Lesson 1 - Teacher's Guide
- God’s Word reveals that we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but demonic powers (Eph. 6:10-12). Our fight isn’t against people, but the spiritual forces influencing them. However, most of us simply don’t recognize the role that the spirit realm plays in our daily lives. This issue people make about whether someone is possessed, oppressed, or simply depressed isn’t in Scripture. The truth is that people all around the world today are being influenced, controlled, and used—to whatever degree—by the devil. We just tend to look at things as being normal and natural, so we miss the fact that the origin of many things that happen in our day—things that tick us of and come against us—is spiritual.
- If we were to adopt the biblical mindset, it would make a huge difference in the way we respond. We’d recognize that it’s not our neighbor, our spouse, or our circumstances that are really what’s coming against us. They can be influenced, inspired, and used of Satan, but they really aren’t the source. When we genuinely understand that this isn’t a physical battle, it changes the way we respond.
- Jesus recognized when the devil was trying to get to Him through a person (Matt. 16:23). The Lord recognized that Satan was speaking through Peter. So even though Peter had just spoken forth a glorious revelation by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 16:16), Christ knew that the inspiration for Peter’s rebuke of Him (Matt. 16:22) was from hell. We just need to recognize that Satan—as well as God—can speak through and use the people in our lives. Like Jesus, we need to discern whose voice is coming through.
- We are in a spiritual battle! However, most of the time, we don’t recognize it. We’re just looking at things from a natural, human perspective. We factor God, the devil, and the whole supernatural realm right out of the equation. he average person doesn’t realize the spiritual dynamics taking place. here’s a real Enemy out there that we must learn to deal with.
- Like it or not, there’s a spiritual battle raging right now for our hearts and minds. What we think in our heart is the way that we’ll be (Prov. 23:7). Our thoughts become what we say and do, with our actions being the greatest expression of our authority. Therefore, we’ll be influenced, dominated, and ruled by whomever we yield ourselves to—God or Satan (Rom. 6:16).
Footnotes
| 1. | A. | Read Ephesians 6:10-12. What does God’s Word reveal that we are not wrestling against? (Flesh and blood) |
| B. | Most of us simply don’t recognize the role that _____ plays in our daily lives. (he spirit realm) | |
| 2. | A. | Is it really our neighbor, spouse, or circumstances that are coming against us? (No) |
| B. | What happens when we genuinely understand that this isn’t a physical battle? (It changes the way we respond) | |
| 3. | A. | Read Matthew 16:16 and 22-23. Who can speak through and use the people in our lives—God, Satan, or both? (Both) |
| B. | Like Jesus, we need to do what? (Discern whose voice is coming through) | |
| 4. | A. | What are we in? (A spiritual battle) |
| B. | Who is out there that we must learn to deal with? (A real Enemy) | |
| 5. | A. | Read Proverbs 23:7 and Romans 6:16. What becomes what we say and do, with our actions being the greatest expression of our authority? (Our thoughts) |
| B. | Therefore, who will we be influenced, dominated, and ruled by? (Whomever we yield ourselves to—God or Satan) |
