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Missions Training August 24 th , 2013. Write down your own definition of Spiritual Warfare. Defined It is the cosmic battle of good versus evil. Understanding the Beginning of Good and Evil. Origins of conflict. The Beginning.
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Missions Training August 24th, 2013
Write down your own definition of Spiritual Warfare Defined It is the cosmic battle of good versus evil.
Understanding the Beginning of Good and Evil Origins of conflict
The Beginning • Genesis 1:1-31—Where did good come from? Can it come from any other place? How do you know? • Were any of the created things created with evil? What does this tell us about the character of God? • What was man’s purpose? (Why did God create human beings?) Is this still true for today?
The Other Side • Read Genesis 3:1-24. How did evil make its presence known in the Garden? • The Purpose of Evil • Why was eating the fruit of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil such a big deal? • What were the punishments for the sin? Why did God expel the humans from the Garden? What does this reveal about God’s Character?
To Sum Up the Garden • Evil was never God’s intention • Sin is Defined in the early Creation • Satan made an appearance and tempted the humans to sin • God establishes the penalty of sin—Gen. 3:19, Rom. 3:23, Rom. 6:23 • God Protects and Provides through this story—Gen. 3:21-24, Rom. 5:17
The Beginning of Evil • The Fall of Satan—Is. 14:12-17 • Morning Star—Latin Vulgate translation is “Lucifer” • What led to Lucifer’s fall from heaven? How did God deal with this? Read Isaiah 42:8. • Where did the devil fall? Is. 14:12. Why is this important?
The Strategies Evil Good Man in inherently evil Christ came to redeem man from sin (evil) and reconcile to God. Good wins!! • Organized efforts to thwart the plans and purposes of God (Dan. 10:1-21) • Desires to regain ground won by righteousness
Ephesians 6:10-20 Engaging the fight
Know Your Team Ephesians 6:10 • Our Power is inadequate (can’t do it on our own) • God’s Power is invincible • We need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Eph. 5:18-21)
Identifying the Enemy Who the Enemy Isn’t—v. 12a Who the Enemy Is—v. 12b What are the Enemy’s Tactics • Lies—John 8:44, Ezra 4 • Disunity—Rom. 13:8-14
The Armor of God The Command: PUT IT ON! Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ~Eph. 6:11~
The Armor of God • Belt of Truth • Breastplate of Righteousness • Feet Fitted with the Readiness from the Gospel of Peace—Is. 52:7 • Shield of Faith • Helmet of Salvation • Sword of the Spirit—Heb. 4:12, 2 Tim. 3:16-17
The Fight! The Offensive Weapons We Use: The Word of God and Prayer You will lose the battle without relying on the power of Christ!
Perspectives and Differences What the fight looks like
After studying the topic of Spiritual Warfare, write down how you envision it to be fought?
What the Fight Looks Like • Depends on the Cultural Context • What is one of the enemy’s most effective weapons in the U.S.? • The missions field will be different than what we’re used to—dreams, animism, other religious influence, traditions, secular rule (Europe), etc.
What the Fight Looks Like • Different for Each Person—weaknesses, susceptible to different temptations, level of spiritual maturity or awareness
How We Fight the Battle • Fight to Win! • Winning isn’t everything—it’s the only thing! • ~Vince Lombardi~ • Victory is Guaranteed Through Jesus Christ—1 Cor. 15:54-58, Matt. 6:9-13 • The Fight Involves Humility and Submission—James 4:1-10
Announcements… • Missions Conference—Sept. 8th through 11th • Next Missions Training—Sat., Sept. 21st 9am-1pm “Prayer and Worship” • Make sure to check out the Missions Table in the foyer for updates and information!