GSCC small group Feb 20, 2007

The Armor of God Ephesians 6:10-20

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

1. How do you respond that there are spiritual forces work against God’s will and purpose?

2. V12, our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Where else did Paul emphasize that point in Ephesians? (1:3, 1:21, 2:2, 2:6, 3:10)

3. Have you sensed a battle around you with more than physical forces? Describe your experience in spotting the devil’s scheme.

4. V13-17. Pick a piece of armor, and describe how it can help you defeat the devil’s scheme. Give a testimony how it had helped or is helping you win a spiritual battle.

5. V18-20, Paul urged all kinds of prayers. Look back to 1:15-23, and also 3:14-20. Do you find a pattern in Paul’s writing? (Paul always uses prayers following his teachings, so the knowledge can materialize.)

6. How has the awareness of spiritual realms affected our decision to depend more on God? In what way we depend more on God to win the battle? (trust in the armor He gives us through prayer.)