This week we are concluding our series on spiritual warfare by turning to a key passage in the book of Revelation. Much of John's revelation concerns spiritual warfare as he seeks to provide encouragement to a harassed group of persecuted Christians. The genre of literature, called Apocalyptic Literature, has its own conventions. Though the visions seem bizarre to the Western reader, the highly symbolic language was intended to encourage the reader that there was more at stake than what meets the eye. Greater forces were at play than what might be assumed given the humble circumstances of the persecuted people.

The context of our passage this week is a war in heaven. A great red dragon, identified as Satan, intends to eat the child of a woman who is about to give birth. The descriptions of the child leave no doubt that he is Christ. The woman then must be the messianic community or the believing Jews obediently waiting for their Messiah. When the child is born he is snatched up to the throne of God and the woman is secreted away to be under divine protection for three and one half years, the time of intense persecution by the dragon in his fury over being cast out of heaven. The time frame appears to be a device used by John to say that the time allotted for the Devil's intimidation is limited and will come to an end.

The war in heaven coincides with the crucifixion of Jesus, his snatching away to the throne of God. The Devil is no longer able to accuse the people of God because of what Jesus has accomplished on the cross. God no longer listens to his accusations. Instead, his end is near. But before the end there is a time of persecution, and we often refer to this as the "church age" or it is sometimes in scripture referred to as the "last days." But John wants the reader to know in no uncertain terms that the enemy is in his death throes and his final days are approaching rapidly. Salvation has come, it is time to rejoice, Christ has won the victory; though there may be difficulty ahead, the outcome is secure.

The keys to the believers' effective spiritual warfare are to realize that the victory is won by: the blood of the lamb; the word of their testimony; and their willingness to die for their faith. Salvation has come, the kingdom is established, and it is time to rejoice. All this in spite of the present difficulties the church was experiencing under the heavy hand of Rome.

This week we are looking at Spiritual Warfare in the Church. We find it displayed throughout the book of Acts but I want to focus on the first occurrence from Acts 5. Luke, the author of both Luke and Acts, which were intended as companion volumes, describes the work of Jesus both in the world and in the church. Interestingly, in the Gospel, just after Jesus' baptism, he is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness where he is tempted by the devil. In the book of Acts, just after the Church's baptism, the Church experiences the Devil's opposition in a number of strategic attacks. It appears as if the Devil is a counter puncher. He attacks after some victory is achieved in order to undo the plan of God. In the book of Acts he uses hypocrisy, persecution and internal conflict in an effort to derail the plan of God.

Our text this week is rather startling. The consequences of Ananias and Sapphira's sin is sudden death. It seems harsh and out of place - more Old Testament than New. But the severity of the punishment is in keeping with the fragile state of the fledgling church. The account sends a strong message regarding the danger of trying to deceive the Holy Spirit. It prevents the new community from getting completely deceived by Satan's plan. It indicates how seriously the Lord protects the church against the enemy's attack.

Perhaps most notable in the text is Peter's role. He does not cause the result but merely operates like a commentator describing the events as they take place. He has a word of knowledge about the deception (1 Cor. 12:8) and proceeds to allow the Holy Spirit to deal with the co-conspirators. They had not lied to him but to the Holy Spirit (vs 3) God (vs 4) and later he says they had tested/tempted the Spirit of the Lord (vs 9). The word used for test is the same as the one translated tempt in the Lukan story of the temptation of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is portrayed as the leader and chief disciplinarian of the church. They had not lied to Peter but to the Holy Spirit.

Our text reminds us that the church belongs to the Lord. The Holy Spirit is our guide and leader. But he also is our protector. While the end result of the story is that "great fear seized the whole church" the purpose for Luke to include the story is not to cause fear but to bring encouragement. It is encouraging to know that the Holy Spirit is in charge and he protects us from the Devil's schemes. The Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ what our immune systems are to our own bodies.

Notice how the love of money and the love of praise are the footholds that Satan uses to enter the hearts of the wayward couple. To stretch our immune analogy – these footholds are like unhealed wounds that are susceptible to infection. If we believe we have somehow been shortchanged and that we are owed money or praise due to some past difficulties in our lives, we are prone to just this kind of susceptibility. It is best to make sure we harbour no bitterness or unresolved issues in this regard.

We are continuing our focus on Spiritual Warfare and this week we will take a look at Spiritual Warfare in the Gospels. Jesus' life, which is detailed for us in the gospels was filled with spiritual warfare – His birth, His death, His ministry days, were filled with intense spiritual opposition. God the Father had a purpose, a plan, a story for Jesus to fulfill - Jesus came to defeat Satan and the power of sin. As such, Satan will do whatever he can to get Jesus to wander from God's story for His life. Just as Satan seeks to derail Jesus from God's story for His life, he seeks to derail you and I from walking in God's plan and story for our lives. In the text we're looking at this morning, Luke 4:1-13, The Spirit has led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Through this text we learn much about the strategies of the devil and the nature of temptation, but more importantly, we learn about the practices Jesus embraced which enabled Him to overcome temptation and live God's story for His life.

We are continuing our focus on Spiritual Warfare and this week we will take a look at Spiritual Warfare in the Gospels. Jesus' life, which is detailed for us in the gospels was filled with spiritual warfare – His birth, His death, His ministry days, were filled with intense spiritual opposition. God the Father had a purpose, a plan, a story for Jesus to fulfill - Jesus came to defeat Satan and the power of sin. As such, Satan will do whatever he can to get Jesus to wander from God's story for His life. Just as Satan seeks to derail Jesus from God's story for His life, he seeks to derail you and I from walking in God's plan and story for our lives. In the text we're looking at this morning, Luke 4:1-13, The Spirit has led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Through this text we learn much about the strategies of the devil and the nature of temptation, but more importantly, we learn about the practices Jesus embraced which enabled Him to overcome temptation and live God's story for His life.

This week we are taking a whirlwind tour of Spiritual Warfare in the Old Testament and focusing on one of the most interesting passages on the subject in the Bible. There is not a lot of attention given to Satan and his minions in the Bible. References to his origin and power are somewhat oblique in that they seem to be referenced in passing while the authors' are dealing with a more pertinent subject. The general tone of Scripture is that we should not spend a great deal of time considering his ways or deliberating upon his tactics. Jesus' encounters with demoniacs seem to follow this pattern. They are real and they are there, but they are dispatched rather readily and without much fanfare.

Our understanding of Satan's origin comes from two OT prophecies that refer to men but seem to reference a far greater more malevolent power. Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-15 seem to indicate that Satan was a powerful and beautiful angel created by the Lord but found to harbour pride and a lust for the Lord's throne. He and his supports are thrown out of heaven and his work is to thwart the plans of God. He has been defeated by Christ on the cross but he still fights in rebellion against God's purposes.

Our text opens a glimpse into the spiritual battles that take place in the spiritual world. Daniel (535 yrs bc) is concerned about the state of affairs in Israel as just recently exiles have returned to Jerusalem to re-establish the Kingdom there. The spiritual battles mentioned seem to coincide with the return of the Israelite exiles to Israel and the re-establishment of the Jewish faith in Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity.

These spiritual battles are fought in the heavenly realms as Ephesians 6:12 indicates. Revelation 12:7 also mentions a war between Michael the Archangel and his forces against the Dragon and his supporters that takes place in heaven. While we do not know a great deal about these spiritual battles, we do know that we are to pray and look after our responsibilities 'on the ground' so to speak. The battle belongs to the Lord (1 Sam. 17:47). We are persevering in prayer and using the equipment of our spiritual warfare, stand our ground on the victory Christ has won for us.

This week we are taking a whirlwind tour of Spiritual Warfare in the Old Testament and focusing on one of the most interesting passages on the subject in the Bible. There is not a lot of attention given to Satan and his minions in the Bible. References to his origin and power are somewhat oblique in that they seem to be referenced in passing while the authors' are dealing with a more pertinent subject. The general tone of Scripture is that we should not spend a great deal of time considering his ways or deliberating upon his tactics. Jesus' encounters with demoniacs seem to follow this pattern. They are real and they are there, but they are dispatched rather readily and without much fanfare.

Our understanding of Satan's origin comes from two OT prophecies that refer to men but seem to reference a far greater more malevolent power. Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-15 seem to indicate that Satan was a powerful and beautiful angel created by the Lord but found to harbour pride and a lust for the Lord's throne. He and his supports are thrown out of heaven and his work is to thwart the plans of God. He has been defeated by Christ on the cross but he still fights in rebellion against God's purposes.

Our text opens a glimpse into the spiritual battles that take place in the spiritual world. Daniel (535 yrs bc) is concerned about the state of affairs in Israel as just recently exiles have returned to Jerusalem to re-establish the Kingdom there. The spiritual battles mentioned seem to coincide with the return of the Israelite exiles to Israel and the re-establishment of the Jewish faith in Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity.

These spiritual battles are fought in the heavenly realms as Ephesians 6:12 indicates. Revelation 12:7 also mentions a war between Michael the Archangel and his forces against the Dragon and his supporters that takes place in heaven. While we do not know a great deal about these spiritual battles, we do know that we are to pray and look after our responsibilities 'on the ground' so to speak. The battle belongs to the Lord (1 Sam. 17:47). We are persevering in prayer and using the equipment of our spiritual warfare, stand our ground on the victory Christ has won for us.

This week we are beginning a new five week series on Spiritual Warfare. This week we will be introducing the topic and then we will look at spiritual warfare in the Old Testament, Gospels and the Church. We will conclude the series with a very important text from the book of Revelation that instructs us on effective spiritual warfare. You may have heard someone say: 'I'm in a spiritual battle.' What does that mean?

Our text (Eph. 6:10-18) is the most comprehensive passage in the New Testament dealing with Spiritual Warfare. Our text defines Spiritual Warfare and lists our primary equipment in the fight. Spiritual Warfare is the conflict that rages in the Spiritual realm. We do not engage it with our natural senses: 'our struggle is not against flesh and blood.' It is Satan's attempt to dislodge us from the victory won for us by Christ. This is the context of the book of Ephesians. The letter has been busy laying out for us all that Jesus has won for us by his death and resurrection. Just in the second chapter alone we learn we have been saved by grace; reconciled to him; made citizens of his kingdom; members of his family; and building blocks in his temple. Out text encourages us to hold on to what we have been given. We must 'take our stand against the devil's schemes' who wants to knock us off our wonderful position in Christ. He does this through temptation, accusation, intimidation, deception and division. We are not to run or yield to his attack but rather, we are to stand our ground with the power of the Holy Spirit and the weapons he has given us.

This is not the place to define each of the weapons that are parallel to a Roman soldier's equipment with a couple of notable exceptions or omissions. The sword described is the short sword used for defensive combat at close quarters. There is no mention of the javelin, which was the Roman's most notable offensive weapon. The picture then is of a soldier defending his position against an assault from an enemy who has an uphill battle. The soldier properly equipped, in the power of the Holy Spirit, will win every time.

'There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.' — C. S. Lewis, Screwtape Letters. We are in a battle. While the Devil is defeated, he has not stopped fighting. We must recognize that we are under attack and consciously put on the armor of God. This putting on of the proper equipment must be intentional on our part; we are not born with it. This implies that new believers and perhaps children need help in understanding and putting on that equipment. This is a vital part of the discipleship process.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 3. Discuss the concept that while Jesus defeated the Devil, he still is causing problems for believers. Why is he still attacking if he is defeated? Why is he still allowed to roam the earth 'seeking whom he may devour?' (1 Peter 5:8)

2. Slide 4-6. How do the names used of Satan help to describe his tactics? Remind yourselves of how his character and behavior is opposed to God's purposes.

3. Slide 11-14. Review the position (high ground) we have in Christ. How might these gains be eroded by spiritual attack?

4. Slide 15. Discuss briefly how truth, righteous, faith and the Word protect us while we are under assault.

5. Slide 16. Discuss the enemy's tactics and how you have experienced and defeated his assaults.

6. Slide 17-19. Discuss the concept of the 'Fog of War' and how that applies to our experience of spiritual attack. Discuss prayer in the Spirit and re-read Romans 8:26 and 1 Cor. 14:15. How have you experienced this phenomenon?

This week we are beginning a new five week series on Spiritual Warfare. This week we will be introducing the topic and then we will look at spiritual warfare in the Old Testament, Gospels and the Church. We will conclude the series with a very important text from the book of Revelation that instructs us on effective spiritual warfare. You may have heard someone say: 'I'm in a spiritual battle.' What does that mean?

Our text (Eph. 6:10-18) is the most comprehensive passage in the New Testament dealing with Spiritual Warfare. Our text defines Spiritual Warfare and lists our primary equipment in the fight. Spiritual Warfare is the conflict that rages in the Spiritual realm. We do not engage it with our natural senses: 'our struggle is not against flesh and blood.' It is Satan's attempt to dislodge us from the victory won for us by Christ. This is the context of the book of Ephesians. The letter has been busy laying out for us all that Jesus has won for us by his death and resurrection. Just in the second chapter alone we learn we have been saved by grace; reconciled to him; made citizens of his kingdom; members of his family; and building blocks in his temple. Out text encourages us to hold on to what we have been given. We must 'take our stand against the devil's schemes' who wants to knock us off our wonderful position in Christ. He does this through temptation, accusation, intimidation, deception and division. We are not to run or yield to his attack but rather, we are to stand our ground with the power of the Holy Spirit and the weapons he has given us.

This is not the place to define each of the weapons that are parallel to a Roman soldier's equipment with a couple of notable exceptions or omissions. The sword described is the short sword used for defensive combat at close quarters. There is no mention of the javelin, which was the Roman's most notable offensive weapon. The picture then is of a soldier defending his position against an assault from an enemy who has an uphill battle. The soldier properly equipped, in the power of the Holy Spirit, will win every time.

'There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.' — C. S. Lewis, Screwtape Letters. We are in a battle. While the Devil is defeated, he has not stopped fighting. We must recognize that we are under attack and consciously put on the armor of God. This putting on of the proper equipment must be intentional on our part; we are not born with it. This implies that new believers and perhaps children need help in understanding and putting on that equipment. This is a vital part of the discipleship process.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 3. Discuss the concept that while Jesus defeated the Devil, he still is causing problems for believers. Why is he still attacking if he is defeated? Why is he still allowed to roam the earth 'seeking whom he may devour?' (1 Peter 5:8)

2. Slide 4-6. How do the names used of Satan help to describe his tactics? Remind yourselves of how his character and behavior is opposed to God's purposes.

3. Slide 11-14. Review the position (high ground) we have in Christ. How might these gains be eroded by spiritual attack?

4. Slide 15. Discuss briefly how truth, righteous, faith and the Word protect us while we are under assault.

5. Slide 16. Discuss the enemy's tactics and how you have experienced and defeated his assaults.

6. Slide 17-19. Discuss the concept of the 'Fog of War' and how that applies to our experience of spiritual attack. Discuss prayer in the Spirit and re-read Romans 8:26 and 1 Cor. 14:15. How have you experienced this phenomenon?

I have heard people say that the reason they would never become a Christian is because there are too many hypocrites in the Church. Some have gone so far as to suggest that the Church is full of hypocrites or that all Christians are hypocrites. Just as bad news travels fast, so the stories of false or unfaithful Christians travel far and wide. A few famous or infamous examples of phony believers result in us all being painted with the same brush. My response to the charge that all Christians are hypocrites is a resounding yes!

The word hypocrite is defined by Webster as: 1. A person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion; or 2. A Person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings. In other words a hypocrite is a fake or a failure. So actually, you cannot become a follower of Jesus without first admitting to being a failure. Thus by definition, we are all hypocrites. This continues to be the case, even after salvation. Do we truly love God with are our hearts, souls and minds? Do we truly love our neighbours as ourselves? We want to, we know we should, we make efforts in that direction but … we fail. Fortunately, Jesus has made a provision for our failures in that He continues to forgive. "[B]ut if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous one" (1 John 2:1).

Fakers on the other hand, those hypocrites defined by Webster in the first part of his description, are by definition not real followers of Jesus. Since one must put off the pretense of righteousness in order to be truly righteous. These are the folks that Jesus addresses in Luke chapter 11 and 12. The Pharisee kind of hypocrisy was the "fake it" kind. They pretended to be spiritual with ulterior motives. They played to the crowd. This is exactly what Jesus was warning his disciples about in Luke 12:1-7. The presence of the crowd prompts this very private admonition.

To paraphrase, Jesus is saying: "Don't fear man, fear the Lord. There is a fate worse than death, it is hell and the Lord is the only one who has the authority to cast people into hell." Right after this warning Jesus comforts his disciples with the fact that every hair on their heads is numbered and that God cares for them. The connection at first between the "Fear of the Lord" and the "Loving Care of the Lord" is not apparent but I believe the juxtaposition is very intentional. To fear the Lord means to respect his authority and stand in awe of his majesty. This is incredibly good news when we realize he is on our side. He cares for us. Our fear of God varies proportionately to our fear of man. When our fear of God goes up, our fear of man goes down. When our fear of man goes down, our temptation toward fakery goes down. Hypocrisy of the faking kind is a direct result of our lack of Godly fear.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2-3. What do you think prompts people to make so much of hypocrisy in the Church? What motivates this kind of gossip?

2. Slide 4-7. Why was Jesus so hard on the Pharisees in the Sermon on the Mount and Luke 11? What do you think motivated the Pharisees to act this way? Does Jesus give us insight into their motivation?

3. Slide 8-9. Discuss the difference between being a "fake" and being a "failure."

4. Slide 10. Discuss the logic of rejecting the Gospel because of the behavior of some bad examples in the Church. Discuss this question: "But what will you do with the claims of Jesus?" How is this the "central question?"

5. Slide 15-16. How afraid are people of how others think of them? What fuels this fear? What is the antidote to what might be called "Fear of Man?"

6. Slide 17-19. How is the Lord's loving care over us connected to our Fear of the Lord? Define "Fear of the Lord." How can we enhance a healthy Fear of the Lord?

I have heard people say that the reason they would never become a Christian is because there are too many hypocrites in the Church. Some have gone so far as to suggest that the Church is full of hypocrites or that all Christians are hypocrites. Just as bad news travels fast, so the stories of false or unfaithful Christians travel far and wide. A few famous or infamous examples of phony believers result in us all being painted with the same brush. My response to the charge that all Christians are hypocrites is a resounding yes!

The word hypocrite is defined by Webster as: 1. A person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion; or 2. A Person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings. In other words a hypocrite is a fake or a failure. So actually, you cannot become a follower of Jesus without first admitting to being a failure. Thus by definition, we are all hypocrites. This continues to be the case, even after salvation. Do we truly love God with are our hearts, souls and minds? Do we truly love our neighbours as ourselves? We want to, we know we should, we make efforts in that direction but … we fail. Fortunately, Jesus has made a provision for our failures in that He continues to forgive. "[B]ut if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous one" (1 John 2:1).

Fakers on the other hand, those hypocrites defined by Webster in the first part of his description, are by definition not real followers of Jesus. Since one must put off the pretense of righteousness in order to be truly righteous. These are the folks that Jesus addresses in Luke chapter 11 and 12. The Pharisee kind of hypocrisy was the "fake it" kind. They pretended to be spiritual with ulterior motives. They played to the crowd. This is exactly what Jesus was warning his disciples about in Luke 12:1-7. The presence of the crowd prompts this very private admonition.

To paraphrase, Jesus is saying: "Don't fear man, fear the Lord. There is a fate worse than death, it is hell and the Lord is the only one who has the authority to cast people into hell." Right after this warning Jesus comforts his disciples with the fact that every hair on their heads is numbered and that God cares for them. The connection at first between the "Fear of the Lord" and the "Loving Care of the Lord" is not apparent but I believe the juxtaposition is very intentional. To fear the Lord means to respect his authority and stand in awe of his majesty. This is incredibly good news when we realize he is on our side. He cares for us. Our fear of God varies proportionately to our fear of man. When our fear of God goes up, our fear of man goes down. When our fear of man goes down, our temptation toward fakery goes down. Hypocrisy of the faking kind is a direct result of our lack of Godly fear.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2-3. What do you think prompts people to make so much of hypocrisy in the Church? What motivates this kind of gossip?

2. Slide 4-7. Why was Jesus so hard on the Pharisees in the Sermon on the Mount and Luke 11? What do you think motivated the Pharisees to act this way? Does Jesus give us insight into their motivation?

3. Slide 8-9. Discuss the difference between being a "fake" and being a "failure."

4. Slide 10. Discuss the logic of rejecting the Gospel because of the behavior of some bad examples in the Church. Discuss this question: "But what will you do with the claims of Jesus?" How is this the "central question?"

5. Slide 15-16. How afraid are people of how others think of them? What fuels this fear? What is the antidote to what might be called "Fear of Man?"

6. Slide 17-19. How is the Lord's loving care over us connected to our Fear of the Lord? Define "Fear of the Lord." How can we enhance a healthy Fear of the Lord?