Ephesians 2:1-5 | Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

• There are two different people represented in this passage. 

• What is the “dead” person like?

• Who does/did the “dead” person obey? 

• What kinds of things does he tell them?  

• What is the “alive” person like? 

• Who makes their salvation possible? How?

• Why does Ephesians 2:5 say that it is only by “grace” we are saved? Why is grace necessary for salvation? 

• Are you the “dead” in this passage or the “alive”? How do you know?

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John 14:6 | Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

2nd Corinthians 4:6 | For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

• What strategy of Satan have we been discussing all week? [If you’re not sure, head back to the Sunday devo]

• Who came to destroy Satan and undermine his strategies? Why? 

• Jesus is the key to accepting God’s way or salvation. 

• Why is this? 

• What role does Jesus fill? Why is He needed? 

• Why can’t a person be a believer or have salvation if they reject Jesus? 

• With this in mind, how does Satan try to turn the hearts of men and women against Jesus? 

• Why would it be effective for Satan to turn hearts against Jesus specifically instead of God generally? 

• With this in mind, how can you make sure you’re sharing Jesus with others, not just a general idea of God?

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1 Corinthians 1:18-19 | The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

1st Corinthians 2:14 | But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.

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John 9:39 | Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”

Revelation 3:15-17 | “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” 

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Matthew 13:12-15 | To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables. For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.

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All summer, we’re breaking down what it means to live Battle Ready using Ephesians 6:10-18. So far, we’ve seen-

• We’re in a spiritual battle (vs. 13) so we must live battle ready 

• The battle is the Lord’s, so we stand firm in his power (vs. 10) 

• We are to resist our enemy, who is Satan

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All summer, we’re breaking down what it means to live Battle Ready using Ephesians 6:10-18. So far, we’ve seen-

• We’re in a spiritual battle (vs. 13) so we must live battle ready 

• The battle is the Lord’s, so we stand firm in his power (vs. 10) 

• We are to resist our enemy, who is Satan

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Luke 10:17-20 | When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

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