Stand
April 23, 2023
“Stand”
Ephesians 6:10-20
Take-Home Truth: Standing is our strategy when experiencing spiritual warfare.
Christ-Connection: Spiritual warfare is a reality we will experience as we follow Christ.
Hook: (Ice-breaker question. Get the group talking!)
1. Share personal experiences when it was difficult to stand.
Engage: (Observe the passage and engage with the text)
2. Read Ephesians 6:10-20. What battle words and phrases in this verse show us that we are actually in a battle. Observe Paul’s use of the word “stand.”
3. Read the following texts and share how Jesus Himself gave witness to evil in the world.
- Matthew 6:13
- Mark 1:12, 13
4. Read Ephesians 2:1-6 and discuss why Satan attacks believers.
Reflect: (Reflect upon the key take-aways from the sermon)
5. Richard defined spiritual warfare as “the continual effort of evil intelligent demonic beings to so damage a Christian’s hope that he abandons the call to love and serve Christ.” Discuss the reality and implications of each part of this definition.
6. Richard shared “the pain we experience is not random, it is the result of a dark, evil, spiritual beings seeking to destabilize, cripple the beauty of a believer’s life” seeking to applaud God, follow Christ, and live on mission. How does this change your perspective on painful experiences?
Respond: (Apply the truths of God’s Word to your heart, affections, and actions – who’s your one question)
7. The strategy Richard shared is to stand. What are some practical ways you can stand firm when you are faced with spiritual warfare.
8. What has been your battle experience reaching out to your ONE?