Zephaniah 3:17-For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears.[b] He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Review:

• W1- Abide
• W2- Church Sphere
• W3- Home & Family Sphere
• W4- World Sphere
• W5- Spiritual Realm Sphere

The Battle

• What battle are we talking about?
• God’s Army vs. The Enemy
• The Enemy is powerful but defeated; real, but not around every corner.
• Ephesians is written to the church to encourage them to stand firm.

Ephesians 6:10-18-A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we[d] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Breaking it down:

• Strategies of the devil
• Not fighting against flesh and blood
• God’s Armor
• Fiery Arrows
• Fighting alone is a losing battle

Strategies

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

• Strongholds of Human Reasoning
• False Arguments
• Prideful Obstacles

Be on guard:

• Murderer, no truth & Father of lies (John 8:44)
• Disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14)
• Accusation (Revelation 12:10)
• Deception (2 Corinthians 11:3)
• Thief (John 10:10)
• Temptation with things of the world & Discouragement (Matthew 4:1-11)
• Distractions (1 John 2:15-17)
• Isolation (Proverbs 7:6-27)
• Bitterness & Lack of forgiveness (Hebrews 12:15)
• John 10:27 (Knowing God’s Voice)

*You can’t stop birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from nesting there.

Closing Story & Questions

2 Kings 6:15-17 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

1. How is God speaking to you today?
2. Can you identify any thoughts you need to capture?
3. What experiences do you have that remind you that God’s voice is for your good?
4. Are you fighting from victory or for it?
5. In what ways have you been fighting a losing battle by doing it alone?
6. Have you drifted, and need to move closer to Jesus?