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36th day
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1. |
You
are well over a month into your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
If you
have been serious about it, this month should have
been one in which you
faced many things about yourself that need changing. It also should
have been one filled with joy because you know that God is for you and Jesus
Christ is with you to help you become like him.
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2. |
Look
at Paul's words about joy in Philippians 4:4-6. How often does it
say
we should "rejoice?" Compare this with I
Thessalonians 5:16-18. When
should we rejoice? Be thankful?
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3. |
If
you have been guilty or complaining or being negative about your
life, seek out another disciple
or those you have hurt and let them know that you
are sorry because
you have all the reason in the universe for joy.
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1. |
The
image of a soldier or a warfare is often employed in the New Testament.
The reason is: we are at war. The ways of God and the ways of men
(influenced by Satan) are totally opposed. Our
culture is constantly bombarding us with its message of how to find life, but God's message is
totally different. One cannot survive in warfare unless he is
equipped and knows
how to do battle. For the rest of this week we will
look at this matter.
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2. |
Start
with Ephesians 6:10-18. There is enough here for several days of
study, and we will take a little at a time.
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3. |
First
of all in warfare, we need to clearly identify the enemy. Verses 10
and
11
make that identification very clear to us. Who is the enemy? What
are some of the schemes that you
can see him working out in your life to take
you out of the
light of God?
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4. |
Please
realize now and always that your boss is not the enemy, your parents
aren't the enemies, your husband or wife is not the
enemy. Flesh and blood people are not the enemies, and any time we
identify them as the enemies,
we fall into Satan's scheme and begin shooting at the
wrong person. List
some times recently when you may have done this or
come close to doing it.
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5. |
Set
your mind against the real forces of darkness that Satan commands.
Pray for strength and for God's mighty power to overcome it.
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1. |
Read
Ephesians 6:10-18 again. |
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2. |
Satan's
power is described in real terms and you will be so vulnerable to
him if you are not aware of his power, but why is it true that we don't have
to be fearful in this warfare?
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3. |
We don't have to be fearful,
but we do have to put on the full armor of God. Without the
protection and the spiritual weapons he supplies, we will be
overcome. Let's look at them one at a time:
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a. |
The belt of truth — where do you find truth? (John 17:17) |
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b. |
The breastplate of righteousness — read Philippians 3:8-9. |
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c. |
The
gospel of peace — read Ephesians 2:14-18. |
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d. |
The shield of faith — how does it put out the fiery darts of
Satan? |
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e. |
The
helmet of salvation — read Romans 8:1-2. |
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f. |
The sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God — Hebrews
4:12. |
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g. |
And pray in the Spirit
on all occasions — how has your prayer life developed? |
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3. |
Who are the people around
you? Write down their names. they need to hear the answer
about Christ as Lord in the spirit of the passage you have
just read.
You now know what the armor of God looks like, but
please realize that like
any good soldier, you will have to put it on anew
everyday. One of Satan's
schemes is to make you believe once will do for all
time. Every day you need to
be into God's truth, reaffirming the gospel,
reclaiming your righteousness
and salvation in Christ, restating your confidence in
prayer and in the God
who answers prayer. |
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1. |
Begin
today with II Timothy 2:1-7.
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2. |
Focus in especially on verses
3 and 4. To be a Christian is not like going to a picnic. It
is like enrolling in an army and like taking upon
(spiritual) weapons and going into training and then going
into battle. If you are really walking with Jesus Christ and
waging His warfare, you will experience HARDSHIP. Look at II
Timothy 3:12. What does this promise say? What are we
assured of?
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3. |
Because of this passage we
can say with confidence that the person who never
experiences any persecution from the forces of the enemy
must not be fighting against the enemy. If the attitude of
the people of this world toward you is that you are really
great and an okay person, then you need to examine your
commitment and your boldness for Jesus Christ. Look at Jesus
Himself promised in John 15:18-21.
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4. |
Returning
to II Timothy 2:4 we see that the warfare is going to be so serious
and so intense that the
Christian soldier must not get involved in "civilian
affairs." There are a lot of things to do in the
world that are not "wrong." But they are wrong for us if they take us away from the front lines
and from fighting the good fight. Are there some things in your
life that need to be
given up
because they are "involvement in civilian affairs?" |
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1. |
Your study guide ends today, but may your study never
end. You are on
your way to
things too glorious and enriching to even describe. Never,
never, never, never give up!
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2. |
Read carefully the call of these passages:
I Peter 2:1-2,
Hebrews 5:11-6:3, and Colossians 2:6-10.
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3. |
Keep studying, keep confessing your sins, keep encouraging others,
keep sharing your faith, and
whatever you do in word or in deed, do everything
in the name of the Lord Jesus
giving thanks to
God the Father through him.
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