Spiritual Warfare – “In Christ: Stand Firm – Resist – Attack”!
A 7 Part Series: stand-alone topics — The best way to recognize the enemy (Satan) and his strategies in our lives is to know God and His absolute TRUTH more intimately, discovering the wonder of our identity and authority in Christ. When we do that, we are better able to recognize the counterfeit to truth and then act with godly confidence when encountering a spiritual battle. That’s where we’ll spend most of our time. Secondarily we’ll also take a look at the spiritual forces that are in play in the world – God’s angels, and Satan and his fallen angels – discovering who they are, what their goals are – and in the case of the demonic world; what their tactics are and the limit of their power?
(Note: Congregants are encouraged to read the book of Ephesians in preparation for this series)
Be Alert – Be Aware – Be Ready! (An introduction to the series) (Excerpts from Ephesians) - When it comes to exploring Satan and his fallen angels C.S. Lewis said that there are two equal and opposite errors we can fall into: either disbelief in their existence, or, an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. This sermon will explore a more balanced approach, taking a cursory look at the book of Ephesians and considering briefly both the subtle and overt attacks Satan attempts.
Our Identity in Christ (Ephesians 1 – 3 – specifically 1:1-14 & 6:10) – In Luke 10, Jesus told his disciples not to rejoice in the authority they have over the forces of darkness, but rather their identity in Him. Not that both aren’t important – it’s just that the latter must always precede the former. This topic will explore our identity in Christ, because without a clear idea as to our identity in Him, we will never be able to grasp, or, act on, the authority that we have in Him.
Our Authority in Christ (Part 1 – An Introduction – Ephesians 1:18-23, 2:6 & 6:10) – When it comes to spiritual warfare, it’s critical for followers of Christ to understand not only their identity in Christ, but also their authority. Before looking at that authority, we will explore first, the magnitude of Christ’s authority. Then we’ll better be able to understand what we as believers are supposed to do with the authority that Christ has given us.
Our Authority in Christ (Part 2 – Taking Thoughts Captive – II Corinthians 10:3-5) - Because of our identity in Christ as believers – because of the authority that Christ has given us over the forces of darkness, we are able to act on that authority with boldness And one of the ways in which we can do that is to “take every thought captive.” This topic will explore what it means to take a thought captive and how that can play out in our daily lives.
Our Authority in Christ (Part 3 – Binding and Loosing – Matthew 12:22-29; 16:13-19; 18:15-18) – Using the three passages listed above, this topic continues to explore the authority a believer has in Christ, looking at the concept of “binding and loosing” on earth, what has already been bound and loosed in heaven – specifically as it relates to spiritual warfare.
Angels in Spiritual Warfare (Exodus 23:20-21) - One of the weapons that God employs to counteract the forces of darkness on our behalf, is His angels. This topic takes a look at what the Bible has to say about them, and the role they play in the kingdom of God, specifically as it relates to spiritual warfare.
Demons (Fallen Angels) in Spiritual Warfare (Various Bible Readings) - To discern truth from error it’s far more important to focus more of our attention on God and His Truth, than on Satan and his deceptions. But having said that, we also need to become at least somewhat aware of the spiritual enemy we face, so that we might be able to recognize the Devil’s schemes and resist them. To accomplish that, this topic will explore who Satan and his demons actually are and then discover their tactics as revealed through the various names given to the Devil in the Bible.