Fighting Back: The Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit Sue Bohlin October 15, 2002

Helmet of Salvation Protects the head (thought life) Assurance of salvation WhatWhat you think –The content of your beliefs about who you are as a Christian HowHow you think –How those beliefs apply to your life

WHAT YOU THINK I am a child of God Nothing can separate me from His love I am a new creature I am not stuck with ”It's just the way I am" I belong to Jesus I am a forever member of his forever family The enemy cannot crush me, touch me, or do anything to me without my Father's permission

WHAT YOU THINK Key verse: There is therefore NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

HOW YOU THINK Exercising Discernment about Halloween

HOW YOU THINK Halloween DON'Ts The Occult –Witches, warlocks, sorcerers and sorcery –Casting spells –Mediums –Magic –Ouija boards, crystal balls, tarot cards, and astrology –Satan/Beelzebub masks and costumes Darkness

HOW YOU THINK Death –Vampires, ghosts, goblins and gargoyles Fear –A feeling and a reality where Satan dwells. –Spooky things: cemeteries, haunted houses, and scary stories. –Gruesome things –Slasher movies and horror films

HOW YOU THINK Worldliness –Little girls dressing like female pop stars –Costumes of movie and TV characters that represent anti- biblical values are inappropriate for believers (and believers' children).

HOW YOU THINK Halloween Do's Halloween alternative event Child Evangelism Fellowship –Good News Clubs American Tract Society –( –The Halloween Rescue Kit –Make your own tract kit

HOW YOU THINK Halloween Do's Look for teachable moments to relate the things of Halloween to spiritual truth. –Fear is glorified at Halloween: Jesus promised to give peace in the face of fear –"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful" (John 14:27)

HOW YOU THINK Halloween Do's "God's no-no list" in Deuteronomy 18 –Identify those things when they see them advertised or used as decorations. –Identify all the Halloween items that strike fear in them –Stand against their power by saying out loud, "God has not given me a spirit of fear!" (2 Timothy 1:7) Pumpkin-carving object lesson

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT The spoken word of God Matthew 4 Fighting back! –Scriptures that stand against the lies and deceptions of the enemy –The name of Jesus –The blood of Jesus

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT "In every situation where you sense that you are under the attack of Satan or needing special protection, that is the time to plead the Blood. By so doing, you are reminding God that you are trusting in His mercy; you are reminding Satan that he cannot touch you as long as you are under the Blood; and you are reminding yourself of the ground of your confidence in Christ."

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT Kay Arthur's plan for dealing with immoral thoughts, nightmares, and suicidal thoughts

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT 1. Lord, this is demonic. I'm asking in Jesus' name and by His blood that you set me free. 2. I confess my sin, including open doors to the enemy through the occult. 3. I renounce these doors to Satan.

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT 4. I command the spirit of immorality to leave me alone in Jesus' name. 5. I claim the power of Jesus' blood that cleansed me from all sin and bought me forgiveness. 6. I ask the Holy Spirit to fill and control me.

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