HOW TO DEFEAT THE ENEMY

Group Agenda:

  1. Pray In
  2. Ask for Positive Testimonies
  3. Go over the lesson (Below)
  4. Ask everyone “what is one thing you learned today?”
  5. Give offering on the app
  6. Encourage P12 Leaders to meet with their group (and remind them to take attendance on Friday)
  7. Ask for prayer requests and pray out

HOW TO DEFEAT THE ENEMY

QUESTION: What are some of the tools or weapons that the enemy uses against us?

Revelations 12:11 (NLT) – And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.  And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.

1) THE BLOOD OF JESUS

We overcome all of the enemy’s tactics through the blood of Jesus.

It’s the blood of Jesus that sets us free.  The blood covers all of our guilt and removes the record of the wrongs we have committed.

We don’t defeat the enemy by declaring our own good deeds.  We defeat him by declaring the what Jesus did and HIS righteousness.

We could never be good enough or do enough to make up for our sins.  Only Jesus’ blood can do that for us.

QUESTION:  Why do you think the blood of Jesus can pay for our sins?

Jesus didn’t just die for our sin; He also lived a sinless life for us.  He doesn’t just enable us to die to sin; He also enables us to live a completely set apart from sin.

Sin is an open door to the enemy. It’s especially important to be careful about the words that we speak because sinful words will open doors to the enemy.

QUESTION: What kind of words do you think open up the door to the enemy?

Jesus gives us His sinless life in place of our sinful one.  His sinless blood makes it possible for us to close the door completely to the enemy.

2) THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS

Matthew 18:18 (NLT) -“I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

If you don’t know your authority in Christ, you are in trouble.  If we don’t forbid things on earth, Satan is just going to do whatever he wants.

QUESTION: Is there anything in your life that you think you should be forbidding?  Is there anything you think you’ve been holding back that you should be permitting?

We need to enforce the authority of the Lord!

1 Peter 5:8 (NLT) – Stay alert!  Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

A lion stalks its prey slowly before it pounces.  In the same way, our enemy the devil waits patiently for the right opportunity to strike.

Satan is waiting for the moments when we forget our authority, when we feel defenseless and he can overwhelm us with his attack.  He doesn’t want us to know and remember our legal rights and authority.

We must remember that our authority comes from God.  It is not from ourselves.  God’s authority will enable us to overcome every principality and power of darkness.

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV) – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

3) OUR TESTIMONY

QUESTION:  What does a testimony do?

The enemy also works hard to stop us from sharing our testimony.  He doesn’t want you sharing your story.

QUESTION:  What is one thing that has happened in your life that you think the enemy would want to keep you from sharing with others?

God can take the most embarrassing things from our past and completely turn them around.  He can take the shameful things and use them for His glory.

1 Corinthians 1:27 (NKJV) – But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

Every one of us is in process.  If you rush the process, you will stunt your own personal growth.

You have to appreciate where you’re at.  Don’t get too caught up with the future.

You are ready NOW for what God has called you to do NOW.

OFFERING – April 2020

Right now, as a church we are reaching more people than ever on any given Sunday!  Since going to online-only services, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of people who are connecting with us all week long.  This past Easter we had an unprecedented number of people tune in to our services – more than 24,000 people watched online!

Our goal is to continue to broaden our reach – to take our Hope Online services into even more homes and families!

Proverbs 11:25 (NLT) – The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

When we are generous, when we make the choice to see other people refreshed and encouraged, we ourselves will experience that same refreshment and encouragement from God.  Let’s give generously today!

How to Give:

1. Open the app and click give.
2. Change the fund to P12
3. Set up your tithe on recurring giving