|
Asa-Ministries
International
Bringing The Good News Of Jesus Christ
To All Nations
Making
Disciples Since 1992
These lessons are sent to you free of charge;
however we are supported by your generous donations.
Please pray about sending a love gift offering to help
keep these lessons going out.
Removal instructions at the end of this lesson.
"PRINCIPALITIES
AND POWERS"
Ephesians 6:10-13
I. Illustration of modern terrorism.
Where were you in September 11, 2001?
I was sitting at home when the news broke
of Terror in New York.
Then another picture flashed across
the screen, yet another plane slams
Into WTC #2, still not over the
Pentagon hit and a plane crashes in Pennsylvania
They said close to Camp David.
A lot of my friends could not believe
what was happening.
That particular afternoon as people
were discussing what had happened, disbelief
That something of this magnitude
could happen to us.
The airplane’s used as bombs killed
thousands of people immediately and injured several hundred others.
All of us had heard about the
notorious Osama Bin Laden and his terrorist gang,
But the threat of attack never
seemed real until that day.
From that point on, the security of
our nation has been changed forever.
Normal security was no longer good
enough.
II. Christians are involved in a silent
but deadly struggle.
A. Everybody faces typical struggles.
1) Tension within a family.
2) Problems with people at work.
3) Obnoxious neighbors.
a) Paul has been dealing with
these relationships.
b) He calls these struggles
against "flesh and blood."
B. Sometimes these struggles take on
a spiritual nature.
The town of Leadville, Colorado,
had a gold rush in 1877.
Prime property was snatched up all
over town by people eager
to
make a fortune.
Lots were so valuable people tried
to steal them by hook or crook.
Even the clergy had their
church properties jumped.
The Reverend Mr. T. A. Uzzell arrived in town, bought a lot and
started
the first church in the area.
A few days later he saw that a
group of strange men had unloaded
lumber
on his lot and were about to put up their own building.
The minister explained that he was
building a church there.
The strangers told him to fold
his church and fade away.
So the Reverend Mr. Uzzell took off his coat, rolled up his
sleeves
and waded into those who were trying to dispossess him.
The church was built.
C. Christians also face a harder
struggle.
1) People can be tough.
2) But there is an unseen,
spiritual warfare that is tougher.
3) Some are totally unaware of
it, others are overwhelmed by it.
III. The enemy we
face.
A. The existence of evil forces is
assumed in this passage.
1) No biography or origin of evil
or Satan is given.
2) Ephesus had much experience
with the occult.
a) Jewish exorcists rashly
used Jesus' name. Acts 19:13-17
b) Converts burned their
books of magic. Acts 19:18-20
3) If God has created a New
Society, Satan wants to destroy it.
a) Where the Church has taken
down barriers, he wants to
re-erect
them.
B. "Struggle/wrestle"
metaphor may refer to hand-to-hand combat.
1) Military imagery dominates the
end of Ephesians.
2) Transition from peaceful
family life to warfare is jarring.
3) Is also realistic. Christians are not escapists.
C. "Rulers, authorities,
powers..." 6:12
1) Popular theme in modern theology.
a) Liberals see in them human
institutions like gov't.
b) Nazism, racism, etc.
c) A form of "demythology."
2) Paul's thought cannot be
limited to this.
a) He sees evil as real and
personal and "in heavenly places."
b) Satan is not as powerful
as God, but he is just as real.
c) He is well organized, and
out to defeat God's kingdom.
IV. Our devil is too small if...
A. He is merely a personification.
1) To many, even God is an
afterthought.
2) Satan is more than a symbol.
a) Jesus believed in him.
b) Even our cultural has
hints of recognizing this.
The Academy award nominated movie
"Broadcast News" has a part
where the hero gives an
amazing description of what the
Devil is like.
He doesn't have horns and a
pointy tail. Instead, he is...
"Attractive, nice, and
helpful. ... But bit by little bit,
he'll
lower our standards where they're really important."
B. Satan is consigned to long-ago
times and faraway places.
1) Satan roams over the whole
earth. Job 1:7
2) Whole world is under his
power. Jn
12:31; 14:30; 1 Jn
5:19
C. We assume he leaves Christians
alone. 1 Pet 5:8
1) The Devil tried to tempt
Jesus.
2) He cannot steal your
salvation, but he can ruin your
spiritual
effectiveness.
D. We decide he is not capable of
performing miracles.
1) The Bible says he can. 2 Thess
2:9; Rev 13:13
2) Power of occult and New Age
may be genuine.
a) But not everything that
"works" is from God.
b) Judge the fruit.
E. We think we are smart enough,
quick enough, strong enough, or
holy
enough to resist him on our own.
1) Paul's two exhortations:
a) General: Be strong in the Lord. 6:10
b) Specific: Put on the whole armor of God. 6:11
2) Exhortations reveal balance of
Bible.
a) We cannot be so
self-confident we they we can gain
victory by
our own strength.
b) Neither can we be so self-distrustful that we think we
have nothing to contribute to the victory.
1> "Be
strong" equals "be strengthened" (passive present).
V. What area of your life is most open to
Satan's attack?
A. Insecurity and fears.
B. Temptations and addictions.
C. Spiritual laziness.
1) It is time to finally take
responsibility for our own
spiritual
maturity.
2) Most of us are undisciplined,
lazy, weak, and inexperienced.
If attacked, we would be
overwhelmed.
VI. What God has done to help you.
A. Jesus Christ has defeated the
power of the devil.
1) His death on the cross spelled
Satan's doom. 1 Cor 2:7-8
B. Satan is defeated, but not yet
destroyed.
1) God has power available to
gain the victory.
2) Moral turmoil of Romans 7 is
not last answer.
VII. What you
must do to win the victory.
- Accept Christ as Savior. Chick
here to Accept Jesus today;
B. Turn over every area of
your life to him.
1) The Ephesians burned their
occult books.
C. Resist temptation.
D. Develop your spiritual strength
through prayer and Scripture.
Feel Free To Pass This
Lesson Along To Someone You Think Would Benefit From It’s
Teaching
If This Lesson Was Forwarded
To You And You Would Lint To Be Included In Our Weekly Mailings Simply
Click The Following Link To Be Placed On Our Mailing List; mailto:lessons@asa-ministries.org?subject=add
me to the list
This message is in
compliance with U.S. Federal requirements for commercial email proposed in
bill S1618 Title III, Section 301, Paragraph (a) (2) (C) passed by the
105th U.S. Senate and cannot be considered SPAM since it includes a remove
mechanism.
To unsubscribe your
email address, put "REMOVE" in the subject line and mailto:Director@Asa-Ministries.Org?Subject=REMOVE
Send the email from the
same email account that received this message. We will remove you from our
list and you will not receive any more material from us. This is an
automated process so it is important to follow the instructions precisely
for the process to work correctly. Tampering with our email only hurts
other's chances of being properly removed
Contact
Information
Asa-Ministries International
614 W Maple
St
Deming, NM 88030
Main Number:
(575) 546-9742
Fax
Number: (575) 546-9742
|
