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Lesson 6
Recognizing the Enemy

"So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor.  Give all your worries and cares to God for He cares for you.  Stay alert!  Watch out for your great enemy, the devil.  He  prowls around like a roaring Lion, looking for someone to devour.  Stand firm against him and be strong in your faith.  Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.  In His kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus."  1 Pet.  5:6-10

 

     In order to win we must study the enemy's playbook and be aware of how he operates.  If we ignore the power that Satan can be given in our lives we will fall prey to his destruction.

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Here are a few things that the Bible tells us about Satan:

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2 Cor. 11:3  "cunning"

Acts 5:3   "able to fill your heart"

John 8:44  "murderer, liar, void of truth"

John 10:10  "thief"

Genesis 3:1-5  "more crafty than others"

Eph. 6 "He has schemes

2 Cor. 5:11  "He can outwit us if we are unaware of his schemes"

 

     When we first see the devil in the garden of Eden, we see the tactics Satan used to deceive Adam and Eve.

 

"Did God Really???????"

 

"You won't die"

 

"You will be like God"

 

Only 3 chapters into the Bible and we can learn two of the Devil's plays; Doubt and deception.

 

     I fiind it interesting that when Satan lies it is not grand.  Usually the lie is surrounded in much truth.  If we are not strong in our faith, as 1 Peter urges us to be, we can easily fall for his lies.

 

     Along with the lies, shrouded in truth, the Devil loves to cast doubt on our beliefs.  His words were,"Did God really say that?"  We, too can question what God says in His word and when we dwell on the doubts, it becomes easier to believe the deceptions.

OTHER PLAYS OF THE DEVIL

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1.)  Division - Creates arrogance and pride.  We are all to consider ourselves to be mere servants.  No one is better than another.  No ideas are superior to another.  We, who are in Christ, strive to be united.

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2.)  Comparison - This robs us of confidence and gratefulness.  All are given gifts by God to be used for His glory.  Constantly comparing ourselves to others develops in us a sense of pride or insecurity for there will always be those who can do more and those who can do less.

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3.) False Humility - We are to humble ourselves under the mighty power of God as was said in the 1 Peter text.  This is a pure knowledge of who we are in Christ.  We are loved and protected and valued by our creator.  And yet we are submissive to that benevolent God.

     Humility is not thinking less of yourself or thinking that others are better because of any number of things. This false thinking keeps us ineffective, depressed, and a terrible witness to a great God who heals and empowers His people.  

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4.) Selfishness - The Devil is great at appealing to our selfish nature.  It is so easy in our culture to start to feel entitled to many things.  "I am worth it!"  "I deserve a vacation!"  etc.  Sacrifice, which is one of the tenants of the Christian life is seen as a negative thing.  "I shouldn't do so much.  Others should be.........fill in the blank."   Giving in to the selfish nature will always bring dissatisfaction and a warped sense of what it means to be a Christ Follower.  A christian imitates Jesus and being selfish is very far from that.

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5.) Fear - The Devil loves to keep us in fear because fear demonstrates that we do not trust in our capable God.  Fear keeps us paralyzed and unable to be effective in the kingdom.  Love casts out all fear and God has showed us the greatest of loves in His creation and in His salvation for that faltering creation.

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     Whatever the tactic, you can be sure that Satan knows you very well.  He knows what will be the thing that tempts you to sin.  Identify those things and hold yourself accountable.

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     You can have victory because God knows you better.  He has given us the Holy Spirit and the body of Christ to be our helpers.  Developing habits that surround our minds in the Word of God and bring us into fellowship with His church will transform you to a person who laughs at the Devil's attempts to knock you down.  Developing a Biblical World view will allow us to see the spiritual battle that rages all around us.  "Get behind me, Satan" can be our battle cry and we can have confidence that when we resist the Devil, he will flee from us. (James 4:7) Jesus always wins.

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STUDY QUESTIONS

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1.) What are some ways Satan tries to attack you personally?

2.) What are some ways Satan tries to attack your family?

3.) What are some ways that you can shield yourself from those attacks?

4.) How have you been successful in fighting the devil's schemes?

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"I want to be the kind of woman that when I wake up in the morning, Satan says, "Oh crap, she's up!"

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Let's be a thorn in Satan's side and not easy prey!"

  

 

 

WOMEN’S ROLES

LESSON 2

GAINING UNDERSTANDING

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As a young christian I once attended a ladies rally. I was so impressed with the speaker that day and although I can not remember her name or where she was from, I clung to a phrase she used and it has been a blessing in my life for many years. She spoke of dealing with difficult people in her life and how God had worked through those situations. Her words weren’t earth shattering and you may say it was not that profound but it pierced me to the heart. She said, “When dealing with people we must always seek to gain understanding.” There are reasons why people act the way they do. Instead of labeling someone and judging quickly, seek to understand their lives, their hearts and your feelings often soften and change.

I have thought about that so often as the years go by and it has helped me in my relationships as I seek to know someone and love someone. In my youth it was easy to quickly make a determination about someone and not put any effort into understanding them.

As wives and mothers God has given us a unique role of helper, as we examined in the last lesson. He has also equipped women with certain qualities to cause them to excel in this role.

GENERAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN

Men are very compartmentalized. They tend to think of one thing at a time. God has designed men to be protectors, providers, and they are task oriented. Women, on the other hand can think of multiple things at the same time and are better at multi tasking. Women are designed to be nurturers and can feel deeply for others. God asks us to have our primary focus on managing the home while men’s primary role is leadership and provision.

Women tend to be better communicators when it comes to the emotions. While men can set tasks and accomplish them, it often doesn’t take into account the feelings surrounding the action.

Of course there are exceptions but as a general rule these things are true.

Because women are gifted with these tender qualities I believe that we can set the tone in our homes and be that safe place for our family. If we take the time to “gain understanding” with our husbands, and our children we can foster healthy relationships within the home.

The opposite is also true. When we lack understanding of each other there is no peace.

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We adopted our foster son after he had been with us for 4 years. He was 8 years old. He had been taken out of his home at 4 years old due to his mother’s lack of ability to care for him well. At the time the state did not impress upon us the importance of therapy, and the challenges of attachment under these circumstances. As I look back we were not prepared for the difficulties that were inevitably coming. We did not have understanding, nor were we encouraged to gain understanding.

At 18 he left home and I was devastated. He no longer called me mom and all I felt was hurt. I had given so much and this was the way he thanked me? Lack of understanding lead to no peace, and anger, and broken relationships.
We sought help from a counselor and she was able to shed light on our situation. She explained what was going on in our son’s mind and heart and I was able to understand. I could love deeper and patiently wait until he grew through his emotions.

I wish I had known. I wish I had been prepared. I wish I had gained understanding sooner. God has healed and restored our relationship and I will always be mom now. I praise Him for being the God of restoration. But the lack of understanding caused pain for years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are called to be helpers. We spoke about how we are to help as God helps. I also think that God can be our example also as we seek to understand.

Our God knows us intimately!

Psalm 139: 1-4 “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar...even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.”

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Nahum 1:7. “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, He knows those who take refuge in Him.”

He knows our daily routines. He understands our thoughts. He is aware of our needs. We are fully known and loved by our Heavenly Father.

We can seek understanding in the same way.

Prov. 3:13. “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding.”

Prov 16:16 “How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.”

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Matt. 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers for they should be called the children of God”

Hebrews 12:14 “Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”

Rom. 14:19. “So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”

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HAVING YOUR FINGER ON THE PULSE OF YOUR FAMILY

 

1.) Take the time to communicate with family members individually about their thoughts, desires, and struggles. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Show compassion and interest as they share. (This is more important than any household chore that needs to be done.)

 

2.) Find opportunities to grow as a couple. Attend events that focus on marriage. Read books together. Watch helpful podcasts.

 

3.) As you face behaviors that upset you seek to find out what is going on underneath. Don’t react right away before you pray and ponder what might be causing such behavior.

 

4.) Educate yourself with material that can enlighten you to the psychology of behavior. Our past experiences make us what we are. As we understand what may have contributed to our behavior it helps us find ways to change.

 

5.) Don’t be ashamed to admit we struggle. But don’t be closed to the fact that God can heal.

 

6.) Realize that it is a great calling to be the one who helps people understand. It is also a great burden. It takes sacrifice to put others first instead of just blaming and being angry. Selfishness will want to creep in and must be fought!

 

7.) It is exhausting sometimes. Have a trusted person in your life who can partner with you in prayer over your relationships.

 

8.) Remember that it is all worth it. It is worth every tear, every hard conversation, every feeling of rejection, every sleepless night to be the one who relentlessly seeks understanding, peace and love. There will be eternal blessings!

 

Galatians 6 : 7-10 “Do not be deceived; God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.”

 

Some suggestions for resources

How We Love.                                                                                                Milan and Kay Yerkovich
Laugh your way to a better Marriage The Grace Marriage                        Mark Gungor

The Grace Marriage                                                                                       Brad and Marilyn Rhoads

You and Me Forever                                                                                       Francis and Lisa Chan                                                         

 5 Love Languages                                                                                        Gary Chapman


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