Read James 4:7. What clear promise is given to the one who stands against the devil? How does one stand against a force so much more powerful than we are, in and of ourselves? See also Deut. 4:4. The Christian is not a helpless victim, at the mercy of the devil (can you see here, too, why it’s … Continue reading –>
Facebook now lets you label all your friends and place them in categories. I can label them, family, close friends, just friends and even acquaintances, if I don’t think they quite measure up to friend. You have more control and power over your Facebook world than you do the real world. On Facebook you can … Continue reading –>
Not only is the stage set for the possibility of the Christian’s victory over evil forces, the Bible explicitly gives us the hope of victory over them. Study Romans 8:26-39. What point is Paul trying to make here? What reasons does Paul give for the Christian to look confidently to the future? Look at all the … Continue reading –>
The Christian would have no hope of victory over the forces of evil unless the stage was set for it. In last week’s study it became clear that Christ, through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave, gained victory over all sorts of evil and anti-godly “powers.” In a very real … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Eph. 1:18-22, Rom. 8:26-39, James 4:7, 1 Pet. 5:6-10,Luke 10:1-20, Acts 5:12-16. Memory Text: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37, NKJV). Key Thought: In Christ, we have victory over all forces that would oppress us. In some parts of the world, religion is basically a source of … Continue reading –>
Read Ellen G. White, The Book of Books, p. 136, in Fundamentals of Christian Education; Spiritualism, pp. 394, 395, in The Story of Redemption; Agency of Evil Spirits, pp. 511-517, in The Great Controversy. “A battle unseen by human eyes is being waged. The army of the Lord is on the ground, seeking to save souls. Satan and his host are … Continue reading –>
A boy stood on the bank of a lake tossing bread crumbs into the water. Small minnows and larger fish came to the surface to grab the crumbs. I thought of Ecclesiastes 11:1 which says, “Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again” (NIV). The Church’s radio and television ministries … Continue reading –>
“He also said, ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel … Continue reading –>
[Thought Questions for Growing in Christ October 31, 2012] 1. Our victory. It’s not automatic, or is it? Since God has enough love to save everyone in the universe, why doesn’t He? If there was no devil alive to tempt us, to glorify sin, could we be good enough to be saved? Isn’t it the … Continue reading –>
Christ came into the world for the purpose of destroying the works of the devil (Heb. 2:14). This, He has done at the cross. But if Christ has been victorious over the devil and principalities and powers, why are we still wrestling with principalities and powers? Why is the devil still able to roam about like … Continue reading –>
As we saw, the word translated as principalities could refer to world rulers or supernatural powers that attempt to exercise control over human life. Another Greek word that is used in conjunction with the word principalities (archai) is the word stoicheia, which literally means elements, or elementary substances or principle. The contexts in which stoicheia is used reveal other aspects … Continue reading –>
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11 Many of us became Christians for childish reasons. We just wanted to go to heaven. That is okay. Jesus tells us … Continue reading –>
