Spiritual Warefare and The Armor of God: Session 7

 The shield of faith Ephesians 6:16 - In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; "For the Christian, the shield for battle is faith. In fact, faith is the key to all spiritual armor. And God gave faith to us to deflect the fiery darts of Satan-darts that have but one purpose, and that is to produce ___________, ___________ of mind, ________________ of spirit, and ______________ in relationships, in work, or in yourself." (David Jeremiah, The Spiritual Warfare Answer Book) John 16:33 - I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have _______________. But take heart; I have ________________ the world." Faith - - ________________- ________________ - _________________ - Proverbs 3:5-8 - "Faith, in the sense in which I am here using the word, is the art of _____________ to things your reason has once ____________, in spite of your changing moods...one must _________ the habit of faith." (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity) Hebrews 11:1 - . Hebrews 11:6 - Hebrews 12:1-2 - - - - How we take up the shield of faith "Our faith is not in faith itself. And the value of our faith is entirely dependent on the _______________ of our faith. Our faith is in the _____________ and His _____________." (David Jeremiah, The Spiritual Warfare Answer Book) Genesis 15:1 - Psalm 3:3 - (see also Psalm 59:11, Psalm 18:35) Take Refuge "To seek refuge" stresses the ______________ and __________________ of even the strongest of men. It emphasizes the defensive or external aspect of salvation in God, the unchanging one in whom we "find shelter" (F. D. Kidner) Psalm 91:4 - Psalm 18:2 - (see also Psalm 18:3, Psalm 144:2, Proverbs 30:5) Trust - Psalm 28:7 - Psalm 115:9-11 - Wait for the Lord - Psalm 33:20 - Walk uprightly - Psalm 84:11 - Proverbs 2:7 - Hope in His Word Psalm 119:114 - God has given us everything we need to live a God-honoring life: the whole curriculum and all the notes. And we ___________ by taking what we know from the Word of God and _________________________. Step by step, we put together a life of _____________ to the Word of God. That is what makes us strong and enables us to stand against the wiles of the enemy. (David Jeremiah, The Spiritual Warfare Answer Book) Lord, thank You that You have given me faith and have grown my faith in Your Word. I don't have faith in my own faith, as if I have accomplished anything myself, but I have faith in You and Your faithfulness to me, which is a shield from the enemy's arrows. Just as You were Abraham's shield and David's shield, You are mine as well. Thank You that even if my faith is shaky one day, Your faithfulness never is. "O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!" (Psalm 84:12). Help me to remember Your faithfulness at all times. You, Lord, are "my strength and my shield"; my heart trusts in You "and I am helped" (Psalm 28:7). Enable me to take up the shield of faith as constant protection from the enemy. My soul waits for You, Lord, my help and my shield (Psalm 33:20). In Jesus' name I pray. (Stormie Omartian, 7 Day Prayer Warrior Experience) Taking ACTion Against The Enemy by Ruth Myers The spiritual battlefield is within us, in our minds and hearts. Years ago, a friend shared with us an approach that helps win inner battles, whether they come as subtle temptations or traumatic struggles. He based his plan on 2 Cor. 10:3-5, where Paul speaks of "taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." You can remember this plan through an acrostic, ACT. ACT gives you an on-the-spot way to take up your shield of faith and your mighty sword-your main weapons when you're in the thick of the battle. Here's the approach in a nutshell: Acknowledge what you are thinking that gives Satan an advantage, that fits in with his purposes; acknowledge also the feelings that come with these thoughts. To cast something down, we must first acknowledge it's there. Confess sin if you have welcomed and fed these thoughts. As time permits, pour out your heart to the Lord, letting Him in on what you feel (Ps. 62:8). Choose against these false, negative, or impure thoughts. And choose not to drain your inner strength by nurturing the disruptive feelings that accompany these thoughts. Make this a decisive choice. Shout it to yourself if necessary: "This is not the way I'm going to think." Think the truth, with thanksgiving. This brings your thoughts under Christ's authority. Have in mind ahead of time a specific truth, a specific Scripture, that will work for each battle that is common in your life. If the false or troubling thought has played over and over in your mind, like a broken record, you may need to create a new thought pattern by thinking the truth over and over. Truth is a powerful sword, a light that dispels darkness. Thanksgiving and praise help release the power of truth within you and devastate the enemy's purposes. Some years ago Warren and I were on a two-month ministry trip in India. Early one morning I woke up overwhelmed by anxiety about a friend and co-laborer (I'll call her Joan) who was facing intense discouragement. Behind my anxiety lurked the thought, Joan's battle depends on me, and there's little I can do. I'm afraid this situation will disable her in a serious way. I knew my anxiety was from Satan or his ally within me-indwelling sin-and that I couldn't afford to let it drain my energy as the hours went by. So, I decided to ACT. I acknowledged my anxiety to the Lord and chose not to let it dominate me. The truth the Lord used to dispel it was from Is. 42:4 and Is. 42:13, "He will not fail or be discouraged . . . He will prevail." I began to think this truth, thanking and praising the Lord for it. Taking up the shield of faith and using the Spirit's sword won the battle in my own life and helped me pray with confidence for Joan. - Discipleship Journal, issue 81 SPIRITUAL WARFARE AND THE ARMOR OF GOD SESSION 6: OCTOBER 13, 2021 2 | Page