1. Understanding Spiritual Warfare  |  03/02/25

1.  Think of a personal experience you’ve had of Spiritual Warfare.  Share your experience with the group, and how you knew it was a spiritual attack.    

2.  Read 2 Kings 6:8-17.  It’s easy to be so focused on the challenges of life that we forget the unseen spiritual reality, but there’s more to our world than meets the eye.  Reflect on areas in your life where you may be feeling overwhelmed.  How might a greater awareness of the spiritual realm—of God’s presence and power in those situations—make a difference to how you respond to those things?

3.  Read Colossians 1:13, and John 10:10.  Who is the spiritual Battle actually between?

     a)  How do God and Satan’s goals and objectives differ?  

     b)  It’s easy to think of God and Satan as two equal adversaries (Dualism) fighting over humanity.  What biblical evidence is there that the spiritual battle is not a case of dualism?

4.  Read Ephesians 6:11-13.  What does the Bible say the role of the believer is in the Battle?

     a)  How great is your awareness of the spiritual battle on a daily basis?  Why?

     b)  What can you do to increase your daily awareness of the battle and ensure you are wisely making the most of every opportunity to contribute to the spiritual battle?

5.  Read John 8:42-47.  Satan, described as the father of lies, constantly seeks to distort truth and lead us astray, through blatant falsehoods and subtle twisting of God's Word.  Are there beliefs you hold or behaviors you engage in that don't align with God's truth?  

     a)  How does understanding that lying and gossip are "satanic" change your perspective on these behaviors?

     b)  How can you deepen your understanding and application of God's Word in your daily life?

6.  Read Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23.  As you reflect on this parable, consider which type of soil best represents your heart right now.  Are you allowing worries, riches, or pleasures of this world to choke out God's Word, or are you cultivating a receptive heart that allows His truth to take deep root and produce abundant fruit?  

     a)  How can you best respond to the spiritual battle actively being fought over you?

     b)  This parable emphasizes that spiritual warfare is primarily about the battle for people's souls.  How does this change your view of evangelism and discipleship? 

2. How to fight Spiritual Warfare  |  03/09/25

1.  Think of a time where you faced spiritual attack in the past.  How did you respond to this?

2.  What does it mean to be “attuned” to the spiritual forces around us? 

3.  Read Ephesians 6:10-20.  What kind of attitude should we have toward spiritual attack?

4.  What kind of armor is described in Ephesians 6:10-20?  

     a)  How is this armor both similar and different to the armor described in Isaiah 59, Isaiah 11, and 1 Thessalonians 5:8-9?

5.  The armor in Ephesians 6 lists several godly characteristics we are supposed to model ourselves.  What are some examples of how these characteristics might take shape in our daily lives?

6.  How does knowing our identity in Christ and the truth of who Jesus is help us become successful in fighting against the enemy? 

7.  How are you being alert and attentive in your prayer life? 

8.  What are some ways we can be praying for our church, community, and one another as it relates to the spiritual world?

3. The Battlefield of the Mind |  03/16/25

1.  Discuss the subliminal messaging in the world around us and how you have felt influenced by it.

2.  Ephesians 6:11-13 says: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”   Discuss the implications of fallen angels being spiritual forces around us and how this gives them an insight into places where we are open to temptation.

3.  Read 1 John 5:4-5 and Hebrews 11:6.  Why does Satan want to destroy our faith? 

4.  Read Hebrews 11 and define faith.  What faith choices are you facing right now?

5.  Study these passages to answer the question: Can Satan Control Our Mind?  Ephesians 2:2, John 13:2, 2 Corinthians 11:3. How is it different for non-Christians than Christians?

6.  Now look at these New Testament examples: Luke 22:31-32, Simon Peter; Acts 5:3, Ananias and Saphira; 1 Corinthians 7:5, married believers; 1 Timothy 3:6-7, leaders in the church; Ephesians 4:26–27, Ephesian believers.  How does Satan get a foothold in our lives as Christians?

7.  How can you replace old human mindsets, with new faith mindsets? 

     a)  In what area do you feel this need the most? 

     b)  What verse would be a good one to memorize to help you with this? 

     c)  Share with the group or split into prayer partners and pray about this together.

4. Our Three Enemies: #1 Satan |  03/23/25

1.  Read 1 Peter 5:8-9.  What would you say to someone who questions the reality of Satan because they don’t see evidence of his presence or attack in their life?  

2.  Read Ephesians 4:26-28, 1 Timothy 5:14 and 1 Corinthians 7:3-5.  What are the specific situations mentioned in these verses where Satan attacks us?  

     a)  What are other ordinary everyday situations that Satan uses to attack us?  

     b)  Why are we often blind to the fact that Satan attacks us in the mundane everyday areas of life?   

3.  Read 1 Timothy 4:1-3 and 2 Corinthians 11:14-15.  Share examples of teachings you’ve heard or read that you considered to be false teachings.  

     a)  How could demons have been the source or origin of these teachings? 

     b)  How can we discern false teachings, and make sure that we do not fall for them? 

4.  Read Job 1:13-18, Luke 13:16 and 2 Corinthians 12:7.  What do these verses indicate about the extent of Satan’s power?

     a)  What difference does it make when we understand that Satan is just an angel with limited knowledge and power and is unable to be in more than one place at once?  

     b) What difference should Job 1:12 and Job 2:6 make to us and our approach to spiritual warfare?   

5.  Read 1 Peter 5:8-9.  How can we resist Satan? 

     a)  Why should believers not be afraid of Satan?

5. Our Three Enemies: #2 Our Sinful Nature |  03/30/25

1.  Read Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:10-18 and 1 John 1:8-9 (see also Genesis 6:6, 8:21).  Why do we find it hard to admit that we are completely sinful?  

     a)  How does the world try to explain the sinful nature, and how does it try to handle it?   

2.  Read Romans 7:14-19 and Galatians 5:16-17.  Why do Christian’s still struggle with their sinful nature?  

     a)  Which part of Paul’s struggle do you most identify with: the inability to good, or the inability to stop doing wrong?  Why?

3.  Read James 4:4-8 (note how all three spiritual enemies are referred to in these 5 verses).  How can pride lead us to become opposed to God—to become categorized with the World and Satan as an enemy of God?  

     a)  What are some practical steps we can take to become more 'God-conscious' rather than 'self-conscious' in our daily lives?

4.  Read 2 Timothy 3:2-5.  What things do Christians do to appear godly even though they’re denying God’s authority in their life (not living in a submissive relationship with Him)?  

     a)  In what areas of your life do you find yourself struggling to submit to God's authority, and why?

     b)  What is something you might be doing to look like you’re obeying God in an area of your life where you’re actually rejecting His authority and leadership? 

5.  Read James 1:14-15.  Why do we blame other people for our sin and avoid taking responsibility for it? 

6.  Read James 5:16 and 1 John 1:8-9.  Only God can forgive sin, so what’s the point of confessing our sin to each other?  

     a)  How does confession within a church community help us overcome our sinful nature and fight the Spiritual Battle?

7.  Read Romans 1:17 and Galatians 2:20.  We're not just saved by faith, we're called to live by faith.  What does this mean to you practically?

     a)  In what ways can we practically 'feed our spirit' and 'starve our sinful nature' in our daily routines?

6. Our Three Enemies: #3 The World  |  4/13/25

1.  Read James 4:4 and 1 John 2:15.  What is the World that we’re being warned about here?  

     a)  God made the world (Acts 17:24) and God loves the world (John 3:16), so what does John mean when he says not to love the world?  

     b)  The words translated ‘friendship’ and ‘friend’ in James 4 literally mean ‘to be fond of’.  In what specific ways are you ‘fond of the world’?     

     c)  What things of the world are you fond of more than you’re fond of Jesus?

2.  Read 1 John 2:15-17.  How does the world promote and appeal to your sinful cravings? 

     a)  How does the world visually appeal to the lust of your eyes personally?

     b)  In what specific ways does the ‘peer pressure’ of the world encourage your selfish pride?

     c)  What worldly things do you do or use that seem okay but are actually spiritual harmful and hinder your ability to fight the spiritual battle?

3.  Read Romans 12:1-2.  What is ‘the pattern of the world’?  How would you describe it?

     a)  How do you conform to the pattern of the world?

     b). How might your ability to fight the spiritual battle be being affected by your fondness for the world—or your conforming to it? 

     c)  What specific things can you do to resist being conformed to the pattern of the world, and renew your mind instead?