DAILY BIBLE VERSES AND PRAYER THOUGHTS:

MONDAY - VERSES: Luke 22:40,46; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Revelation 3:10 PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank God that you do not have to fight Satan alone. Thank Him for providing a way of escape from every temptation.

TUESDAY - VERSES: Psalm 119:9-12; Ephesians 6:13-18 PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank God for His Word that is the weapon to fight against Satan and for the church that is an army that can stand together against Satan's brutal attacks.

WEDNESDAY - VERSES: Luke 22:31-34; Galatians 2:11-13 PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask God to forgive you for the times you have not resisted Satan, and even more so for the times that you have been a tool in his hand to cause others to sin.

THURSDAY - VERSES: James 5:16-18; Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask God to help you find someone that you can be open and honest with regarding the struggles you face in your fight against the devil.

FRIDAY - VERSES: Job 4:3-6; Isaiah 35:3-4; Mark 14:38; Romans 15:1-4 PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask God to help you find someone who is struggling that you can help in their fight against temptation and sin.

SATURDAY - VERSES: Psalm 7:10; 31:2;59:16-17; 62:2-8; Jude 1:24 PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank God for the protections He has put around you and ask Him for the strength to remain alert and prepared for the dangers ahead.

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I can resist everything except temptation. - Oscar Wilde

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The quickest way to fall to Satan is to assume you have him beaten.

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ASSIGNMENTS

1. Daily read over this material and read or sing the song.

2. Place the scripture where you will see it throughout each day.

3. Think of areas of your life where you want to resist Satan better.

4. At the close of day write down the ways you have resisted Satan.

5. Plan to tell the class how you have resisted Satan in the past, or tell how you have failed to resist Satan in your life.
SPIRITUAL HEALTH REGIMEN - WEEK 20

12-2-12 to 12-8-12 - RESISTANCE

SCRIPTURE - James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

COMMENT - Resisting the devil is the best way to overcome his temptations. Just say no to the devil and yes to God by doing his will.

SONG – ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

1. Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before; Christ, the royal Master, Leads against the foe; Forward into battle, See His banners go!

2. At the sign of triumph, Satan's host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, On to victory; Hell's foundations quiver At the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, Loud your anthems raise!

3. Crowns and thrones may perish, Kingdoms rise and wane, But the church of Jesus Constant will remain; Gates of hell can never Gainst that church prevail; We have Christ's own promise, And that cannot fail.

4. Onward, then, ye people, Join our happy throng; Blend with ours your voices In the triumph song; Glory, laud and honor Unto Christ the King, This through countless ages Men and angels sing.

REFRAIN - Onward, Christian soldiers! Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before.

THOUGHTS

"When you're faced with a busy day, save precious time by skipping your devotions." - Satan.

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There's an old fable that says the Devil once held a sale and offered all the tools of his trade to anyone who would pay their price. They were spread out on the table and each one labeled. Hatred, malice, envy, despair, sickness, sensuality -- all the weapons that everyone knows so well. But off to one side lay a harmless looking wood-shaped instrument marked "discouragement." It was old and worn looking but it was priced far above all the rest. When asked the reason why, the Devil replied, "Because I can use this one so much more easily than the others. No one knows that it belongs to me, so with it I can open doors that are tightly bolted against the others. Once I get inside I can use any tool that suits me best."

Blessed are they who are too tired and too busy to go to church on Sunday, for they are my best workers.

Blessed are they who are bored with the minister's mannerisms and mistakes, for they get nothing out of the sermon.

Blessed is the church member who expects to be invited to his own church for he is part of the problem instead of the solution.

Blessed are they who gossip, for they cause strife and divisions that please me.

Blessed are they who are easily offended, for they soon get angry and quit.

Blessed are they who do not give their offerings to carry on God's work for they are my best helpers.

Blessed is he who professes to love God but hates his brother and sister, for he shall be with me forever.

Blessed are the trouble makers, for they shall be called children of the devil.

Blessed is he who has no time to pray, for he will be easy prey.

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There is a fable which tells of three apprentice devils who were coming to this earth to finish their apprenticeship. They were talking to Satan, the chief of the devils, about their plans to tempt and ruin men. The first said, "I will tell them there is no God." Satan said, "That will not delude many, for they know that there is a God." The second said, "I will tell men there is no hell." Satan answered, "You will deceive no one that way; men know even now that there is a hell for sin." The third said, "I will tell men there is no hurry." "Go," said Satan, "and you will ruin them by the thousand." The most dangerous of all delusions is that there is plenty of time. The most dangerous day in a man's life is when he learns that there is such a word as tomorrow. There are things which must not be put off, for no man knows if for him tomorrow will ever come.

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Nature provides us with an illustration that closely parallels the insidious tactics employed by our adversary. According to scientists, Arctic polar bears feed almost entirely on seals. To enjoy such a meal, they sometimes resort to a cunning bit of trickery. If the hole through which the seal gets his food is near the edge of the ice, the polar bear will take a deep breath and swim under water to its exact location. Remaining below the surface, he will then make a tiny scratching sound, imitating a fish. When the charmed seal hears this, he dives in for a quick supper, only to find himself suddenly entrapped in the huge, hungry embrace of his predator.

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In writing about America's problems with our own national security, Jim Banford, author of The Puzzle Palace, said, "Once you've sold one secret you're usually hooked. They don't start by asking to get a top secret document. They usually ask for something innocuous, like a telephone directory. Once a person starts, they're hooked at that point." Isn't that the way Satan operates? He tempts us to make little compromises that seem so insignificant and end up ensnaring us in sin.

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Most dangerous is that temptation that doth goad us on to sin in loving virtue. - William Shakespeare

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All men are tempted. There is no man that lives that can't be broken down, provided it is the right temptation, put in the right spot. - Henry Ward Beecher

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RESIST THE _____________
INTRODUCTION

L. S. - RESISTING THE ___________ . . .

I. MEANS NOT BEING A FRIEND OF THE ____________ - JOHN 15:18-19; 17:14-16; 1 JOHN 2:15-17

II. TAKES __________________ - JAMES 4:6,10; 1 PETER 5:5-7; 2 CHRONICLES 34:27; ISAIAH 57:15

III. TAKES __________________ TO GOD - JAMES 4:7; ROMANS 10:1-3; 8:5-7; HEBREWS 12:9-10

IV. TAKES DRAWING _______________ TO GOD - JAMES 4:8; PSALM 73:27-28; ECCLESIASTES 5:1-2; HEBREWS 10:19-22

V. TAKES _____________________ OURSELVES - JAMES 4:8; 2 CORINTHIANS 7:1; EPHESIANS 5:25-27; TITUS 2:14

VI. AND SUBMITTING TO GOD BRINGS ___________________ - JAMES 4:10; MATTHEW 23:12; LUKE 18:13-14; 1 PETER 5:6

CONCLUSION

RESIST THE DEVIL

SCRIPTURE - (James 4:4-10) Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. {5} Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? {6} But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." {7} Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. {8} Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. {9} Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. {10} Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

INTRODUCTION

A. RESIST THE DEVIL

1. (James 4:7) Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

2. RESIST THE DEVIL - (1 Pet 5:8-10) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. {9} Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. {10} But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

B. DON'T GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL - (Eph 4:26-27) "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, {27} nor give place to the devil.

C. STAND AGAINST THE DEVIL - (Eph 6:11) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

I. RESISTING THE DEVIL MEANS NOT BEING A FRIEND OF THE WORLD

A. WE'RE NOT OF THE WORLD

1. (John 15:18-19) "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. {19} "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

2. (John 17:14-16) "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. {15} "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. {16} "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

B. WE'RE NOT TO LOVE THE WORLD - 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. {16} For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world. {17} And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

II. RESISTING THE DEVIL TAKES HUMILITY

A. HUMBLE YOURSELVES

1. (James 4:6,10) But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." … Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

2. (1 Pet 5:5-7) be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." {6} Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, {7} casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

B. GOD SAID OF JOSIAH - (2 Chr 34:27) "because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you," says the LORD.

C. GOD REVIVES THE HUMBLE - (Isa 57:15) For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

III. RESISTING THE DEVIL TAKES SUBMISSION TO GOD

A. SUBMIT TO GOD - (James 4:7) Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

B. SUBMIT GO GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS - (Rom 10:1-3) Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. {2} For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. {3} For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

C. BE SUBJECT TO THE LAW OF GOD - (Rom 8:5-7) For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. {6} For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. {7} Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

D. BE SUBJECT TO GOD - (Heb 12:9-10) Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? {10} For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

IV. RESISTING THE DEVIL TAKES DRAWING NEAR TO GOD

A. DRAW NEAR TO GOD - 1. (James 4:8) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

2. (Psa 73:27-28) For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. {28} But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.

B. DRAW NEAR TO HEAR - (Eccl 5:1-2) Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. {2} Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.

C. DRAW NEAR IN ASSURANCE - (Heb 10:19-22) Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, {20} by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, {21} and having a High Priest over the house of God, {22} let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

V. RESISTING THE DEVIL TAKES PURIFYING OURSELVES

A. PURIFY HANDS & HEART - (James 4:8) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

B. PURITY FLESH & SPIRIT - (2 Cor 7:1) Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

C. PURIFIED BY WATER & THE WORD - (Eph 5:25-27) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, {26} that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, {27} that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

D. PURIFIED FROM EVERY LAWLESS DEED - (Titus 2:14) who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

VI. SUBMITTING TO GOD & RESISTING THE DEVIL BRINGS EXALTATION

A. HE WILL LIFT YOU UP - (James 4:10) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

B. HUMBLE WILL BE EXALTED - 1. (Mat 23:12) "And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

2. (Luke 18:13-14) "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' {14} "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

3. (1 Pet 5:6) Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

CONCLUSION - HAVE YOU RESISTED THE DEVIL BY…

A. NOT BEING A FRIEND OF THE WORLD?

B. HUMBLING YOURSELF TO GOD?

C. SUBMITTING TO GOD?

D. DRAWING NEAR TO GOD?

E. PURIFYING YOURSELF?

F. IF YOU HAVE GOD WILL LIFT YOU UP!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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