The Battle Against the Enemy

This morning I studied the battle against the Enemy. We need to learn to recognize the enemy, Decide whose side we're on, and then take action with Christ's weapons to defeat the enemy. The following is a guideline to my study. I haven't written a summary yet. Take a look at the verses though!

Recognize Your Enemy
• “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12
• “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1st Peter 5:8

The Battle
• “Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4
• “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” John 3:21
• “Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them. And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:16, 17
• “He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” Luke 10: 18, 19
• “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2nd Corinthians 4:18
• “When an evil[a] spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.” Luke 11:24-26
• “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” Matthew 12:30
• “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” 1 John 4:4-6
• “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom[a] also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,” 1 Peter 3:18-20

Decide Whose Side You’re On
• “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6:24
• “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” Matthew 12:30
• “Hate evil, love good;
maintain justice in the courts.
Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy
on the remnant of Joseph.” Amos 5:15
• “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16

Turn Your Weapons Against the Enemy
• “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.” Matthew 12:29
• “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 2nd Corinthians 10:4
• “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Philippians 6:13-18

Quotable Quotes:
Check out the screwtape letters, “Interfere when people start to pray…real prayer is lethal to our cause.”
“Prayer isn’t to persuade or influence God, but to join with Him against the enemy.” –Michael W. Smith, “It’s Time To Be Bold”, p.119.
“There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counter-claimed by Satan.” –C. S. Lewis, “Christianity and Culture,” Christian Reflections, p. 33