11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Satan's will for our lives is for us to foolishly pursue our desires (both legitimate and illegitimate) by illegitimate means, resulting in disloyal independence, isolation, and death (loss of dominion/glory), thus preventing us from achieving the glory he desired.

Satan seeks to disrupt the Body's interdependence and unity of mind & purpose (so that it fails to self-edify and glorify God) by:

Doubt, Discouragement, Despair

We doubt because we do not know God, His Word, His ways, & get our information about life (lies) from similar others

We get discouraged because we've jettisoned faith (and usually love) in focusing on the seen rather than the unseen 2Cor 4-5

We despair because we've replaced our eternal hope with lust for temporal trash

Egocentrism = selfishly thinking the world revolves around us and our needs

What will they think of me? What's in it for me? What about my "needs"? I want it, now!

Vanity = spending our efforts on the temporal...what doesn't produce eternal benefit in God's sight

If you can see it, insure it, or do it without God's intervention, it's probably temporal.

Independence = essence of sin; making our decisions on what we think is best for us

Lust = desire for the temporal, unsubmitted to the Holy Spirit-controlled mind (Gen 3; 1Jn 2:15-16)

1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world passes away, and its lust/desire: but he that doeth the will/desire of God abides for ever.

Lust of the Flesh = seeking legitimate pleasure by illegitimate means

Lust of the Eyes = seeking the means as the end

Boastful Pride of Life = seeking security and significance apart from dependence on God

Security = taking charge of our lives to ensure our own comfort

Significance = measuring our worth by temporal standards (achievements, comparisons)

Mt 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou art the Son of God...10 Then said Jesus to him, Away with thee, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shall thou serve.

We need to be "strong in the Lord" to: 1) Recognize, 2) Refuse, 3) Rebuke, and 4) Retire Satan's schemes.  

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. Do you think Satan does more damage through personal attack or through "changing the signs" (world value system)?

2. Which of Satan's schemes is most disruptive to the unity of the Body which God intends?

3. How direct is the correlation between Satan's influence over an individual and his effect within a church?

4. Which of the "Lies We Believe" in particular keep the Church from standing in the "power of His might"?

5. In what area is Satan most likely to succeed in tempting you? What are you doing about it?