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Spiritual warfare involves conflict with the devil and demons

But it also involves:

The World - Our External enemy

The Flesh - Our Internal enemy

The Devil - Our Infernal enemy

1. What is “the World”?

a. The Created world.

b. The world of People.

c. The Lives of humans Dominated by the power of evil.

2. What is “Worldliness”?

Christians are Supposed to be Different from non-Christians.

Worldliness has everything to do with our Heart Attitude and our Motives before a holy God.

3. Victory in Submission to God.

James 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

The Primary Witness to the reality and existence of Satan is not experience or accounts of his activities, but the Testimony of Scripture.

Satan is seen to have Personality, Intellect, Emotion, Will, Strategy:

a. To keep Non-believers from Believing.

b. To keep Believers powerless in sin.

1. Job.

The name Satan means Adversary.

In Job we see Satan works to Accuse and Tempt.

2. Daniel

In Daniel, Satan works to Spiritually Hinder him.

Satan is Not Stronger than God.

3. Temptation of Jesus.

He was tempted Physically, with Power & to Prove himself.

Temptation was to Deflect him from his Ministry & Purpose.

When he was tempted he used the Word of God in response.

4. Paul.

He tries to place Obstacles in front of his ministry.

The World, The Flesh, The Devil.

We are Not to Cower in the face of sin and Satan

The Victory has already been Won.

Areas God brings deliverance in when we Praise him:

1. Praise Facilitates Deliverance from Sin.

2. God Delivers from Spiritual Attack.

· When Satan Attacks, his primary Weapons are 3: Lies, Accusations and Intimidation.

· When you Praise and Recite who God is and what God does:

- You are immersing yourself in Truth.

- You are immersing yourself in the Comfort of God’s Character.

- You are reminding yourself of the Power of God.

3. God Delivers from Sickness.

· There is a correlation between Health and Praise.

a. Your state of Mind, has a lot to do with your Health and Recovery. Prov 17:22 Ps 22:15

b. Praise is an act of God Honouring Faith.

Praise Focuses us on God so that we can Hear his Voice.

Praise in faith, it puts us in a place of Reality.

4. God Delivers from a lack of Kingdom Workers.

· What keeps us plugged in for serving is Love for God.

5. God Delivers the Lost from Unbelief.

· There is something very Powerful, in an Atmosphere of praise, that speaks to the Unbelieving heart.

Five reasons why we should praise the Lord:

1. God Declares It.

2. God Deserves It.

3. God Delights In It.

4. God Dwells In It.

5. God Delivers In It.

· Praise prepares the way for God’s Deliverance.

i) Praise is an act of Faith that Honours God.

ii) Praise brings spiritual Insight.

iii) Satan Despises praise.

Areas God brings deliverance in when we Praise him:

1. Praise Facilitates Deliverance from Sin.

a. Praise brings Conviction through Contrast.

b. Doxology guards against Idolatry and Ideology.

c. Safeguard against Temptation by a Satisfied Heart.

If your life is Consumed with God there will be no room for a Substitute.

It was Vocal, Audible, and Active. It could be Heard or Seen.

1. God Declares It.

· We are Commanded to praise him.

2. God Deserves It.

· God is Worthy of our praise.

· He is Worthy because of who he is.

3. God Delights In It.

· Heaven is a place filled with Noise and Ongoing Praise.

· God Delights in Praise. God Enjoys it when we praise him.

· Where God Dwells, he likes praise as the Environment.

4. God Dwells In It.

· Praise places our Focus on God.

· We must Believe he is God.

· He Reveals himself where he is Honoured by faith.

Our Distinctive in worship is his Presence.

We gather to Speak To God.

We gather to let God Speak to us.

A brief definition for praise:

Praise is the activity of declaring God’s worth in the presence of others.

“thanksgiving” is a term used for private or silent giving thanks.

“praise” is reserved for giving honour to the Lord in public setting.

It was Vocal, Audible; it is Loud, and Active. It could be Heard or Seen.

1. God Declares It.

· We are Commanded to praise him.

Paul expected Timothy to Know his spiritual gifts.

Paul expected Timothy Not to Neglect his spiritual gifts.

Before we fan into flame the gifts given:

1. We need to meet 4 Prerequisites:

a. A Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ.

b. We need to Believe in Spiritual Gifts.

c. We must have a Willingness to Minister.

d. A Commitment to Prayer.

2. Fanning into Flame.

a. Understand the Difference between Spiritual Gifts and Christian Roles.

Be careful not to allow spiritual gifts to become an Excuse for us not to Perform Christian Roles.

b. Explore the Possibilities.

Read the Scripture Passages that talk about Spiritual Gifts.

c. Examine our Feelings.

d. Evaluate our Effectiveness.

e. Expect Confirmation from the Body.

The Confirmation of the body of Christ, and the Correction of the body of Christ, is a healthy thing:

The Principle of Consecration.

· There is no knowing the Will of God apart from a Deep, Personal and Serious commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord.

· Paul says I want you to Offer yourself as a Living Sacrifice, Willingly and Voluntarily.

· The basis of our Worship depends on how you and I are Relating to Christ.

The Principle of Biblical Self-Evaluation.

· When we see God and who He is this helps us put our life into Proper Perspective.

· Paul encourages us to think Rationally about Ourselves.

· Biblical Humility: I will Refrain from Comparing myself with other People, and I will Compare myself only to Jesus Christ.

The Principle of Discovering our Part in the Body.

· A human body has Many Parts.

· Certain parts in a body Function in Certain ways.

· As a church we are one body, but we have many parts.

- We all belong to the same body, but have Different Functions.

· Seek after God for how he has Gifted you to play your part in the body, to be a Blessing to His Church and have that Affirmed by the rest of the Body of Christ.

1. Are the Sign Gifts for today?

The Bible nowhere says that the gifts have passed.

2. Myths about the Sign Gifts.

a. That Every Christian Must speak in tongues.

b. My Experience Validates the Truth.

c. The Gift of Tongues Increases Faith.

d. Tongues are the sign of Being Filled with the Holy Spirit.

e. Tongues must Always be from God.

f. Tongues are Commanded.

g. Tongues are the most Important Gift for Christians to have.

3. What are the Purposes for the gift of Tongues?

a. The Primary use of Tongues in the NT was to be a Sign. In contrast to what the Corinthians were Practicing,

Paul makes the point that tongues were Not Meant as a sign for Believers.

Tongues are a sign to the Unbelieving.

b. Tongues as a Personal Prayer gift.

c. Tongues are for the Strengthening of the church.

That is done in prescribed conditions.

i. For the Strengthening of the church.

ii. Only to be used in a public time if Interpreters are present.

2 or 3 at the most.

One at a Time.

No interpreter present - Remain Quiet.

Tongues are Not Required for God to Bless a worship service.

All spiritual gifts are to be Exercised in Love and for the strengthening of the church.