A Caring Community With a Global Vision to develop every person into a fully devoted follower of Christ
 

A BATTLE WORTH FIGHTING

September 24, 2006 - Rev. Rurel Ausley; Rev. Greg McKinnon

Eph. 6:10-13

  1. Do you know someone who used to be closer to the Lord than they are now? What about you? Can you look back to a time when you were closer to the Lord than you are now? Why is that? Why is it that a person comes to the Lord with enthusiasm, is born again, lives for the Lord in obvious ways, but in several months, a year or years, finds himself/herself backsliding away—uninterested in obedience, lukewarm about the Lord, and sporadic in his/her commitment to the Body, their Christian family?
  2. Read Eph. 6:10-18. What do you learn from these verses that gives you clues about the above questions? Why is living the Christian life not automatic after conversion? Why can’t we live the Christian life in the same way that we lived our non-Christian life? What do these verses have to say about how tough the Christian life is? Did anyone tell you it was going to be easy? What kind of battle are Christians in? How must it be fought?
  3. Let’s look first at our enemy. (Vs.11-13) When did you first realize that when you became a Christian you were taken off the sidelines and placed right in the middle of the most vicious, heartless, out-for-blood war in the universe? Though we are in a new battle, it is worth it because we have been given so much in return! What do you learn in these verses about the power of our enemy? (Also 1 Pet. 5:8.) How vicious is this enemy? How would you describe the devil’s "schemes"? (Eph. 6:11) Why is deceit so absolutely necessary for his schemes to work?
  4. Next, let’s look at ourselves. What happens when we think we don’t need any help? (Prov. 16:18; Mark 14:38; 1 Cor. 10:12) What happened to Adam and Eve under the best of circumstances? (Gen. 2-3) What happened to many of the Old Testament saints, the patriarchs, the godly kings and prophets? How did they all fall short? Why is it so important to realize our own weakness? Who should we not depend on? Who should we depend on?
  5. Lastly, let’s look at the Lord. (Eph. 6:10) What is the only way that we can stand against the devil’s schemes? What is the only source of power that we can rely upon to be able to stand? What does it mean to "be strong in the Lord"? How can we make practical use of his power?