Week 2 - RESIST
CONNECT
What are you thankful for?
What challenge are you facing?
Have there been any answers to prayer?
Pray for each other.
Did anything stand out to you from last week’s follow-up Bible readings?
How did your “I will …” statement from last week go?
How did your sharing goal from last week go?
DISCOVER
Let’s start with a review. Last week we worked through this freedom truth and freedom responsibility:
OBEY
Obedience leads to freedom while disobedience leads to bondage, so obey the Lord and be free.
And now …
RESIST
Jesus resisted Satan by reciting the truth of God’s Word so resist Satan by reciting the truth of God’s Word.
Ask God to speak to you as you read His Word.
Luke 4:1-13 (NLT)
1 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.
3 Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’”
5 Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. 7 I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”
8 Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say,
‘You must worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.’”9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! 10 For the Scriptures say,
‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you.
11 And they will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”12 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”
13 When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.
Have someone retell the passage in their own words.
What stands out to you in this passage?
What does this passage say about God (The Father, His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit)?
What does this passage say about people, including ourselves?
What does this passage say about the life God invites us to live?
Digging Deeper
How did Jesus resist Satan?
Who else knows the Bible? For what purpose does he use it?
What did Satan do as a result of Jesus’ resistance?
A 1-2 Punch
James 4:6-8 (ESV)
6 [God] gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
How did Jesus put the truths of James 4:6-8 into practice in the story we just read from Luke 4:1-13?
Why and how is the devil trying to get us to submit to him rather than to God?
Why is submitting to God AND resisting the devil such a powerful 1-2 punch for freedom?
Truth & Responsibility
This week’s freedom truth:
Jesus resisted Satan by reciting the truth of God’s Word.
This week’s freedom responsibility:
So resist Satan by reciting the truth of God’s Word.
Know The Truth
John 8:31-32 (NAB)
31 Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, 32 you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Is it just the truth that sets you free or the truth that you know that sets you free? What’s the difference?
Why is remaining in Jesus’ word important to knowing the truth? How does one remain in Jesus’ word?
Recite The Truth
Ephesians 6:16-17 (NIV)
16 Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Why is the Word of God like a sword?
How did Jesus use the Word of God against Satan?
Jesus spoke the Word of God. Why is reciting truth out loud important?
What Truth?
1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith.
The faith is God’s truth. Part of our faith is the truth of Jesus’ identity and purpose. Jesus is our Rescuer King. We covered that in the second part of Follow The Way called FAITH.
There’s more to the faith than just the truth of who Jesus is, though. There’s also the truth about ourselves. For those who believe in Jesus, there’s a new truth about us. Because of our relationship with our Rescuer King, we have a new identity and purpose. And when we know the truth, not just about Jesus, but also about ourselves, this truth will set us free. So we need to know who God says we are AND we need to believe it.
So who are we? Amazingly, the Bible says that whatever is true of Jesus is now true of those who have a relationship of faith with Jesus. This is what we learned in FOUNDATIONS. Here’s a summary of that truth.
WHO I AM IN CHRIST
You are encouraged to recite these truths out loud.
Because I am united with Christ by grace through faith, whatever is true of Jesus is now true of me.
From Adam to Christ
(Union with Christ)
From Romans 6:3-4
Through faith (as symbolized in baptism), I died, was buried and have been raised to new life with Jesus.
From Romans 5:19, 1 Corinthians 15:22
In Adam, I was characterized by his sin and death, but now that I am in Christ, I am characterized by His righteousness and life.
From Death to Life
(Regeneration)
From John 3:3-8, Ezekiel 36:26-27
I have been born again by the Spirit and have a new spirit in which the Holy Spirit lives.
From John 5:24
Through faith in Jesus, I have crossed over from death to life.
From 1 Corinthians 5:17
In Christ I am a new creation. The old is gone, the new has come!
From Guilty to Innocent
(Justification)
From Romans 8:1
Because I am in Christ, I will never face condemnation.
From Romans 8:33-34
God has acquitted me of the guilt of my sin and has declared me innocent in Christ.
From 2 Corinthians 5:21
Jesus became sin for me so that I might become the righteousness of God.
From Enemy to Family
(Reconciliation and Adoption)
From Romans 5:10
Though I was God’s enemy because of my sin, I have been reconciled to Him as His friend through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
From Romans 8:16
God’s Spirit bears witness to my spirit that I am God’s child.
From Slavery to Freedom
(Redemption or Ransoming)
From 1 Peter 1:18-19
Jesus has paid the ransom price for my freedom with His own blood.
From Colossians 1:13-14
God the Father has rescued me from the kingdom of darkness and has transferred me to the Kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased my freedom and forgave my sin.
From John 8:36
If the Son has set me free, I am free indeed.
From Immaturity to Maturity
(Sanctification)
From Acts 26:18, Hebrews 10:10
I have been set apart as holy through faith in Jesus’ sacrifice.
From 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Colossians 1:28
God’s will is for me to be holy and to become more like Jesus, even fully mature in Christ.
From 1 John 2:12-14
As I intentionally grow from childhood (knowing that God is my Father and that I am forgiven) to young adulthood (because I remain in God’s Word and am strong and can overcome the enemy) I will become a parent (who knows Him who is from the beginning and will bring others to faith and maturity in Christ).
From Self to Christ
(Remaining in Christ)
From Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
From John 15:5
Jesus is the Vine and I am His branch. As I remain in Him and He in me, I will bear much fruit. Apart from Him I can do nothing.
From Already to Not Yet
(Glorification)
From 1 John 3:1-3
I am already God’s child, but I am not yet fully like His Son, though I will be when He returns.
From Philippians 3:12
Though I have not yet reached perfection, I press on to reach this goal.
From Philippians 3:21
When my Savior returns, He will transform my mortal body to be like His glorious body.
Look over WHO I AM IN CHRIST again and answer these questions …
Which foundational truth from this summary would be important for you to revisit and lean in to?
Why this truth at this time?
Which passage could you memorize to wield as a weapon against the enemy?
Summary
Know the truth that sets you free.
Know the truth about your new identity.
Recite the truth as a weapon against the enemy.
Freedom’s Memory Work
Here’s our memory work for FREEDOM.
John 8:31-32 (NAB)
31 Jesus said to those who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, 32 you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
LIVE
What truth have you discovered from today’s Bible passage(s) and conversation?
What would stop you from believing and obeying this truth?
How will you live out this truth this coming week? Finish this statement: “I will ….”
Who else needs to hear this truth? How could you share it with them?
When will we meet again?
Who will facilitate that meeting?
Pray for God’s help as you seek to follow Jesus this coming week.
FOLLOW-UP BIBLE READINGS
After each group meeting, there are usually 3 Bible readings to help you dig a bit deeper into what we have discussed. This week, however, there will be 2 readings of Who I Am In Christ.
BUDDY SYSTEM
It’s recommended that you set up a buddy system for ongoing encouragement and accountability. Buddy people up and have them contact each other for a midweek check-in. Think of this as a five-minute phone call, rather than an in-person sit-down meeting. Touch base and ask these questions of each other:
How are your readings going?
How’s your “I will …” statement coming along?
How’s your sharing goal coming along?
How can I pray for you?