by Frank Hamrick With Contributions By Steve Braswell & Jeff Hedgepeth

Transcription

1 by Frank Hamrick With Contributions By Steve Braswell & Jeff Hedgepeth

2 Independent In Operation Baptist In Polity And Doctrine Fundamental In Position Separated By Conviction Copyright 1996 by Positive Action For Christ, Inc., P.O. Box 1948, 833 Falls Road, Rocky Mount, NC All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced in any manner without permission in writing from the publisher. Third Printing 2002 Printed In the United States of America ISBN: Edited by Kraig Keck Editorial Assistance by Colleen Rose and Connie Carlson Layout and design by Shannon Brown Published by 2

3 Contents The Spiritual Conflict Chaper 1 The Spiritual War Chaper 2 The Stakes Are High! Chaper 3 God s Strategy vs. Satan s Strategy Chaper 4 The Christian Soldier Chaper 5 Living By Biblical Principles (Part 1) Chaper 6 Living By Biblical Principles (Part 2) Chaper 7 What s The Right Thing To Do? Battlefield #1: Entertainment Chaper 8 Dancing Chaper 9 What Your Eyes Should See Chaper 10 TV, Sex, And Violence Chaper 11 Control Or Be Controlled Chaper 12 Music And Communication Chaper 13 But I Don t Listen To The Words Chaper 14 What s A Christian To Do? Battlefield #2: Appearance Chaper 15 The Principle Of Modesty Chaper 16 The Principle Of Identification Battlefield #3: Stimulants Chaper 17 Physical Stimulants Chaper 18 The Boredom Cycle Chaper 19 The Great Escape Chaper 20 Alcohol And Drugs Chaper 21 Smoking Chaper 22 Proper Attitudes Toward Sex Battlefield #4: The Occult Chaper 23 The Bible And The Occult Chaper 24 Astrology Battlefield #5: Self-Image Chaper 25 You ve Caught It Too Chaper 26 How It All Happened Chaper 27 The World s System Of Evaluation Chaper 28 Steps To Developing A Godly Self-Image Chaper 29 God Loves You! Chaper 30 Living By A Godly Self-Image

4 Preface Do you feel like you re facing constant spiritual battles in the choices you make every day? Don t be surprised. Scripture promises that the Christian life is spiritual warfare, and you ll face many of those battles for the first time in your teenage years. While this study focuses on many of those specific arenas of struggle, believers may stand with peace and confidence. We know that our God is a strong tower who will defend us and enable us to win the victory. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the believers at Ephesus and in it included these words: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:10 12). Many Christians are unaware of the seriousness of this great spiritual struggle in which they are engaged. Commenting on this passage to his London congregation one Sunday morning, Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones said we need to understand: What it means when it says that we are wrestling, not against flesh and blood, but against these spiritual powers and potentates, these principalities, these unseen hordes of wickedness that are at the back of evil, controlling the minds of evil men and all their activities, and that are set against us in order to try to defeat us, to spoil our Christian lives and bring 4

5 the whole of the Gospel into disrepute. Such occupation on our part is essential. A man who does not understand the nature of the problem he is confronting is a man who is already doomed to failure... So we have to realize that we are called, in the Christian life, to a battle, not to a life of ease; to a battle, to a warfare, to wrestling, to a struggle (D. Martyn Lloyd Jones, The Christian Soldier, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1978, p. 12). Are you already doomed to failure in your Christian life? As Dr. Lloyd Jones pointed out, you are if you are unaware of the great spiritual struggle going on all around you. God and Satan are involved in a mammoth struggle today. It is a fight to the end, and both are intent upon winning the war. This study has been written to awaken teens to the reality of the Christian warfare and to equip them with the ammunition essential to victory over their powerful opponent. We will examine the nature of our conflict with Satan, and focus on five battlefields on which all Christian teens will face the onslaughts of the Wicked One. It is our prayer that this book will be used of the Lord, our Commander, to raise up many soldiers in His army who will, at the end of their term of service, be able to say with the Apostle Paul, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith (2 Tim. 4:7). 5

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7 1 The Spiritual Conflict

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9 Chapter 1 The Spiritual War As we begin this year in ProTeens, we first want to lay a biblical foundation for our study of the spiritual conflict in which all Christians are engaged. Then we will look at the five major battlefields on which this war is waged. In this lesson we will learn: The battlefields for Christian teens How we know we are in a war The type of war we are in How the war began The enemy s primary methods Five Battlefields For Teens: 9

10 Before we discuss each battlefield, we need to understand four basic facts. Every Christian Teen 1. is a in the war against Satan and the forces of evil. 2. each day either or experiences a in his or her own Christian battle. 3. is one whom God wants to have 4. can be a Christian by and biblical principles. How Do We Know That We Are In A War? We have an (1 Pet. 5:8). We are called (2 Tim. 2:3 4). We are to and to wear (Ephesians 6:10, 11, 13). We are to be (1 Tim. 6:12). What Kind Of War Is This? It is not a battle. It is a battle. It is not a battle that can be seen. It is a battle that can only be won in the mind and in the soul by true spiritual strength. How Did This War Begin? 1. It involved a creature named. God s creature (Ezek. 28:12) A musician (Ezek. 28:13) A cherub (Ezek. 28:14, 17) 10

11 2. It began with Satan s desire for. Satan s I Wills (Isa. 14:12 14) I Will... into the third heaven. raise my throne above the of God. sit in the sides of the north. ascend above the of the clouds be like the God s I Wills (Ezek. 28:16 18) I Will... of the mountain of God. you. to the earth. make you a before kings. make come from you and consume you. bring you to. What Is Satan s Primary Target? The one creature made. What Are Satan s Primary Methods? Satan attacks teens in three major areas. Note that each of these areas corresponds to the three major strengths with which Satan was created. 11

12 Wisdom Satan says, You re too smart to believe God! Music Satan says, Music can t hurt you! Beauty Satan says, You re too good looking to waste your life on the Lord! Challenge Whose side are you on? There is a war going on for your mind, your body, and your very soul! The battle is real and your whole future is at stake. By following the Lord you die to popularity, wealth, and possessions. However, you gain peace, joy, and a purpose for living. You must choose the side for which you will fight. Level One And Level Two We learned in this lesson that Satan s primary target is the one creature made in God s own image man. You may ask, Why does Satan hate man so much? Read the following passages and then answer the questions below. Why We Have An Enemy. Isaiah 14: Corinthians 4:3 4 1 Peter 5:8 9 What is Satan s ultimate goal? 12

13 How can blinding the unsaved help Satan reach this goal? How does devouring the saved aid Satan s cause? 13

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15 Chapter 2 The Stakes are High The spiritual warfare in which we are engaged is still a life and death battle. We may emerge as victors, or we may emerge with our lives dashed to pieces in defeat! In this lesson we will learn: What is involved in this spiritual conflict The seriousness of this holy war Your Health Is Involved 1 Corinthians 11:30 Partaking unworthily of the Lord s Supper can lead to your being... (physical weakness) (physical illness) Numbers 12:1 16 Miriam murmured (complained) against Moses in disobedience to God and became a leper. Your Happiness Is Involved The only way for us to be truly happy is to before God (Ps. 32:5) so that He can completely forgive them by covering them with Christ s blood (Ps. 32:1). 15

16 The happy man is the man, while the man is nothing but miserable. Your Life Span Is Involved Taught: Illustrated: Explained: Many Christians (die) because of persistent disobedience (1 Cor. 11:30). (Deut. 34:1 8) (Acts 5:5, 10) Sin ruins the of Christ (2 Sam. 12:14). Sin ruins your for Christ (1 Pet. 2:12, 15). Your Destiny Is Involved An incorruptible (1 Pet. 1:4) and fiery indignation (Heb. 10:27) The Stakes Are High! God... you. wants to you. considers you a individual. Satan cares for you. wants to you. considers you a. Choose you this day whom you will serve. 16

17 Challenge Spiritual warfare is serious business! In fact, it s the most serious thing in your life. Your very health, happiness, life span, and destiny are involved. The stakes are high, and you cannot afford to play around with your life. Why not determine now that you will dedicate your life to being a faithful soldier for the Savior? Level Two Only Did you know that both God and Satan have a plan for your life? Let s examine these plans and see what effect each has on our lives. God s Plan For Man God loves man. What does John 3:16 tell you about the extent of God s love for man? According to 1 John 4:9 10, what was the greatest manifestation of the love of God that man has ever seen? God offers man blessings in this life. Read the verses listed below and write beside each the blessing that is available to people today because of the love of God. John 10:10 John 15:9 11 God has a future plan for man. What do the following verses tell you about what God has planned for His people in the future? John 14:2 3 17

18 1 John 3:2 Satan s Plan For Man Satan uses man. According to John 13:2,21 30, Satan used. What was the end result? (Acts 1:16 18) Satan seeks to destroy man. Read Job 2:1 7. How far did Satan want to go in destroying Job? According to John 8:44, what did Jesus say the Devil was from the beginning? Satan has no future plan for man. Read Revelation 20:7 15. What will be the ultimate fate of all those who follow Satan? 18