Equipped and Empowered

Week 1 Introduction

We are living in an age like no other. Has it been bad before? You bet it has. Think about the days of Noah. It was so bad that God was sorry He had made man (Genesis 6:6) and wiped the earth clean of that wicked generation leaving only one family to repopulate. What about Sodom and Gomorrah? They were so messed up that the men of Sodom wanted to have sex with the angels God sent (Genesis 19:5). God leveled that city. Thankfully, God has not destroyed us because of depravity or evil. Does that mean it is not so bad? No. It means our longsuffering, loving God extends His grace desiring that all know Him (2 Peter 3:9), love Him, serve Him, and live for Him.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV)

This study will be a stroll down streets paved with gold on a quest to know Him, but it will also take you down the dirty road of recognizing Satan and his evil deceptive work. What does one have to do with the other? In the spiritual battle – everything! Being prepared for the enemy’s destructive work is a key component of living a victorious Christian life.

Establishing The Nature of The Battle

I spent more than a decade of my adult life deceived by the enemy’s lies and seduced by my own desires. Through my twenty-year journey with Christ I have learned the truth and been set free from a life of bondage to various areas of sinful behavior and addictions. I want to take my experience and walk with you through God’s Word, discovering the dangers and deceptions all around us and learn to live a life of victory over our enemy. We are entering into a time of unmatched seduction and deception, and we need to be armed and ready. This is spiritual war, and whether we like it or not, we are in it.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) Day 1 The Truth Is…

I am so glad you decided to take this venture with me studying God’s word as related to the spiritual battle. Be prepared that the enemy is not going to sit back and let you learn without throwing in hindrances to get you off track. You need to begin this study digging your feet down deep in commitment to learning, knowing that as a result, you will be equipped and empowered to live victorious over the enemy’s work. Today, let’s complete the dot, dot, dot of our title, “The Truth is…” Pontius Pilate, the governor that made the call to crucify Jesus, asked Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). We are searching out a specific truth for this lesson that will make a major difference in our journey in Christ. My daughter once loved playing the game “Battleship” and the card game “Battle.” There is absolutely no strategy in “Battle,” however “Battleship” does have a method that allows the player to have a line of attack. The enemy has a method in his attack. Knowing his method gives us the opportunity to prepare to defend ourselves and to defeat him.

Read John 10:10 and write it on the lines below. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In John 10:10, Jesus said there is one who has a bad plan and one who has a good plan for our life. Jesus is the one who came to give us abundant life. I have heard the last part of John 10:10 used in church many times, but rarely, do I hear the first part of the verse connected to it. I guess it is our human nature to desire to focus on the good aspects of life. The problem is the bad is still there. In church we hear that God has a good plan for us. Jeremiah 29:11 is used more than any other Scripture to remind us of His good plan for our lives.

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

This is a truth I have held onto throughout my Christian journey. For now, let’s set this affirmation aside and focus on what we find difficult - facing the reality of our unseen enemy.

Read 2 Corinthians 2:11 and Ephesians 6:11. Each verse has a word or words used to portray how the enemy works. Below is a list of various translations, in the blanks, write the words used in your Bible.

2 Corinthians 2:11 Ephesians 6:11 Your Bible - ________________________ ___________________________ NIV __________schemes_______ ________devil’s schemes_______ NLT ________evil schemes______ ______all strategies and tricks___ Message ________sly ways_________ everything the devil throws your way KJV _________devices________ ____________wiles____________

“Devices” in 2 Corinthians 2:11 (KJV) is the Greek word noema meaning an evil purpose. The word for “wiles” from Ephesians 6:11 (KJV) is methodeia meaning cunning arts, deceit, craft, trickery. I hope you see the similarity between the Greek word, methodeia and the English word, method. The Complete Word Study Dictionary says, “Method, the following or pursuing of an orderly and technical procedure in the handling of a subject.” My dear sister, the enemy does have a method to his madness!

Using what you studied in this lesson, complete the dot, dot, dot of today’s title.

The truth is … __________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________. Here is my conclusion to the truth we are searching out today. The Truth is: God has a good plan to prosper us and not harm us, but we also have an enemy who has a methodically thought out plan for our lives that is evil in all its purposes.