Bible Study #13: Don’t Be Deceived
Look Out! As a Christian, You Have an Adversary!
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8
My adversary as a Christian is the _devil__.
Our adversary is known by different names: identify some of the
different names in the texts below:
Revelation 20:2 dragon, serpent of old, devil, satan
1 John 5:19 evil one
Matthew 13:39 enemy
1 Peter 5:8 your adversary, devil, roaring loin
The Primary Work of Your Adversary
So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Rev 12:9
The LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The
serpent deceived me, and I ate." Genesis 3:13
The primary work of your adversary is to _deceive_
the world, including __me__.
Read 2 John 7. What is the defining characteristic of your adversary
as a deceiver? The deceiver does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as taught in the Bible
What is your adversary’s domain, i.e., where is he able to work his
deception? Study Ephesians 2:2; John 12:31; John 14:30; 1 John 5:19. prince of the power of the air; ruler of this world; whole world lies in the power of the evil one
Study the following texts and discern the different ways the devil operates
to deceive you:
2 Corinthians 11:14-15 satan disguises himself as an angel of light and his servants disguise themselves as servants of rigtheousness
Acts 5:3 satan fills our hearts to lie to the Holy Spirit
Matthew 16:23 sets his interests not on the things of God but the things of men
Ephesians 4:26-27 devil uses our anger as opportunity against us
1 Timothy 3:7 snare of the devil
1 Thessalonians 2:18 satan thwarted the efforts of Paul
Zechariah 3:1 satan accused Joshua
1 Chronicles 21:1 satan stood up against Israel
2 Corinthians 2:11 satan seeks to take advantage of us with his schemes
1 Timothy 5:13-15 give the enemy an occasion for reproach - devil is an opportunist; some follow satan
Matthew 4:1 devil tempted Jesus
Your Defense Against Your Adversary
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4
He who is in you is ____Holy Spirit___, and is _____greater _______
than your adversary.
How do the following texts support the truth in 1 John 4:4?
James 2:19 demons believe there is one God and tremble/shudder; reason demons tremble is because God is greater
Romans 16:20 God promises to crush satan under our feet - God could not crush him unless God is greater
Jude 9 the Lord rebuke satan; God rebukes satan because God is greater
Since God is greater than the devil, does our adversary have the right to
attack us at anytime he chooses? Study the texts below for the answer.
Job 1:6-12 no, God had to take His protective hedge down from Job and give satan permission to attack Job
Luke 22:31 satan demanded permission to sift Peter like wheat
What was Jesus work of coming into the world and dying on the cross in
relationship to our adversary?
Hebrews 2:14-15 Jesus came into the world and became flesh to render the devil powerless
1 John 3:8 Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil
Luke 11:20-22 Jesus cast out satan by the finger of God and plunders all satan has
What must you do to make God your defense?
Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He
will draw near to you. James 4:7-8
_____Submit _____ to God, __ ____resist _____ the devil and
your adversary will ________flee ________ from you!
What is God’s promise to you in James 4:8? When I draw near to God, He promises to draw near to me
How does 1 Peter 5:8-9 confirm our defense against the devil above. We are to resist the devil and be firm in our faith - i.e., submit/draw near to God
How do you submit/draw near to God and resist the devil?
#1 Defense: The Whole Armor of God
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11
To stand against the tricks of the devil you should put on the
___whole armor of God__ ________.
Read and study Eph 6:11-18. Identify each piece of the armor of God
and how it could be used defensively against your adversary?
Truth: helps me overcome the deceptions and lies of the devil;
Breastplate of righteousness: prevents me from giving the devil an opportunity to attack me
Preparation of the Gospel of peace:
Shield of faith: enables me stand firm against the schemes, snares, and attacks of the devil
Helmet of salvation: the Holy Spirit who is greater than the devil indwells me
Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God: Scripture was Jesus last line of defense in the wilderness; when at His weakest point He used the Scripture to stand firm against the attacks of the devil
(NOTE: understand how each of these will help you stand firm against the enemy; apply these truths to your daily lives; the Bible, Scripture, is our last line of defense when under attack by the adversary.)
#2 Defense: The Way of Escape
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who
will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
God will always provide a way of ___ _escape ________ when
you are ____tempted _______ by your adversary.
How will you recognize God’s escape route? Be sensitive, yield, listen to the Holy Spirit who will guide you in all truth (John 16:13); tests the spirits (1 John 4:1-3) to make sure the spirit influencing you is the Holy Spirit; then follow the Holy Spirit as He guides you - Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world
#3 Defense: Prayer
Pray then in this way . . . And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9, 13
____Pray ________ to God to be delivered from the ____evil one ____
(NOTE: the Bible teaches us to defend ourselves against the devil, Christ has already defeated the devil, therefore we do not need to go on the offensive. As long as we stay close to Christ and God, resist the devil, he will flee from us. the illustration of bully. Bully never attacks when big brother/father are present. Also see Jude 9 - the angels don’t attack satan, they depend on the Lord!)
Understanding the Adversary’s Role in Human Conflict
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:11-13
We do not wrestle against ________flesh and blood_______ but against
__satanic/demonic powers_________.
When you are in conflict with another person, what is root cause of that
conflict? The demonic powers which are influencing that person (NOTE: the person allowed/permitted/chose to allow the demonic to influence them, but our ultimate adversary is not the person (flesh and blood) but the demonic
How should this understanding cause you to feel towards the person with
which you are in conflict? We should not focus/accuse/blame/feel anger or resentment towards the person but rather focus on and resist with the demonic spirit influencing the person; also we should understand that the person who has chosen to yield to the influence of the demonic needs our prayers, mercy, and compassion. (NOTE: our conflict and struggles with other people is not with the person but with the satanic influence in their lives. An example of this is Jesus rebuke of Peter in Matthew 16:23)
How the Devil Works in the Lives of the Lost
Read the following texts and determine how the devil works in the lives of
the lost:
John 8:44-45 the devil is the father of all lost people, he does not stand in the truth and is the father of lies
Mark 4:14-15 Satan seeks to steal away the Truth of the Gospel from the hearts of lost people
2 Timothy 2:26 captured in the snare of the devil and held captive to do his will
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 blinded the minds of the lost so they will not see the light of the Gospel
The Ultimate Destiny of Ole Sneaky Snake, the Devil
Read Matthew 25:41 and Revelation 20:1-2, 7-10 and identify the final
destiny of the devil and all his demons. The devil must depart from the presence of the Lord and will be cast into eternal fire, the lake of fire, to be tormented forever - the devil will experience eternal destruction
Bible Study Assignment
Study Mark 5:1-20 to determine as much as you can about the
devil/demonic and the demons’ relationship with Jesus.
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The following are the major points concerning the devil/demonic and their relationship with Jesus:
vv2-4 - no human is able in their own power and ability to subdue - stop - prevent the influence of the demonic
vv5 - the influence of the demonic is destructive in our lives
vv6-7 - #1 - the demonic powers submit to the Lordship of Jesus - they ran and bowed down - this act of worship was motivated by fear (vv7 don’t torment me before the time); #2 - the demonic knows who Jesus is - they recognize Him as God and Lord - Son of the Most High God!; #3 - the demonic has no part in Jesus nor His kingdom -“what have I to do with You”; #4 - the demonic knows they are already defeated and God’s plan for their ultimate destiny - “don’t torment me before the time;
vv8 - Jesus has complete control and command of the demonic powers
vv10-13 - the demonic powers need Jesus’ permission to carry on their work of deception and destruction in the world - vv10 - “they entreated Him”; vv13, “ and He gave them permission”
vv13 - the demonic powers are always seeking ways to discredit and destroy the works of the Jesus (NOTE: the demons wanted to go into the swine so they could destroy them and cause the people of the nearby town to reject the miraculous works of the Jesus in freeing the man from the demonic influences)
vv14-18 - when Jesus exercises His power and Lordship over the demonic powers people have two options to react to His demonstration of power and Lordship: #1 - be deceived by the influence of the demonic and reject Jesus (vv17) choosing to not allow Jesus to have any part in their lives; OR #2 - accept Jesus’ Lordship and seek to follow Jesus (vv18)
vv19-20 - Jesus wants those who accept His Lordship and seek to follow Him to tell all the people what great things He has done for them