Christians in the spiritual battle?
1 The Girdle of Truth
2 Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace
3 The Breastplate of Righteousness
4 The Shield of Faith
5 The Helmet of Salvation
6 The Sword of the Spirit
What do the six pieces of equipment provide?
First…THE TRUTH instead of lies. We “girdle our loins with the truth.” The truth is the foundation of the Lord and the foundation of Christianity. Like the girdle of the Roman soldier’s uniform, the truth is what holds everything together.
Second, the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate of the Roman soldier's uniform covers front and back from the neck to the waist. So it is with the righteousness of God which is gifted to Christians at the moment of salvation as our admission ticket to heaven. We are now righteous in our spiritual lives, no longer victims of unrighteousness and spiritual death. We are covered by God’s righteousness.
Third, we “shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”Spikelike shoes gave Roman soldiers traction in battle. The gospel message gives believers in Christ traction in the spiritual battle to take it to others so they can be saved.
Fourth, there is the shield of faith. The Roman soldier’s shield was large and wooden, covered with leather. It offered protection from spears, arrows, and fiery darts, crafted in such a way that it interlocked with the shields of other soldiers. Our spiritual shields rebuff the spears, arrows, and fiery darts of our enemies.
Fifth, the helmet of salvation. The helmet of the Roman soldier was designed to protect the head where the mind resides. For Christians, the spiritual helmet allows for the development of the mind without the interference from enemy who seeks to control us by shaping our thinking with the propaganda of the WORLD.
Sixth, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. The Roman soldier carried a “makhaira," a sword with a point and two sharp edges. It was so versatile it could both stab you or cut you from either side.There is nothing more powerful than the Word of God, a spiritual makhaira designed to cut down all the attacks of our spiritual enemies.
What is our primary weapon against the enemy?
Prayer! We’ll study it in depth two lessons from now.
What is the SIT portion of Christianity?
It’s our position IN CHRIST. All believers in Christ are in union with Christ, in an eternal marriage, from the moment of salvation. We are the Bride of Christ and He is the Bridegroom.
What is the WALK portion of Christianity?
It’s the Christian Lifestyle. What the Lord wants for us is that we are an exact reflection of Christ.
What is the STAND portion of Christianity?
We resist the temptations of our enemies designed to lure us believers in Christ off of our victorious ground that the Lord Jesus Christ was earned for us at the Cross, given to us by the Lord as a gift.
Whose power do we use to take a stand against our enemies?
Believers in Christ use the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit, and NEVER human power to fight the spiritual battles.
Finally, what does Sun Tzu warn believers in Christ to consider about our knowledge of our enemies?
SUN TZU – The Art of War
"If you know yourself and you know your enemy you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”
SUN TZU – The Art of War
“If you know only yourself and not your enemy for every victory you gain you’ll sustain a defeat.”
SUN TZU – The Art of War
“If you know neither yourself nor the enemy you will succumb in every battle.”
How did you do on the quiz? If you didn’t do well, you have work to do. That work is repetition, reminding yourself over and over again the weapons of warfare with which you are blessed. Never be ignorant of the enemies. Never let the enemies catch you off guard.
When we return from the break, we'll take the offering and then we'll conclude this lesson by looking at the character of our enemies. Take a ten-minute break. TEN-MINUTE BREAK NOBODY Casting Crowns
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Do You Christians Know Your Spiritual Enemy?
OFFERING INTRODUCTION
Giving is a way to worship God. It’s a way to express gratitude for His blessings and it’s a way to express faith that you know God will replenish all that you give, replacing it in abundance.
Giving is a way to serve others, especially those in spiritual need, reflecting the Lord’s unconditional love and His mercy.
Giving is a way to express personal responsibility. It’s a way to honor yourself. So give generously, knowing that your generosity is appreciated by all who benefit from it, especially appreciated by the Lord.
Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall, a man who over the years had been very generous with his time, his talent, and his treasure. It’s always a pleasure to hear one of his inspiringand accurate offering messages.
THE OFFERING Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
PHILIPPIANS 1:20 …according to my earnest expectation and hope, I (Paul) will not be put to shame in anything…but with all boldness…Christ will now and alwaysbe exalted in my body…whether by life or by death.
OFFERING SONG THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU Instrumental Version
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Do You Christians Know Your Spiritual Enemy?
LESSON PART TWO
Welcome back!
What is the character of our enemies in the spiritual battle? Perhaps no other Biblical texts illustrate this better than Job, Chapters 1 and 2. Let's close today's lesson reviewing those two chapters to see what there is to learn with all three enemies we deal with as Christians.
Job, Chapter 1, Verses 1 to 22 with food for thought…
JOB 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz(a country in central Asia) whose name was Job…and that man was blameless and upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.
In other words, Job was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
JOB 1:2 Seven sons and three daughters were born to him.
He had ten children.
JOB 1:3 His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, and he was the greatest of all the men of the east.
Job was very wealthy…wealthier than all the men in his area.
JOB 1:4 Job’s sons used to hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
JOB 1:5 When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all, for Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Job did this continually.
Job protected his children with prayer.
JOB 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God (the bene-ha Elohim…the angels) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.
The Lord is always communing with His creatures.
JOB 1:7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”
This is arrogance personified. Satan says, “I was walking around admiring MY planet.”
JOB 1:8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man…one who respects God and turns away from evil.”
The troof!
JOB 1:9 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job respect God for nothing?
JOB 1:10 “Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he hason every side?You have blessed the work of his handsand his possessions have increased in the land.”
JOB 1:11 “But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has and he will surely curse You to Your face.”
Satan contends the only reason Job worships God is because God blesses him. The Lord asks Satan to prove his theory. Job, Chapter 1, Verse 12 and following… JOB 1:12 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that Job has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.
Nothing happens in the universe without the Lord’s permission. The Lord says, “Do anything you want with Job, but you can’t take his life. That’s not your decision.”
JOB 1:13 Now on the day when Job’s sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house…
JOB 1:14 …a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them…”
JOB 1:15 “…and the Sabeans attacked them and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
JOB 1:16 And while the messenger was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
God always gets the blame in Satan’s kingdom.
JOB 1:17 While this messenger was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
JOB 1:18 While this messenger was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house…”
JOB 1:19 “…and behold, a great wind (a tornado) camefrom across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
JOB 1:20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his headandfell to the ground and worshiped.
JOB 1:21 Job said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
JOB 1:22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.
Satan lied. Job didn't only worship the Lord because of the blessings. He worshipped the Lord regardless. Did Satan admit he was wrong? Yeah, right! Job, Chapter 2, Verses 1 to 10…
JOB 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God ( the angels) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord.
JOB 2:2 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”
The same arrogance.
JOB 2:3a The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, respecting God and turning away from evil.
JOB 2:3a And Job still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” JOB 2:4 Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.”
JOB 2:5 “However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and Job will curse You to Your face.”
Skin for skin is a Greek idiom. Satan claims Job is only faithful for selfish reasons. Satan challenges Job’s integrity, suggesting that it may not be his possessions Job covets, but if his health is taken away, Job’s faith will disappear and he will curse God.
JOB 2:6 So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.”
JOB 2:7 Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
Skin cancer.
JOB 2:8 And Job took a potsherd (a piece of broken pottery) to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.
JOB 2:9 Then Job’s wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”
JOB 2:10 But Job said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
What a great comment. An insult without being insulting. An indirect rebuke.
What do we learn about the enemy from his handling of Job? Exactly what we knew before: Satan has no character…he is a liar…and he doesn’t learn because he ignores the evidence that is right before his eyes to serve his own purposes.
We saw the same arrogance in the scribes and Pharisees. You have “friends” and “family” who operate the same way.
Yet the Lord tell us in Matthew, Chapter 5, Verse 44…
MATTHEW 5:44 “But I (the Lord Jesus Christ) say to you believers in Christ…love your enemies unconditionally, and pray for those who persecute you…”
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race
The closing moments of this lesson could be the ten most important minutes of your life. You’ll be introduced to the good news concerning how you can spend all eternity in heaven when you close your eyes in this life. We want you to know that…
GOD WANTS YOU! He Wants You to Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
…and what He wants for you is that you make the most important decision of your life.
The Bible says God is clear-minded…First Corinthians, Chapter 14, Verse 33…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 14:33 …for God is not a God of confusion…
It's true! God is so clear-minded He works in ones. There is one category of unbelieving angels, the fallen angels…and there is one category of believing angels, the elect angels. Here’s what the Lord has to say about the fallen angels in Jude, Chapter 1, Verse 6…
JUDE 1:6 And the fallen angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day…
Here’s what the Lord says about the elect angels. Matthew, Chapter 24, Verse 31…
MATTHEW 24:31 And the Lord will send forth His elect angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect believers from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
The Lord categorizes His human creatures the same way, the elect and the fallen. The Lord wants you to be one of the elect!
The bad news is you were born fallen. You were born physically alive but spiritually dead as a fallen, ungodly, unrighteous unbeliever. You were born a sinner in God’s eyes, in desperate need of a Savior.
It’s not your fault you were born this way, but it is your circumstance.
In First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22, the Bible says…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a …all in union with Adam at physical birth (and that is every human being who comes to earth) are set to die the second death in the Lake of Fire…
The good news is the Lord Jesus Christ knew you could not work your way out of this circumstance, so He decided to work everything out for you.
GOD WANTS YOU!
It’s a great thing to know, because no one gets out of this life alive. What’s going to happen to you when you close your eyes in this life? Will you go to heaven or will you go to hell? Will you remain fallen or will you choose to be elect?
God doesn’t want you to go to hell! Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9 says…
SECOND PETER 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of...instead, He is patient toward unbelievers…not wishing for any to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all to come to repentance (a voluntary change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).
The Lord has a plan to make you one of the electso He can welcome you to heaven! How can you get to heaven? RIGHT WHERE YOU SIT, RIGHT NOW, RIGHT THIS MOMENT you can tell God the Father you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the moment of eternal life for you. Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…
ACTS 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved by God, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
The ONE WAY…the ONLY WAY to get to heaven is through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ…John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…
JOHN 14:6 Jesus said to the doubting apostle, Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation)… and I am the truth (through the gospel message in the Word of God)…and I am the resurrection life (eternal life)…and no one comes to God the Father in heavenbut through believing in Me.”
Getting to heaven requires nothing of you except the expression of your faith in Jesus Christ to save you. You can’t work your way to heaven.
Who is this God who saves you? The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3 For I (Paul) delivered to all of you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4 …and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Old Testament Scriptures… Believing in Jesus Christ is your acknowledgment that you can’t do a thing to be elect on your own. You confirm that being fallen WILL NOT get you to heaven. It’s wiser to let God make you one of His electbecause once God does something, He never changes His mind! John, Chapter 10, Verses 28 and 29 say…
JOHN 10:28 “…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) give eternal life to believers in Christ, and they will never perish…and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
JOHN 10:29 “And My Father, who gives believers in Christ to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch elect believers in Christ out of God the Father’s hand.”|
Acts, Chapter 4, Verse 12 says…
ACTS 4:12 “…there is salvation in no one else…for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (except the name of the Lord Jesus Christ).”
What if you reject a relationship with Christ? In Matthew, Chapter 13, Verses 40 to 42, the Lord expresses the consequences…
MATTHEW 13:40 “Just as weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.”
MATTHEW 13:41 “The Son of Man (Jesus Christ) will send forth His elect angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks (unbelievers)…and those who commit lawlessness (as a lifestyle…a reference to unbelievers)…”
MATTHEW 13:42 “…and the elect angels will throw the fallenunbelievers into the Lake of Fire…and in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Yes…there is a hell…and if you end up there it will be your choice. So make the most important choice of your life! Do what is suggested in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36… JOHN 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment…but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”
Make the best decision for you! Become an elect one, not a fallen one!
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race
CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s close with music! First Corinthians, Chapter 10, Verse 13 says…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 10:13a No temptation has overtaken you but those common among humans…and God the Father is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to endure…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 10:13b …but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you’ll be able to handle it.
When things get tough in your life, take Hope Darth’s advice and call on THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS!
MUSIC CLOSING SONG Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises
THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS Hope Darth and The Belonging Company
CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
Almighty God and Father…
Thank you for always bringing us information that calls us out of the dark into Your marvelous light…sear the things You keep on teaching us into our consciousness so that we are always ready for the spiritual battles we fight…
…enlighten us in this thanksgiving week about all the things we need to be grateful for, large and small, and help us to see Your Almighty hand in every blessing just as Job did, whether the blessing is adversity or prosperity…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
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Continues on December 7
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