Lesson 1 - Outline
| I. | God’s Word reveals that we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but demonic powers:
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. | |
| A. | Our fight isn’t against people, but the spiritual forces influencing them. | |
| B. | However, most of us simply don’t recognize the role that the spirit realm plays in our daily lives. | |
| C. | This issue people make about whether someone is possessed, oppressed, or simply depressed isn’t in Scripture. | |
| D. | The truth is that people all around the world today are being influenced, controlled, and used—to whatever degree—by the devil. | |
| E. | We just tend to look at things as being normal and natural, so we miss the fact that the origin of many things that happen in our day—things that tick us off and come against us—is spiritual. | |
| II. | If you were to adopt the biblical mindset, it would make a huge difference in the way you respond. | |
| A. | You’d recognize that it’s not your neighbor, your spouse, or your circumstances that are really what’s coming against you. | |
| B. | They can be influenced, inspired, and used of Satan, but they really aren’t the source. | |
| C. | When you genuinely understand that this isn’t a physical battle, it changes the way you respond. | |
| III. | Jesus recognized when the devil was trying to get to Him through a person:
He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. | |
| A. | The Lord recognized that Satan was speaking through Peter. | |
| B. | So even though Peter had just spoken forth a glorious revelation by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 16:16), Christ knew that the inspiration for Peter’s rebuke of Him (Matt. 16:22) was from hell. | |
| C. | You just need to recognize that Satan—as well as God—can speak through and use the people in your life. | |
| D. | Like Jesus, you need to discern whose voice is coming through. | |
| IV. | We are in a spiritual battle! | |
| A. | However, most of the time, people don’t recognize it. | |
| B. | They’re just looking at things from a natural, human perspective. | |
| C. | They factor God, the devil, and the whole supernatural realm right out of the equation. | |
| D. | The average person doesn’t realize the spiritual dynamics taking place. | |
| E. | There’s a real Enemy out there that we must learn to deal with. | |
| V. | Like it or not, there’s a spiritual battle raging right now for your heart and mind. | |
| A. | What you think in your heart is the way that you’ll be (Prov. 23:7). | |
| B. | Your thoughts become what you say and do, with your actions being the greatest expression of your authority. | |
| C. | Therefore, you’ll be influenced, dominated, and ruled by whomever you yield yourself to—God or Satan (Rom. 6:16). | |
