Groups Discussion Guide
Read Scripture. Go Deeper. Ask Questions. Take Action.
The Truth About Your Enemy
Scripture
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. 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.
Main Idea
Christianity only makes sense if the supernatural is real, and behind every conflict and struggle stands a real spiritual enemy. The devil is a created, limited rebel, already judged and defeated, not God's equal. To understand this enemy, look at his start, his strategy, and how you take your stand:
- Their Start: demons are created, limited spirits who rebelled against God, never His equal.
- Their Strategy: he deceives in order to divide, and divides in order to destroy.
- Your Stand: you are not a victim but a victor, standing firm in the Lord's strength.
The enemy does not have to control you with a threat if he can convince you with a lie.
Discussion Questions
- Ephesians 6 says our fight is not against people but against spiritual powers of darkness. Where do you tend to blame people or circumstances for a struggle that may have a deeper root?
- The enemy's strategy is to deceive in order to divide, and to divide in order to destroy. Where have you felt pulled to isolate yourself from God's people, His Word, or His purpose lately?
- Pastor Justin said there are some things that do not leave your life because you pray about them, they only leave when you resist them. What is one thing God has told you to resist that you have been negotiating with instead?
- Standing firm comes from the Lord's strength, not your own, because of who you are in Christ. What would it look like this week to face a temptation or fear from your standing as a child of God?
Summary
Behind the conflicts and struggles of life stands a real spiritual enemy, and Christianity only makes sense if the supernatural is real. This enemy is a created, limited rebel who turned against God, so he is not God's equal. He has knowledge but is not all-knowing, power but is not all-powerful, and presence but is not everywhere at once. His strategy is deception, his primary and only weapon, because he was stripped of his power at the cross. He lies to divide us, isolating us from the truth of God's Word, the people of God, and our identity in Christ, and he divides in order to destroy.
The good news is that this enemy has already been judged and defeated through the cross, where Jesus not only paid our penalty but won the victory over every power of darkness. We do not need to fear his strategy or chase him down. We simply take our stand, and that stand rests on the Lord's strength, not our own, because we are children of God with His power inside us. Scripture shows the order clearly: give yourself to God first, then stand against the devil and he will flee. The step forward this week is simple, name any area of your life that is unsurrendered and give it fully to God.
Take Action
- This week, name one area of your life that is unsurrendered, and give it fully to God in prayer each morning before the day begins.
- Name one thing God has told you to resist that you have been negotiating with, and this week refuse it outright rather than praying it away.
- When a lie about your identity comes this week, write down what is true about who you are in Christ as a child of God.
