sbtemptation

Your Enemy:
Is extremely crafty
Has a complete arsenal of the most effective weapons
Knows all of your weak points
Attacks without warning, day or night
Is an expert at deception and disguise
You are faced with one of three choices:
1. I won’t even bother to fight. I’ll surrender to the imprisonment and tourture that is sure to follow.
2. Because I consider myself smart enough and strong enough, I’ll fight him on my own.
3. I will go into training and receive the equippment that will enable me to protect myself and to destroy his strongholds, so that I can help to save others from his tyranny.
Which of the three do you choose?
Who is our enemy?
Why is he so successful today?
Most people think that the devil is a myth. Very few take him seriously. This allows him
to work without being detected or opposed. What evidence do we have in todays society that
his destructive work is succeeding?
Unfortunately there are many Christians who are letting the enemy attack and score victories without resistance. Many feel that the church is only a place to come to receive treatment for wounds the enemy has inflicted throughout the week. It should be a place to be trained and equipped for battle. Is church your hospital or your army barracks?
Battle In The Wilderness Luke 4:1-14
How was Jesus prepared for battle (v.l) ________ for ministry (v.14) _______
How can I be prepared? (think about what you learned in the first study)
Where did the battle take place?
Where does the devil tempt you?
At school?
At home with your family?
At a shopping center?
At a sporting event?
In front of the TV set?
In the church pew?

When did the devil tempt Jesus?
When does the devil tempt you?
When things don’t work out as you’ve planned?
When you’re tired, run down?
When you think you’ve got everything under control?
During a test?
When your team is losing?

Many times we have the opportunity to sin without the desire, or the desire without the opportunity. But when there is the opportunity and the desire GOD IS ABLE to give you the strength to overcome!
Why did the devil tempt Jesus?
If Jesus had sinned He could not have become the perfect sacrifice for our sin. We would still be slaves of the devil.
Why does the devil tempt you?
To keep you from growing as a Christian
To keep you away from Christian fellowship
To keep you from leading a fruitful life
To get you to reject the Lordship of Christ So that he can drag you into the depths of Hell with him.
What did Jesus use to fight off the devil? (v. 4, 8, 12)
“Thy Word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee. Ps.ll9:ll
If you want to defeat the devil, __________! [throw the book at him]
What kind of soldier are you? Don’t let the devil catch you empty of the Spirit and the Scripture.
An Example of Satan’s Strategy 2 Sam. 11:12-25
Sense of Pride
Leader of a great nation
Sense of security
Popular with the people
This led to neglected responsibilities with the army, self indulgence, choosing the easy 1 i f e.
The devil is willing to move slowly, give a little here, a little there. He will lay the ground work for his master plan to ruin your life. (Little Foxes tract)
Sense of Sin
David tried to __ his sin instead of ______ it. [hide.. .confess]
We’re in trouble when sin drives us __ __ __, instead of ____ _ __. [away from God…closer to Him]
David’s efforts to conceal his sin drove him more deeply into sin.
Plan A Deceive Uriah
Plan B Make Uriah drunk
Plan C destroy Uriah
Have you ever refused to admit, or tried to hide your sin?
Sense of Weakness and Worthlessness Ps.32:3,5
Loss of joy
Lack of purpose
Lack of assurance of salvation
Return to Fellowship with God
The only way sin can leave the body is through the_____[mouth]
Confess 2 Sam. 12:13 Ps.32 Ps.51
Repent Matt. 3:8
Receive forgiveness Romans 8:1-2
God wants to c____ us of sin, not c___ us. [convict.. .condemn]
Sin cannot extinguish God’s love for us.
Ready For Action Eph. 6:10-18
Strong in the Lord (v.10)
One with Jesus in His humility, His death, His resurrection victory Don’t just wear the cross Don’t just talk about the cross Don’t just kneel at the cross Get on the cross
Die to selfish pleasure
Die to self will
Die to self love Calvary came before Pentecost
The way to Pentecost power is through Calvary pain.
Clothed with God’s Armor
Truth as a belt “Thy Word is truth”
It tells us who God is and what God has done for us. It tells us who we are and what God’s will is for us. It protects us from the devil’s lies. How can you discern truth from error?
Breastplate of Righteousness
Covers the heart – don’t lose heart when enemy accuses you.
Our sin can be forgiven and we are declared righteous because of Christ’s sacrifice. Do you know what to do when you are discouraged by sin?
Shoes Of Peace
Security of knowing that we are forgiven, provided for, empowered by God, and have eternal life.
Can you step into the security of God’s peace when things are turning upside down all around you?
Shield of Faith
To protect you from the fiery darts of unbelief
If we trust in material things, other people, our own strength, or mental power we’ll be disappointed.
Only God is completely trustworthy -worthy of our faith. Faith comes by hearing God’s Word.
Doubt is the dark room where we develop our fears.
Are you trusting God to give you victory over the devil?
Helmet of Salvation
Guard your mind
Choose what you allow into your mind. Close the door on things that are corrupt,
evil, immoral.
Can you think of anything that fits into this category?
Sword of the Spirit – God’s Word
Hangs on the belt of truth
The Word which we use to confront the enemy, to wound him, drive him back.
2 Cor.10:3-5.
When is the last time you used your Sword against your enemy?
Put on the Armor with Prayer
Watch and pray so that you don’t enter into temptation.
The devil trembles when we pray.
2 Cor. 10:3-5 It is true that I am an ordinary weak human being, but I don’t use human plans and methods to win my battles. I use God’s mighty weapons, not those made by men, to knock down the devil’s strongholds. These weapons can break down every proud argument against God and every wall that can be built to keep men from finding Him. With these weapons I can capture rebels and bring them back to God, and change them in to men whose hearts’ desire is obedience to Christ.
There are many examples in the Bible of God’s people giving into temptation and turning away from Him. All these things that happened to them are examples to us to warn us against doing the same things; they were written down so that we could read about them and learn from them today. So be careful. If you are thinking, “Oh, I would never behave like that”–let this be a warning to you. For you too may fall into sin. But remember this-the wrong desires that come into your life aren’t anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it, for He has promised this and will do what He says. He will show you how to escape temptation’s power so that you can bear up patiently against it. 1 Cor. 10:11-13
The devil may use people that you know to try to lure you into sin. “You aren’t saved by
being good,” they say, “so you might as well be bad. Do what you like, be free.” But
these people who offer this “freedom” from God’s law are themselves slaves to sin and
destruction. For a man is a slave to whatever controls him. And when a person has escaped
from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and
then gets tangled up with sin and becomes its slave again, he is worse off than he was
before. 2 Peter 2:18-20

© Sue Found 1995

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