Table of contents of devotions on our Web site:

Series on the Apostle's Creed

Series on Discipleship

Series on Eschatology

Spiritual Warfare and Weapons, Part 1

Discerning Evil
Combatting Evil Influences
The Believer's Defensive Armor, Part 1
The Believer's Defensive Armor, Part 2

Discerning Evil

1. Recognize Satan at work:

NOTE: Please also see the devotion on "Temptation".

"But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (Hebrews 5:14, New International Version)

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognise the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God." (1 John 4:1-3a NIV)

2. Discern ungodly attitudes of rebellion, unbelief, bitterness, anger, etc.:

"For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry." (1 Samuel 15:23a NIV)

"See to it that no-one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." (Hebrews 12:15 NIV)

"In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." (Ephesians 4:26 NIV)

3. Discern evil practices (the occult, cults, other religions):

NOTE: For further reading see The Bondage Breaker by Neil Anderson

"and do not give the devil a foothold." (Ephesians 4:27 NIV)

"Let no-one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practises divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD." (Deuteronomy 18:10-12a NIV)

"For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough." (2 Corinthians 11:4 NIV)

4. Discern selfishness and misuse of God-given blessings:

"But if you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil." (James 3:14-15 NIV)

"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (James 4:3 NIV)

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Combatting Evil Influences

1. Ask God to show you dangers in your life:

"Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind" (Psalms 26:2 NIV)

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalms 139:23-24 NIV)

2. Confess known sin and ask for forgiveness; then Satan can not hold accusations of sin against you:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9 NIV)

"[God] will not always accuse, nor will he harbour his anger for ever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalms 103:9-12 NIV)

3. Develop a godly heritage for you and your family:

"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NIV)

"If you make the Most High your dwelling--even the LORD, who is my refuge-- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;. . .
'Because he loves me,' says the LORD, 'I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.'" (Psalms 91:9-11, 14-15 NIV)

"But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-- with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts." (Psalms 103:17-18 NIV)

4. Use spiritual weapons and pray for protection from evil.
(See the rest of this and the next devotion.)

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The Believer's Defensive Armor, Part 1

NOTE: The source of this armor is God, and it never leaves the believer. Claim it!

NOTE: The descriptions of the pieces of armor come from What You Need to Know About Spiritual Warfare by Max Anders.

1. Buckle the belt of truth: "The belt of truth pictures a commitment to the truth of the Word of God." (Anders, p. 40)

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist." (Ephesians 6:14a NIV)

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth." (John 16:13a NIV)

"Righteousness will be his [Messiah's] belt and faithfulness the sash round his waist." (Isaiah 11:5 NIV)

2. Put on the breastplate of righteousness: "The breastplate of righteousness pictures a lifestyle of trusting obedience to God." (Anders, p. 52)

"Stand firm then. . . with the breastplate of righteousness in place" (Ephesians 6:14 NIV)

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1 NIV)

"It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption." (1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV)

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The Believer's Defensive Armor, Part 2

1. Clad your feet with the gospel of peace: "The shoes of the gospel of peace picture a trusting confidence in the promises of God and the sense of peace that such trust brings." (Anders, p. 64)

"Stand firm then. . .with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." (Ephesians 6:15 NIV)

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" (Isaiah 52:7 NIV)

2. Take up the shield of faith: "The shield of faith pictures a life of protection based on our faith in God's character, word, and deeds." (Anders, p. 77)

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:16 NIV)

"For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour as with a shield." (Psalms 5:12 NIV)

3. Put on the helmet of salvation: "The helmet of salvation pictures a lifestyle of hope that comes from focusing on our ultimate salvation." (Anders, p. 88)

"Take the helmet of salvation. . ." (Ephesians 6:17a NIV)

"But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet." (1 Thessalonians 5:8 NIV)

Further reading suggestion on spiritual armor: Overcoming the Adversary by Mark I. Bubeck

NOTE: The discussion of spiritual weapons will continue in the next devotions.

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Spiritual Warfare and Weapons, Part 2

"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV)

The Believer's Weapon of the Word of God
The Believer's Use of Prayer in the Spirit
Other Spiritual Weapons, Part 1
Other Spiritual Weapons, Part 2

The Believer's Weapon of the Word of God

NOTE: The descriptions of the pieces of armor in Lessons One and Two come from What You Need to Know About Spiritual Warfare by Max Anders.

1. The Word of God as a sword: "The sword of the Spirit pictures an offensive and defensive use of the Bible in spiritual warfare." (Anders, p. 102)

"Take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:17 New International Version)

2. Defensive use of the sword: "The sword is used defensively by applying Scripture to every doubt, temptation, and discouragement hurled at us by Satan." (Anders, p. 105)

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.'
Jesus answered, 'It is written: "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."'
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 'If you are the Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down. For it is written: "He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."'
Jesus answered him, 'It is also written: "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."'
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. 'All this I will give you,' he said, 'if you will bow down and worship me.'
Jesus said to him, 'Away from me, Satan! For it is written: "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."'
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him." (Matthew 4:1-11 NIV)

3. Offensive use of the sword: "The sword is used offensively to cause change, encouraging spiritual growth through evangelism, teaching, preaching, and counseling." (Anders, p. 105)

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12 NIV)

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (Romans 10:14 NIV)

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The Believer's Use of Prayer in the Spirit

1. Picturing prayer in the Spirit: "In the spiritual war, we make contact with our Commander through prayer." (Anders, p. 115)

"And 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." (Ephesians 6:18 NIV)

NOTE: The following four points are taken from Anders, pp. 115-116.

2. The attitude of prayer--"pray in the Spirit on all occasions":
"We should be in an attitude of prayer through the whole day. Praying in the Spirit means. . .that we depend on God's guidance in what we pray for." (Anders, p. 115)

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." (Romans 8:26-27 NIV)

"pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV)

3. The scope of prayer--"with all kinds of prayers and requests":
"This includes thanks and praise to God, confession of sin, pouring out to God the thoughts and feelings of our minds, and requests for specific things that concern us." (Anders, p. 115)

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6 NIV)

4. The fervency of prayer--"always keep on praying":

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
He said: 'In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, "Grant me justice against my adversary." For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, "Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!"' And the Lord said, 'Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?'" (Luke 18:1-7 NIV)

5. The subjects of prayer--"for all the saints":

"Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones." (1 Thessalonians 3:10-13 NIV)

"I [Paul] urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me." (Romans 15:30 NIV)

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Other Spiritual Weapons, Part 1

NOTE: Lessons Three and Four are adapted from a sidebar by Mell Winger to the article "Satan's Favorite Schemes Against the Church" by Timothy James in Pray, Issue 5 March/April 1998, p. 24.

1. The indwelling Holy Spirit: In Lessons One and Two the Holy Spirit is also a Helper in the use of the spiritual armor of the Word and prayer.

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you [the Holy Spirit] is greater than the one [Satan] who is in the world." (1 John 4:4 NIV)

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." (Romans 8:16 NIV)

2. The name of Jesus: Jesus' name is given to believers to grant them the legal right to use Jesus' power and authority for their protection as his spiritual siblings.

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12 NIV)

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11 NIV)

"I [Jesus] will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name--the name you gave me--so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me." (John 17:11-12a NIV)

3. The blood of Jesus: Jesus' blood is the covering that protects us from the consequences of sin and the power of evil.

"and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood" (Revelation 1:5 NIV)

"Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: 'Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser [Satan] of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.'" (Revelation 12:10-11 NIV)

4. Praising God: "Praise is a positive force that not only drives out depression and doubts, but actually causes evil forces to be defeated." (Winger)

"After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendour of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: 'Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures for ever.' As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated." (2 Chronicles 20:21-22 NIV)

"Let the saints rejoice in this honour and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the LORD." (Psalms 149:5-9 NIV)

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Other Spiritual Weapons, Part 2

1. Silence: "King Hezekiah commanded his people not to answer a word to the enemy. We are not to dialogue with the enemy. We are only to speak the Word of God to him--not our own thoughts or reasoning." (Winger)

NOTE: See also Jesus' example in Lesson One, point 2.

"But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, 'Do not answer him [Sennacherib's commander].'" (2 Kings 18:36 NIV)

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalms 46:10 NIV)

2. Humility: "'[Satan] is terrified of humility. . .his hairs stand up when Christians kneel down, for humility is the surrender of the soul to God.'" (Winger, quoting The Three Battlegrounds by Francis Frangipane)

"But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:6-7 NIV)

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (1 Peter 5:6-9 NIV)

3. Peace: "'When we maintain peace during warfare, it is a crushing blow to satanic oppression and fear.'" (Winger, quoting Frangipane)

"The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." (Romans 16:20 NIV)

"But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:26-27 NIV)

4. Not fearing death: "This attitude protects us from fear and intimidation. It also keeps us walking in a holy relationship with God, which is a strong protection against the enemy's manipulation." (Winger)

"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?'. . .
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:54-57 NIV)

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:28-31 NIV)

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Temptation

Meet the Tempter and His Assistants
Examples of Temptation in the Bible
Discerning Satan's Techniques of Temptation
The Believer's Battle Against Temptation

Meet the Tempter and His Assistants

"Satan is not to be compared to mythical creatures. Satan is a fallen angel with sophisticated powers to delude, tempt, and accuse people. Satan is a finite creature without divine powers or attributes. . .Demons are fallen angels under the rule of Satan." (R.C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, pp. 140,142)

1. Satan and demons are fallen angels who rebelled against God:

"The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." (Revelation 12:9 New International Version)

"[Jesus] replied, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.'" (Luke 10:18 NIV)

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment." (2 Peter 2:4 NIV)

2. Satan and demons are not equal to God:

"They sacrificed to demons, which are not God--gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear." (Deuteronomy 32:17 NIV)

a. Satan is limited to existing in one place at a time:

"The LORD said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?' Satan answered the LORD, 'From roaming through the earth and going to and fro in it.'" (Job 1:7 NIV)

b. Satan's powers are limited; he needs permission to harm believers:

"'Does Job fear God for nothing?' Satan replied. 'Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.' The LORD said to Satan, 'Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.' Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD." (Job 1:9-12 NIV)

3. Satan is crafty:

"Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For 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." (Ephesians 6:11-12 NIV)

"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44 NIV)

"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." (2 Corinthians 11:14-15 NIV)

4. Satan is defeated by Jesus Christ and is ultimately doomed:

"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." (1 John 3:8b NIV)

"And having disarmed the powers and authorities, [Jesus] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." (Colossians 2:15 NIV)

"Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: 'Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.'" (Revelation 12:10 NIV)

"And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day." (Jude 1:6 NIV)

"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Revelation 20:10 NIV)

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Examples of Temptation in the Bible

". . .as usurpers [Satan and his demons] have not conceded defeat or been destroyed [yet]. So they continue to exercise considerable power." (John Stott, The Message of Ephesians, as quoted in Lord, Is It Warfare? by Kay Arthur, p. 195)

1. Eve

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden"?'
The woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, "You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die."'
'You will not surely die,' the serpent said to the woman. 'For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." (Genesis 3:1-6 NIV)

2. David

"In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her.
The man said, 'Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?'
Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home
. . .[Nathan said to David] 'Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.'
. . .Then David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the LORD.'" (2 Samuel 11:1-4; 12:9,13 NIV).

3. Jesus

4. Judas

"After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, 'I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.'
His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.
Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, 'Ask him which one he means.'
Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, 'Lord, who is it?'
Jesus answered, 'It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.' Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon.
As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him." (John 13:21-27 NIV)

5. Peter:

"'Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers'. . .

About an hour later another asserted, 'Certainly this fellow was with [Jesus], for he is a Galilean.'
Peter replied, 'Man, I don't know what you're talking about!' Just as he was speaking, the cock crowed.
The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: 'Before the cock crows today, you will disown me three times.' And he went outside and wept bitterly." (Luke 22:31-32, 59-62 NIV)

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Discerning Satan's Techniques of Temptation

NOTE: God does not tempt:

"When tempted, no-one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." (James 1:13-15 NIV)

NOTE: Satan's attacks differ from trials:

"An enemy attack is an accusation or condemnation of you, accompanied by depression, hopelessness, and destruction of self-esteem.

A trial is a conviction concerning a sinful attitude or deed, accompanied by a call to repentance, assurance of forgiveness, and restoration of a sense of value as God's child."
(Adapted from A Woman's Guide to Spiritual Warfare by Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock, p. 199)

1. Satan casts doubt on God's character and his word:

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden"?. . . 'For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'" (Genesis 3:1,5 NIV)

2. Satan undermines spiritual victories:

The example of Elijah:
"Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, 'May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.'
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. 'I have had enough, LORD,' he said. 'Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.'" (1 Kings 19:1-4 NIV)

3. Satan falsifies true doctrine and teachings:

"But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough." (2 Corinthians 11:3-4 NIV)

4. Satan hinders believers' service for God:

"To keep me [Paul] from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me." (2 Corinthians 12:7 NIV)

5. Satan attacks Christian unity with division:

"I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.
What I mean is this: One of you says, 'I follow Paul'; another, 'I follow Apollos'; another, 'I follow Cephas'; still another, 'I follow Christ.'
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptised into the name of Paul?" (1 Corinthians 1:10-13 NIV)

6. Satan leads into worldliness:

"For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-- comes not from the Father but from the world." (1 John 2:16 NIV)

7. Satan leads into rebellion against God:

"Then Peter said, 'Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?'" (Acts 5:3 NIV)

8. Satan blinds unbelievers to God's truths:

"The god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Corinthians 4:4 NIV)

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The Believer's Battle Against Temptation

"Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin,
Each vict'ry will help you some other to win;
Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue,
Look ever to Jesus--He'll carry you through.

Ask the Savior to help you, comfort, strengthen and keep you;
He is willing to aid you--He will carry you through."
(Horatio R. Palmer, "Yield Not To Temptation", Great Hymns of the Faith, 364)

1. Know who you are in Christ:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. . .
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:3-7,13-14 NIV).

2. Test the spirits of influence:

3. Know that being tempted is not the same as sinning:

"For we do not have a high priest [Jesus] who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin." (Hebrews 4:15 NIV)

4. Be alert to temptation:

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8 NIV)

5. Look for God's way out:

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV)

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7 NIV)

"Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (1 Peter 5:9 NIV).

6. Defeating the three sources of temptation:

a. Flee temptations of the flesh:

"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body." (1 Corinthians 6:18 NIV)

"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22 NIV)

b. Overcome worldly temptations by renewed thinking:

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2 NIV)

c. Resist satanic temptations as Jesus did, with God's Word:

(See Jesus' example in Lesson Two point 3, above.)

7. Rely on the Lord's armor and weapons:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For 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.
Therefore put on the full armour 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.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:10-17 NIV)

8. Pray for strength and deliverance for yourself and for others:

"And 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." (Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV)

Pray: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:13 NIV)

NOTE: For further information on spiritual warfare, see the devotions on "Spiritual Warfare and Weapons".

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A Trip Through the New Testament

God Has A Plan of Salvation For Sinners
Jesus Christ Is The Way Of God's Salvation
Living For Jesus Part I
Living For Jesus Part II

Instructions For This Lesson:

The verses listed for this lesson can be marked in any Bible in the following manner:

Go through the list in order. Begin with John 3:16 and write "start" in the margin. Underline the passage in your Bible. Write next to each verse the page number for the next reference in the list. Do this for all 25 verses. Write "end" in the margin next to the last verse. If you return to the same Bible page during your marking, write a 1, 2, etc. by the appropriate references from their order in the list.

How To Use This Verse List:

1. Review God's plan and blessings for you personally. Memorize the verses.

2. Mark Bibles to give away as witnessing tools. Try to go through the verses with the person you are giving the Bible to. If there is no time to do so, be confident in the power of God's Word to communicate his truths and in his power to answer your prayers for the recipient.

3. Mark even foreign language Bibles to give away. You can do this as long as the language uses Arabic numerals. Compare book lengths, chapters, and verses to underline properly. This is a great way to witness across a language barrier!.

God Has A Plan of Salvation For Sinners

1. John 3:16, New International Version:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

2. John 10:10b, NIV:

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

3. Romans 3:23-24, NIV:

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

4. Romans 6:23, NIV:

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

5. Romans 5:8, NIV:

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

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Jesus Christ Is The Way Of God's Salvation

6. John 14:6, NIV:

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.'"

7. John 1:12, NIV:

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God"

8. Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV:

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no-one can boast."

9. Revelation 3:20, NIV:

"Here I am! I [Jesus] stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

10. 1 John 5:11-14, NIV:

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."

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Living For Jesus Part I

11. John 14:15-17, 21, NIV:

"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.. . .Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

12. Luke 11:13, NIV:

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

13. Colossians 1:10-14, NIV:

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

14. 2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV:

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

15. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV:

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

16. John 15:7, NIV:

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."

17. Acts 17:11, NIV:

"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."

18. 2 Peter 1:5-8, NIV:

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

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Living For Jesus Part II

19. Galatians 5:16-17, 22-25, NIV:

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

20. Acts 1:8, NIV:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

21. Hebrews 10:25, NIV:

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

22. Ephesians 3:16-21, NIV:

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

23. Hebrews 13:5-6, NIV:

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

24. Romans 8:37-39, NIV:

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

25. 2 Corinthians 13:11,14, NIV:

"Finally, brothers, good-bye. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. . . .May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."

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Who Is The Holy Spirit?

"I believe in the Holy Spirit."
(From: "Apostles' Creed", Psalter Hymnal, 1987, by CRC Publications, p. 813)

"Every time we say, 'I believe in the Holy Spirit,' we mean that we believe that there is a living God able and willing to enter human personality and change it." (J.B. Phillips in Plain Christianity, as quoted in The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, by R.C. Sproul [Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1990], p. 22)

The Identity of the Holy Spirit
Some General Roles of the Holy Spirit
What the Holy Spirit Does for the Believer
The Believer's Responses to the Work of the Holy Spirit

The Identity of the Holy Spirit

1. The Holy Spirit is God:

a. He is the Spirit of Jesus Christ:

"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." (Romans 8:9 New International Version)

b. The Bible identifies him as God:

Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? . . .You have not lied to men but to God." (Acts 5:3-4 NIV)

2. The Bible presents God as Trinity (one God in three persons):

NOTE: Please see The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, by R.C. Sproul, chapters 3 and 4 for a thorough examination of the doctrine of the Trinity.

"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God [the Father], and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV)

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19 NIV)

3. The Holy Spirit is a Person, referred to as "he":

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." (John 16:13 NIV)

4. Some names of the Holy Spirit:

NOTE: Please see The Names of the Holy Spirit by Elmer L. Towns, [Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1994] for an exhaustive study on the names of the Holy Spirit in the Bible.

a. Isaiah 11:2 (several names):

"The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD." (Isaiah 11:2 NIV)

b. Counsellor (or Comforter or Helper):

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever." (John 14:16 NIV)

c. the anointing:

"As for you, the anointing you received from [Jesus] remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him. (1 John 2:27 NIV)

d. the Spirit of truth:

"And I [Jesus] will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:16-17 NIV)

5. Some characteristics of the Holy Spirit:

a. He is eternal:

"How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" (Hebrews 9:14 NIV)

b. He is omnipresent (present everywhere):

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?" (Psalms 139:7 NIV)

c. He is omniscient (all-knowing):

"But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no-one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." (1 Corinthians 2:10-11 NIV)

6. Some symbols of the Holy Spirit

"The high priest was to be anointed with oil symbolizing the pouring out of the Spirit on the church to empower it for service. Jesus was anointed by the Spirit [in the form of a dove] for His public ministry, and after He ascended into heaven, He sent the Spirit to His disciples. In the form of fire, the Spirit anointed Christ's chosen vessels, equipping them for their work of service to the Lord and preparing them to proclaim the Gospel." (Tabletalk, by Ligonier Ministries, July 1998, p. 48)

a. the oil of anointing for office:

"And take some of the blood on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron [the high priest] and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated." (Exodus 29:21 NIV)

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." (Isaiah 61:1 NIV)

b. a dove:

"As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove." (Mark 1:10 NIV)

c. fire:

"They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:3-4a NIV)

d. water:

"On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." (John 7:37-39 NIV)

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Some General Roles of the Holy Spirit

Creator Spirit, by whose aid

the world's foundations first were laid,

come visit every pious mind;

come, pour thy joys on humankind;

from sin and sorrow set us free

and make thy temples worthy thee.

("Creator Spirit by Whose Aid," by John Dryden, Psalter Hymnal, 1987, by CRC Publications, No. 425)

1. Participation in creation:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." (Genesis 1:1-2 NIV)

"The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life." (Job 33:4 NIV)

"When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth." (Psalms 104:30 NIV)

2. Inspiration of the Bible:

"Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21 NIV)

"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:17 NIV)

These are the last words of David: "The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel's singer of songs: 'The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.'" (2 Samuel 23:1-2 NIV)

3. Influence in the life of Jesus Christ on earth:

a. At Jesus' birth:

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born [Jesus] will be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35 NIV)

b. At Jesus' baptism:

"At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove." (Mark 1:9-10 NIV)

c. During Jesus' ministry:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed." (Luke 4:18 NIV)

d. At Jesus' death:

"How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" (Hebrews 9:14 NIV)

e. At Jesus' resurrection:

"And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." (Romans 8:11 NIV)

4. Empowers people for God (Note the difference between before and after Pentecost--Acts 2):

a. Before Pentecost:

The Holy Spirit came upon people temporarily, to enable them to fulfill a special task for God. Example:

"The Spirit of the LORD came upon [Samson] in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done." (Judges 14:6 NIV)

b. After the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost:

Once the Holy Spirit enters and lives within a person at their conversion to Jesus Christ, he remains living there and doesn't leave. Example:

"But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:55 NIV)

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" (1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV)

5. Brings people to salvation in Christ:

NOTE: This section is adapted from Max Anders, The Holy Spirit: Knowing Our Comforter, [Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995], p. 27.

a. He convicts people of sin:

"When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment." (John 16:8 NIV)

b. He causes them to be born again (regeneration):

"He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5 NIV)

c. He comes to live within every new believer (indwelling or baptism of the Holy Spirit):

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38 NIV)

d. He baptises them into the body of Christ (the church):

"For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." (1 Corinthians 12:13 NIV)

e. He seals them or guarantees their eternal salvation:

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV)

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What the Holy Spirit Does for the Believer

"When we are down, [the Holy Spirit] helps us up. When we need a shove, He gets us moving in the right direction. When we need wisdom, He opens our mind to God's Word. He helps us witness to Jesus both by opening the door of opportunity and by giving us the words to share." (Anders, p. 20)

1. Helps to understand God's Word:

We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words." (1 Corinthians 2:12-13 NIV)

2. Teaches:

"But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26 NIV)

3. Guides and counsels:

"those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." (Romans 8:14 NIV)

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth." (John 16:13a NIV)

4. Assures believers they are God's children through Christ:

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." (Romans 8:15-16 NIV)

5. Intercedes:

6. Encourages:

"Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord." (Acts 9:31 NIV)

7. Makes holy (or sanctifies):

"But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth." (2 Thessalonians 2:13 NIV)

8. Helps witness about Christ:

"When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning." (John 15:26-27 NIV)

9. Produces spiritual fruit:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13 NIV).

10. Gives spiritual gifts:

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." (1 Corinthians 12:4-7 NIV)

11. Empowers:

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being." (Ephesians 3:16 NIV)

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The Believer's Response to the Work of the Holy Spirit

"Since the Holy Spirit is with you, beloved, in all your learning ask him to teach you, in all your suffering ask him to sustain you, in all your teaching ask him to give you the right words; in all your witness-bearing ask him to give you constant wisdom, and in all service depend upon him for his help."
(Charles Haddon Spurgeon, "The Paraclete--John 14:16," A Sermon delivered on October 6, 1872 at the Metroplitan Tabernacle, Newington, Spurgeons' Encyclopedia of Sermons)

1. Treat your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit:

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV)

2. Do not grieve or quench the Holy Spirit:

NOTE: These are examples of what grieves the Holy Spirit: unbelief, disobedience, forgetting God, grumbling, pride, hypocrisy, legalism, doubt, cherishing idols, refusal to yield to Him, dishonoring Scripture, and disunity among believers.
(Summarized from: "Nine Things That Grieve the Holy Spirit" by Lorraine Pintus, and "Still More Things That Grieve the Holy Spirit" by A.B. Simpson in Discipleship Journal Issue 91, pp. 60-63)

"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30 NIV)

"Do not put out the Spirit's fire." (1 Thessalonians 5:19 NIV)

3. Pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit:

NOTE: Believers have the indwelling Holy Spirit with them at all times, but must choose to respond to Him continually and so be filled with him.

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18 NIV)

"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." (Acts 4:31 NIV)

4. Repent of sin:

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." (Acts 3:19 NIV)

5. Respond to truth:

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32 NIV)

6. Follow the Holy Spirit's leading:

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:24-25 NIV)

7. Minister as the Spirit enables:

"I [Paul] became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. (Ephesians 3:7 NIV)

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it." (Ephesians 4:2-7 NIV)

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The Fruit of the Spirit

"The fruit of the Spirit cannot grow on a dead tree. If the root of the tree is not made alive, then it cannot bear fruit. We cannot make the mistake of confusing natural temperaments with the fruit of the Spirit. A person might be soft-spoken, patient and kind, but unless these come from a living faith [in Jesus Christ], they are not fruit of the Spirit. Only those who believe in Christ can bear spiritual fruit, for barren soil cannot bear life." (Tabletalk, by Ligonier Ministries, August 1998, p. 28)

Produce Spiritual Fruit
Spiritual Fruit Results From Our Relationship with God
Spiritual Fruit is Revealed in Relationships with Others
Spiritual Fruit is Represented by Individual Attitudes and Behavior

Produce Spiritual Fruit

"The fruit of the Spirit are character qualities that God possesses and that the Holy Spirit imparts to us as we live in trusting obedience to Jesus." (Max Anders, The Holy Spirit: Knowing Our Comforter, [Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995], p. 146)

1. What spiritual fruit is:

a. Character traits which illustrate spiritual fruit in action:

NOTE: Lessons Two, Three, and Four will focus on these qualities individually.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23 New International Version)

b. Spiritual fruitfulness results from a close relationship with God:

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (Psalms 1:1-3 NIV)

c. The heart's attitude is a source of spiritual fruit:

"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognised by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn-bushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:43-45 NIV)

2. How spiritual fruit is produced:

a. Spiritual fruit is produced by a life of faith in Jesus Christ:

"I [Jesus] am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. . . .Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. . . .This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:1,4-5,8 NIV)

b. Spiritual fruit results from following the leading of the Holy Spirit (who lives within believers):

"So then, dear friends,the point is this: The law no longer holds you in its power, because you died to its power when you died with Christ on the cross. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead [Jesus Christ]. As a result, you can produce good fruit, that is, good deeds for God. When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died with Christ, and we are no longer captive to its power. Now we can really serve God, not in the old way by obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way, by the Spirit." (Romans 7:4-6 New Living Translation)

3. The importance of producing spiritual fruit:

a. God commands us to bear spiritual fruit:

"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." (Matthew 3:8 NIV)

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last." (John 15:16a NIV)

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God." (Colossians 1:10 NIV)

b. Unfruitfulness will be eternally judged:

" [The Father] cuts off every branch in me [Jesus] that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. . . .If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." (John 15:2,6 NIV)

"The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 3:10 NIV)

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Spiritual Fruit Results From Our Relationship with God

1. Love:

"Love is the doorway through which the human soul passes from selfishness to service and from solitude to kinship with all mankind."
(Anonymous, 12,000 Religious Quotations, ed. by Frank S. Mead [Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, reprint 1989], p. 274)

a. Definition:

"Love is the steady direction of our will toward the lasting good of another." (Anders, p. 147)

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV)

b. Biblical example--God:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16 NIV)

c. Biblical instructions:

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. . . .And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John 4:7-8,21 NIV)

Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV)

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35 NIV)

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." (Colossians 3:12-15, NIV)

2. Joy:

"Joy is the echo of God's life within us."
(Joseph Marmion, Orthodoxy, quoted in Mead, p. 258)

a. Definition:

"Joy is a deep sense of well-being that is not dependent upon favorable circumstances, but rooted in a fundamental acceptance of, and confidence in, the will of God." (Anders, p. 151)

b. Biblical example--Jesus:

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2 NIV)

c. Biblical references:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4 NIV)

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17 NIV)

"I [Jesus] have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." (John 15:11 NIV)

"Though you have not seen him [Jesus], you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:8-9 NIV)

3. Peace:

"Drop thy still dews of quietness

till all our striving cease;

Take from our souls the strain and stress,

And let our ordered lives confess

The beauty of thy Peace."

(John Greenleaf Whittier, quoted in Mead, p. 328)

a. Definition:

"Peace is the absence of anxiety and the presence of trusting assurance in the promises of God." (Anders, p. 153)

b. Biblical example--Jesus:

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he [Jesus] will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6 NIV)

"Peace I [Jesus] leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27 NIV)

c. Biblical instructions:

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2 NIV)

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." (Isaiah 26:3 NIV)

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." (Romans 12:18 NIV)

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9 NIV)

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Spiritual Fruit is Revealed in Relationships with Others

1. Patience:

"Patience is the transcendent radiance of a loving and tender heart which, in its dealings with those around it, looks kindly and graciously upon them. Patience graciously, compassionately, and with understanding judges the faults of others without unjust criticism. Patience also includes perseverance--the ability to bear up under weariness, strain, and persecution when doing the work of the Lord."
(Billy Graham, The Faithful Christian, as quoted in God's Treasury of Virtues, [Tulsa, OK: Honor Books, Inc., 1995], p. 154)

a. Definition:

"Patience is the ability to endure unpleasant people or circumstances for a higher cause." (Anders, p. 160)

b. Biblical example--the prophets and Job:

"Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." (James 5:10-11 NIV)

c. Biblical instructions:

"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near." (James 5:7-8 NIV)

"And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone." (1 Thessalonians 5:14 NIV)

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:12 NIV)

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." (Colossians 1:10-12 NIV)

2. Kindness:

"The greatest thing a man can do for his heavenly Father is to be kind to some of His other children."
(Henry Drummond, quoted in Mead, p. 264)

a. Definition:

"Kindness is treating others well in word and deed." (Anders, p. 162)

b. Biblical example--God:

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6-7 NIV)

c. Biblical instructions:

"Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else." (1 Thessalonians 5:15 NIV)

"And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." (2 Timothy 2:24 NIV)

"Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses. . . . in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love." (2 Corinthians 6:4,6 NIV)

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV)

3. Goodness:

"Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can."

(John Wesley, as quoted in God's Treasury of Virtues, p. 269)

a. Definition:

"Goodness is doing that which is beneficial to others." (Anders, p. 165)

b. Biblical example--God:

"But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, 'You are my God.'. . . .How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you." (Psalms 31:14,19 NIV)

c. Biblical instructions:

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)" (Ephesians 5:8-9 NIV)

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge." (2 Peter 1:5 NIV)

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9 NIV)

"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." (Hebrews 13:16 NIV)

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Spiritual Fruit is Represented by Individual Attitudes and Behavior

1. Faithfulness:

"God's question on the last day will not be, 'How much were you noticed?' Or even, 'How much did you do?' Rather, His question will be, 'Were you faithful in fulfilling your calling where I placed you?' The question with God is not how obscure or prominent a place we occupy, but how faithful we are.

We must strive to be more faithful one day at a time in taking time for others, in doing deeds of kindness, in performing the small everyday run of things faithfully. We must see such as our primary responsibility. Then, says Jesus, the big things will also be taken care of. By the faithfulness with which we fulfill the common daily duties, we make the character which we will have to spend in eternity."
(John M. Drescher, quoted in God's Treasury of Virtues, pp. 303-304)

a. Definition:

"Faithfulness is being reliable in doing what you should do." (Anders, p.166)

b. Biblical example--Moses:

"He [Jesus] was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house." (Hebrews 3:2 NIV)

c. Biblical instructions:

"So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today--to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul--then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil." (Deuteronomy 11:13-14 NIV)

"It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you." (3 John 3-5 NIV)

"Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10 NIV)

"His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'" (Matthew 25:23 NIV)

2. Gentleness:

"The word gentle was rarely heard before the Christian era, and the word gentleman was not known. This high quality of character was a direct by-product of Christian faith."
(Billy Graham, as quoted in God's Treasury of Virtues, p. 386)

a. Definition:

"Gentleness is treating others carefully, with respect and sensitivity." (Anders, p. 167)

b. Biblical example--Paul and his companions:

"As apostles of Christ we [Paul, Silas, Timothy] could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children." (1 Thessalonians 2:6b-7 NIV)

c. Biblical instructions:

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." (Ephesians 4:2 NIV)

"But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." (1 Timothy 6:11 NIV)

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (1 Peter 3:15-16 NIV)

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." (Philippians 4:5 NIV)

3. Self-control:

"I choose self-control. . . .I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control."
(Max Lucado, When God Whispers Your Name, quoted in God's Treasury of Virtues, p. 433)

a. Definition:

"Self-control is the ability to resist immediate gratification for the sake of a higher goal." (Anders, p. 169)

b. Biblical example--Paul:

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIV)

c. Biblical instructions:

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8 NIV)

"The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." (1 Peter 4:7 NIV)

"But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet." (1 Thessalonians 5:8 NIV)

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:13 NIV)

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Rocks, Stones, and Gems in the Bible

The study for this lesson focuses on the study of the imagery of rocks, stones, and gems as used in the Bible. The study will not be exhaustive but will hopefully inspire you to examine these and other images and themes in the Bible on your own.
Not every object in the Bible has significance as a Bible theme, but rocks and similar images, used throughout the Bible, are an interesting and beneficial subject of study:

(James B. Jordan, Through New Eyes: Developing a Biblical View of the World, [Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc., 1988], pp. 69, 78)

The Bible's second chapter and second-to-last chapter both contain images of gems and stones:

Genesis 2:11-12

"And he [the angel] carried me [John] away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. . .The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass." (Revelation 21:10-14,18 NIV)

Rocks, Stones, and Gems Describing God and His Own
Rocks and Stones of Protection and Foundation
Rocks and Stones of Judgment
Rocks, Stones, and Gems Used In Worship

Rocks, Stones, and Gems Describing God and His Own

The Lord liveth,
and blessed be the Rock,
And let the God of my salvation be exalted.

(MIchael O' Shields, "I Will Call Upon the Lord," The Celebration Hymnal, [Word / Integrity, 1997], No. 530)

1. God the Rock:

"He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." (Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV)

"There is no-one holy like the LORD; there is no-one besides you; there is no Rock like our God." (1 Samuel 2:2 NIV)

"Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me." (Psalms 31:3 NIV)

"From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I." (Psalms 61:2 NIV)

"The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him." (Psalms 92:15 NIV)

"Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water." (Psalms 114:7-8 NIV)

"At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne." (Revelation 4:2-3 NIV)

2. Christ the Rock:

"Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation." (Psalms 95:1 NIV)

"The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;" (Psalms 118:22 NIV)

"So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.'" (Isaiah 28:16 NIV)

"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn;" (Isaiah 51:1 NIV)

As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." (Romans 9:33 NIV)

"They [the Israelites] all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:3-4 NIV)

"As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:4-5 NIV)

3. Contrast to false gods:

"This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession." (Deuteronomy 7:5-6 NIV)

"You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold." (Deuteronomy 29:17 NIV)

"How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up? For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede. . .
He will say: 'Now where are their gods, the rock they took refuge in, the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up to help you! Let them give you shelter!'" (Deuteronomy 32:30-31, 37-38 NIV)

"For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?" (Psalms 18:31 NIV)

4. Believers as God's precious stones:

Like the stars of the morning
His bright crown adorning;
They shall shine in their beauty--
Bright gems for His crown.

(William O. Cushing, "When He Cometh," Great Hymns of the Faith, [Grand Rapids, MI: Singspiration Inc. and Zondervan Publishing House, 1968], no. 150)

"O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. (Isaiah 54:11-12 NIV)

"The LORD their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown." (Zechariah 9:16 NIV)

"The foundations of the city walls [the New Jerusalem] were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst." (Revelation 21:19-20 NIV)

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Rocks and Stones of Protection and Foundation

"Fear not, I am with you; O be not dismayed,
for I am your God and will still give you aid;
I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

"The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, thought all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake!"

(J. Rippon, "How Firm a Foundation," Psalter Hymnal, 1987, by CRC Publications, No. 500)

1. God, the protecting Rock:

Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen." (Exodus 33:21-23 NIV)

He said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour--from violent men you save me." (2 Samuel 22:2-3 NIV)

"He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I shall never be shaken." (Psalms 62:2 NIV)

"You have forgotten God your Saviour; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress." (Isaiah 17:10a NIV)

2. Proper foundations:

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine [Jesus] and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." (Matthew 7:24-25 NIV)

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock [Peter's confession of Jesus as Christ] I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:15-18 NIV)

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22 NIV)

3. Stones as guards:

"Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well's mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well." (Genesis 29:1-3 NIV)

"Do not move your neighbour's boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess." (Deuteronomy 19:14 NIV)

"Joseph took the body [of Jesus], wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. . .
So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it." (Matthew 27:59-60, 66 and 28:2 NIV)

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Rocks and Stones of Judgment

judgment.

(Jordan p. 72)

1. Stones of execution:

"You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery." (Deuteronomy 13:9-10 NIV)

"Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. Joshua said, 'Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today.'
Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger." (Joshua 7:24-26a NIV)

"David said to the Philistine, 'You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. . . '
Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine [Goliath] on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him." (1 Samuel 17:45, 49-50 NIV)

Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied round his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin." (Luke 17:1-2 NIV)

"From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible." (Revelation 16:21 NIV)

2. Christ, the Judgment Stone:

"You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue--an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching, a rock [Christ's Kingdom] was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing-floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth." (Daniel 2:31-35 NIV)

"Look, your house is left to you desolate. . ."
Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." (Matthew 23:38; 24:1-2 NIV)

Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written:

'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone'? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."
The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. (Luke 20:17-19 NIV)

"Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,' and, 'A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.' They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for." (1 Peter 2:7-8 NIV)

3. Stones of persecution:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I [Jesus] have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." (Matthew 23:37 NIV)

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:55-60 NIV)

"Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered round him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe." (Acts 14:19-20 NIV)

"They [people of faith] were stoned; they were sawn in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and ill-treated-- "(Hebrews 11:37 NIV)

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Rocks, Stones, and Gems Used In Worship

(Robert Robinson, "Come, Thou Fount," Great Hymns of the Faith, No. 17)

1. Altars:

"Build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. Do not use any iron tool upon them. Build the altar of the LORD your God with stones from the field and offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God." (Deuteronomy 27:5-6 NIV)

"Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, 'Your name shall be Israel.' With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench round it large enough to hold two seahs of seed." (1 Kings 18:31-32 NIV)

2. Stones of remembrance:

When he [Jacob] reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. . .Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel." (Genesis 28:11, 18-19 NIV)

When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, "Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight."
So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, "Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, `What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel for ever." (Joshua 4:1-7 NIV)

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us." (1 Samuel 7:12 NIV)

3. Worship elements:

a. The Word:

The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I have written for their instruction." (Exodus 24:12 NIV)

"When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God." (Exodus 31:18 NIV)

b. The high priest's garments:

"Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel in the order of their birth--six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the LORD." (Exodus 28:9-12 NIV)

"Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions--the work of a skilled craftsman. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. It is to be square--a span long and a span wide--and folded double. Then mount four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row there shall be a ruby, a topaz and a beryl; in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald; in the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; in the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper. Mount them in gold filigree settings. There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes." (Exodus 28:15-21 NIV)

4. Believers' acts of worship:

"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God." (Ezekiel 36:25-28 NIV)

"By the grace God has given me, I [Paul] laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no-one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work." (1 Corinthians 3:10-13 NIV)

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple." (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NIV)

"you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5 NIV)

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

(Edward Mote, "The Solid Rock," The Celebration Hymnal, [Word / Integrity, 1997], No. 526)

On Your Own:

1. God is solid, firm, and unchanging. He is committed to being there for you at all times. The Bible was written by people of the rocky, mountainous land of Palestine. Rocks surrounded them. As they heard and read of God, the true Rock, they would constantly recall his presence and his teachings. Rocks would remind them to shape their lives in obedience to God. What reminds you to worship and obey God?

2. As the Bible begins and ends with stones and jewels, so even the path of our study of rocks, stones, and gems imagery has led to Christ. If your path in life has not yet led you to the solid Rock of Christ, please click on the link "Steps to Salvation" below to begin your journey of knowing Him. It will change your life forever!

3. Worship the Lord, the Rock, with prayers and songs (like these):

4. God uses parts of creation to point to his glory and to the way of salvation. Other paths of Bible imagery to explore on your own may include: water, light and darkness, trees and vegetation, animals and birds, and others. Enjoy exploring!

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An Introduction to the End Times

"I believe in Jesus Christ [who]. . .is seated at the right hand of God the Father, almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. . .
I believe in . . .the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting."
(From: "Apostle's Creed", Psalter Hymnal, [Grand Rapids, MI: CRC Publications, 1987], p. 813)

"Why study the subject of end times? Some of us have a fascination with numbers, dates, mysterious events and secret meanings to veiled prophecies. But others find "end times" study too complicated and so avoid it.
The study of end times is a very personal subject. It addresses fundamental questions which every person asks: What will happen when I die? Will the world end with a fizzle or a bang? Does my work in this world have any lasting significance? Why be good if the world will be blown up anyway? What will heaven be like? And who will go there?. . .
These studies may not satisfy the longing for some to have a fixed timetable of end-times events or a comprehensive chart that coordinates all the images and metaphors of Scripture. But we will soon discover that all we needto know is clear. And not only clear but immensely helpful to live life in Christ fully both now and forever."
(Paul Stevens, End Times: Practical Heavenly Mindedness, A Lifeguide Bible Study, [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994], pp. 8-9)

What Beliefs do Christians Share About the End Times?
What Are the Four Different Views of the Millennium and the End Times?
How Do Believers Prepare for the End Times?
An Introduction to the End Times Bible Studies

What Beliefs do Christians Share About the End Times?

"[F]undamental and evangelical amillennialists, premillennialists, and postmillnennialists are brothers and sisters in Christ who share a belief in the character and power of God, the deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit, the inspiration of Scripture, the depravity of humanity, salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, and the responsibility to proclaim the message of salvation until Jesus returns. If we share that much in common, we are indeed members of one another in the body of Christ."
(Max Anders, Bible Prophecy, [Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1997] Lesson 12)

1. Basic definitions of words used in speaking about the end times:

a. apocalypse = "revelation" or "unveiling" (Greek)
b. eschatology = the study of end time events (Greek)
c. millennium = from mille for 1000 (Latin)
d. parousia = the second coming of Christ (Greek)
e. rapture = "catching up" of believers to meet Christ when he returns (from the Latin translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:17)

Table of contents of devotions on our Web site:

Series on the Apostle's Creed

Series on Discipleship

The Bible

Prayer

Worship & Fellowship

Spiritual Warfare

Evangelism

Series on Eschatology

Spiritual Warfare and Weapons, Part 1

Discerning Evil

Combatting Evil Influences

The Believer's Defensive Armor, Part 1

The Believer's Defensive Armor, Part 2

Spiritual Warfare and Weapons, Part 2

The Believer's Weapon of the Word of God

The Believer's Use of Prayer in the Spirit

Other Spiritual Weapons, Part 1

Other Spiritual Weapons, Part 2

Temptation

Meet the Tempter and His Assistants

Examples of Temptation in the Bible

Discerning Satan's Techniques of Temptation

The Believer's Battle Against Temptation

A Trip Through the New Testament

How To Use This Verse List:

God Has A Plan of Salvation For Sinners

Jesus Christ Is The Way Of God's Salvation

Living For Jesus Part I

Living For Jesus Part II

Who Is The Holy Spirit?

The Identity of the Holy Spirit

Some General Roles of the Holy Spirit

What the Holy Spirit Does for the Believer

The Believer's Response to the Work of the Holy Spirit

The Fruit of the Spirit

Produce Spiritual Fruit

Spiritual Fruit Results From Our Relationship with God

Spiritual Fruit is Revealed in Relationships with Others

Spiritual Fruit is Represented by Individual Attitudes and Behavior

Rocks, Stones, and Gems in the Bible

Rocks, Stones, and Gems Describing God and His Own

Rocks and Stones of Protection and Foundation

Rocks and Stones of Judgment

Rocks, Stones, and Gems Used In Worship

An Introduction to the End Times

What Beliefs do Christians Share About the End Times?