H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy The Great Battle For The Soul

H H H H Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy The Great Battle For The Soul

H H H H Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Identifying The Enemy This enemy is portrayed in different ways in the N.T. Based on different words in various passages This allows us the opportunity to fully understand his nature, how he can affect us in the battle

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Identifying The Enemy Sin is… … sin Ù to miss the mark, target cp. Rom 3:9 Jas 4:17 … lawlessness Ù to act as if there is no law cp. 1 Jn 3:4 Mt 23:27-28 Acts 2:22-23

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Identifying The Enemy Sin is… … transgression Ù to overstep, violate; to trespass; the failure to recognize & accept Divinely established boundaries cp. 2 Jn 9 1 Tim 2:14

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Engaging The Enemy Based on this “better” understanding, we can focus on the “nature” of the battle Described in Eph 6:12 Re: today’s “wars” or “battles”… They rely on massive build ups of bombs, warplanes, & warships…technology is key

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Engaging The Enemy Re: today’s “wars” or “battles”… Such campaigns fought on “grand scale”… individual soldiers can often get overlooked This type of “strategy” is completely foreign to the Biblical concept of battle Especially the “battle” we’re discussing

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Engaging The Enemy Re: the “Battle For The Soul”… Eph 6:12 We do not battle “flesh & blood” We are engaging evil “spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” Not fighting human kings, generals, mad men Adversaries possess frightening powers cp. Heb 2:15

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Engaging The Enemy Re: the “Battle For The Soul”… Eph 6:12 The real nature of the battle is described We “wrestle” or “struggle” in this conflict The fighting is not nation vs. nation or even army vs. army…it is individual “hand-to-hand” combat Term literally means “to vibrate, shake”

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Engaging The Enemy Re: the “Battle For The Soul”… Eph 6:12 The real nature of the battle is described In ancient Greek-style wrestling, combatants attempted to “throw down” opponents and keep them down with hands on the neck Quite often, the loser was either slaughtered or had his eyes gouged out

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Engaging The Enemy Re: the “Battle For The Soul”… Eph 6:12 The real nature of the battle is described Can we not imagine the desperation with which the combatants “wrestled” or “struggled”? Can we not see the importance of not being the loser in such a battle?

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Engaging The Enemy Re: the “Battle For The Soul”… Eph 6:12 The real nature of the battle is described We have an adversary who “wrestles” us God admits a truth many of us seldom do… the strength of sin cp. Gen 4:6-7 1 Pet 5:8 Something powerful had to happen to negate the strength of Satan, sin Heb 2:14-15, 17

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Engaging The Enemy Re: the “Battle For The Soul”… Eph 6:12 The real nature of the battle is described Satan, the temptations to sin he uses, desires to “throw us down” and destroy us…denying us access to God Can we not see the desperation of such a fight?

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Conclusion Can you or I be indifferent to this fight… adopt the mindset of “conflict avoidance?” All of us are in for the fight of our very lives…our eternal lives Satan won’t leave us alone…he will not forfeit We can’t forfeit either, let our guard down

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Conclusion We’re not discussing athletic contests We’re definitely not considering T-ball games…no losers, everyone wins Satan plays for blood…he is determined to win and for you to lose Heaven & Hell are hanging in the balance

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy Conclusion We may respond out of fear “How can we defeat such a powerful enemy?” Thankfully, God has already decided the outcome 1 Cor 15:51-57 Yet, we still must engage the enemy & defeat him Eph 6:10-13

H H H H The Great Battle For The Soul Identifying & Defeating Sin As An Enemy Lesson #1 Ù Knowing The Enemy