SPIRITUAL WARFARE 3.4

SECTION 3-4:

*** Satan Promotes Bitterness And Anger ***

Question:
Have you ever noticed that
some scriptures make us feel uncomfortable?
Examples:
    (Matthew 5:12) – Rejoice when you are persecuted.
    (Matthew 5:44) – Love your enemies.
    (Matthew 6:34) – Do not worry about tomorrow.

Note:
    We may love and respect God’s Word, but we
    sometimes squirm when we try to apply it to our lives.

(Matthew 6:14-15)
Forgiveness is an area where many believers struggle.
Often, they see no logical reason (humanly speaking)
to forgive; they feel their bitterness is justified.

Possible responses to these verses:
    – I have forgiven everyone so the scriptures are reminders to me.
    – These verses bother me because I have not forgiven some people.
    – These words are speaking to me,
      but I’m just not ready to deal with forgiving a certain person.
    – I think I have forgiven everyone, but I need
      this reminder about the seriousness of not forgiving others.
    – I need to forgive someone
      and I need God to help me in letting go of my bitterness.

Question:
Do you think our world today
makes it easier or harder to forgive? Why?

Note:
    Believers are not ready to receive God’s forgiveness
    as long as they are unforgiving (the scriptures are clear).

Question:
Why is forgiveness a matter of “spiritual warfare”?

1. Satan wants us to live a life of disobedience;
   when we don’t forgive, we are being disobedient.
   Obedience demands forgiving others,
   even when we don’t “feel” like being obedient.

2. We model God’s love when we forgive as He
    forgives…this weakens Satan’s influence on us.

3. When we don’t forgive,
    our witness through relationships is weakened.
    Godly relationships are a testimony of God’s work in our lives.
        (John 13:35)
            – The world will know that we belong to God
              by the way we love one another.

        (Ephesians 5:22-23)
            – Marriage relationships model Christ’s love for His church.

        (Galatians 6:2)
            – We honor God when we bear one another’s burdens.
              Question:
              What does bearing another’s burden mean to you?

4. Bitterness and anger can control us;
    we can end up living in bondage to our pain
    and never fully experience the freedom Jesus offers.
    If Satan can direct our attention to our pain and anger,
    then we take our eyes off God, and this pleases Satan.

Some questions that might help us to know if we need to forgive:
    – Do I think often about the pain someone caused me?
    – Do I experience physical symptoms
      (stomach problems, lack of appetite, insomnia, etc.)?
    – Do I want the other person to hurt before I forgive him or her?
    – Can I pray for the other person?
    – Will I rejoice if God blesses the other person?

Question:
What are some steps to take in order to forgive?
    – Ask two or three prayer partners to pray with you about the matter.
      Note:
          Enlisting prayer partners may provide the
          added strength needed to win this spiritual battle;
          Satan doesn’t want believers to forgive
          and he will fight strongly against it.

    – Meditate on God’s forgiveness of you.
      Note:
          When we think about God’s grace and how He forgives us
          repeatedly, it should be easier for us to forgive others.

    – Remember that forgiving does not justify the wrong,
      nor does it give the offender permission to hurt you again.
      Note:
          Even though God forgives His children,
          He still holds them accountable for their actions.
          (John 8:11)
              – As He forgives He says, “…leave your life of sin”.

    – Decide if you are going to either forgive, or be disobedient.
      God demands that we forgive others
      and when we do not, we are being disobedient.
      Note:
          Disobedience will not bring us joy or peace with God;
          an unforgiving, and disobedient spirit will only bring us more pain.

    – Make a decision to forgive, regardless of any feelings or emotions.
      Note:
          Making loving choices is not always dependent on emotions.
          We may not “feel” like forgiving, but we
          can make intellectual decisions to be obedient to God.
          When we obey in faithfulness, God can change our heart.

    – Pray for the other person.
      (Luke 23:34) – Look at the example from Jesus.
      Note:
          When we pray for others, we begin to lose our anger
          and animosity…this weakens Satan’s grip on our lives;
          praying for others can
          help melt away the hurt they have caused us.

    – Pray for ourselves and our attitudes.
      Note:
          Sometimes we think the problem is with the other person
          when in fact, God wants us to make changes in our own lives.
          It may be difficult to “swallow”, but we have to be honest
          with ourselves about the flaws we have.
          Everything does not have to fit into our rules, our standards,
          and our views (like it or not, that is a selfish perspective);
          all things need to be measured according to God’s definitions
          of right and wrong
          (which may be quite different than our opinions, and means
           that we need to make some changes in our attitudes and ideas).