discovering_your_freedom_in_christ Neil Anderson.pdf

8/11/2019 discovering_your_freedom_in_christ Neil Anderson.pdf

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Breaking the Chains

Freedom inFreedom inFreedom in

ChristChristChrist


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Discovering YourFreedom in

Christ

Breaking the Chains


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September 1, 2001

This material was compiled by the Community Ministry Team of Fellowship Bible Church of

Northwest Arkansas, using an outline written by Rich Miller of Freedom in Christ Ministries.

Several authors from both organizations participated in the writing and editing of this study.

It is designed to be used, primarily, as an interactive small group curriculum, but it can also be

used as discipling material or as a personal study. The purpose of this material is to equip the

average Christian to walk free in Christ. If you are interested in going deeper into topics raisedin this study, the following books are suggested:

Victory Over the Darkness- Neil T. AndersonThe Bondage Breaker- Neil T. Anderson

The Beginner's Guide to Spiritual Warfare- Neil T. Anderson and Timothy M. Warner


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Contents

Lesson 1 Rise Up.. p.3

Lesson 2 Look Up p.16

Lesson 3 Wise Up p.28

Lesson 4 Open Up p.39

Lesson 5 Bow Down & Stand Up p.52

Lesson 6 Wake Up.. p.64

Lesson 7 Get Up.. p.75

Lesson 8 Take Up p.85

Appendices.. p.95

Steps To Freedom.. p.105

ALL SCRIPTURES ARE FROM

THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION

UNLESS OTHERWISE INDI CATED

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Rise Up!

Lesson OneWHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?

To see mankind 's predicament and what God has don e for us in

Chr is t so w e can l ive f ree as chi ldren of God

KEY VERSE:Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation; the old has gone, the

new has come! (2 Corinthians. 5:17)

WHAT FREEDOM REALLY MEANS:

Divorce! How could it have happened to me? I had always been The Good Girl, the obedient

child. Pleasing God and family was my greatest joy. The crushing legalism of my churchtradition put divorce in the same category with murder and adultery, so I knew divorce should

be avoided like leprosy.

But it happened. The ugly D word became attached forever to my identity or so I thought.

Divorced Woman. With all my might I tried to push away the guilt and shame, the self-hatred and humiliation, but nothing seemed to work.

I chose to move away to try and build a new life. I went to graduate school, remarried, and

over time, rebuilt family relationships. But life was not the same. Gone were the vitality,enthusiasm and passion that had once energized my life. I dragged through each day like a

dead person, acting out what I could no longer feel. Convinced the real me had died and no

one had bothered to bury me, I wondered if the rest of my existence would be lived out in thiswasteland.

Fifteen years passed, and then one day someone introduced me to the ministry of Freedom inChrist. Armed with conference videotapes and books I settled in for a weekend marathon.

Quickly I found myself caught up in the message and realized that the truth was touching me at

a very deep level.

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The next morning, without warning, I burst into tears. Asking God to reveal the source of those

tears, He began to show me the unresolved pain I still carried from the divorce. I cried for

more than six hours, confessing my sorrow, regret, and humiliation to the Lord. I thought therelief that followed was my healing, but there was more to come.

Still feeling unworthy to serve the Lord, being a Divorced Woman, I shared some of my life

story with a friend. Together we prayed for my complete assurance of Gods grace andforgiveness. The next morning I awoke with the words there is no condemnation in Christ

playing over and over in my head. A powerful tenderness embraced me and the Lord impressed

these words on my mind: Justify yourself to no man, Christ is your justification.

At that moment I saw that my identity was not as a Divorced Woman, but as a deeply loved

child of God. My prison of legalism was shattered. In amazement I experienced the shift fromjust knowing Gods love and truth in my head to knowing it in my heart.

God is so blinded by His love and grace that He accepts me in spite of all my failures!Praise the Lord, the old vitality, enthusiasm, and passion for life and people are returning.

Boldness has replaced unworthiness. Confidence has swept away shame.

Every day I see new evidence of the complete change God has made in my life. These dry bonesthat have lain so long in the desert have heard the Word of the Lord. He is replacing flesh and

muscle and covering me with new, moist skin. He has breathed His breath into me again. I

shall truly live, after all, because Gods truth has set me free. Hallelujah! Praise the Lordeternally!

There is a story line to Christianity that begins in a garden a long time agoand reaches a focal point several thousand years later on a hill outsideJerusalem where Jesus Christ, the God-man, is executed to pay the penaltyfor the sins of all humanity. That story will culminate someday in heavenwhere all humanity will bow before that same Jesus to worship Him. Thestory tells us that how we respond to Jesus while we are alive on earthdetermines whether we are children of God or children of His adversary, thedevil. If we are children of God, then we too have the same adversary, but

we also have an identity in Christ that bestows upon us incredible power andbenefits. Very few children of God fully understand their identity in Christ orexercise their spiritual authority. This lesson gives the details of that storyand shares the truth about who we are in Christ.

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Adam & Eve - Paradise Lost(Please turn to Genesis 1-3 and follow the story of Adam & Eve)

A. Adam & Eve were created in the perfect environment with all their needs met.(Gen.

1:2)

1. They had dignity because they were created in God's image.2. They were significant.3. They were safe and secure.4. They were accepted and belonged.5. They had an intimate relationship with God.6. There was one life and death decision.

B. Adam and Eve chose to believe the lie of the devil that God was not trustworthy and

that life and meaning could be found in the world and the flesh outside of God's plan.

(Gen. 3)

1. The deception of Eve can be analyzed as follows:a. The Devil planted a seed of doubt about God's word and His goodness(Gen. 3:1).

b. Eve was confused about God's word (Gen. 3:2-3).c. The devil lied about God's character and His trustworthiness (Gen.

3:4-5

d. Eve relied on her five senses and her own reasoning (Genesis 3:6),sinned against God, and persuaded her husband to join her in the

rebellion.

2. Because of their sin, Adam and Eve died spiritually (Gen. 2:17). As a result,

death spread to all men (Rom. 5:12). Because people are born separated fromGod (Eph. 2:1-3), we are trying to find life, significance, acceptance, and

security apart from God.

3. Because of their sin, Adam and Eve began to live in guilt, fear, and shame.(Gen. 3:7-11). This guilt, fear, and shame has been spread to the whole humanrace, and even the earth itself is cursed. To compensate, man has learned to live

according to the flesh. Some of the ways people try to validate their existence

(identity) are as follows (Jer. 9:23-24):a. Physical appearanceb. Performance (athletically, academically, artistically, professionally)

c. Prosperity (money, possessions)d. Prestige and popularity

4. Because of their sin, Adam, Eve and therefore we suffered damage to ourrelationships with one other.

a. We feel ashamed about and try to hide who we are from others.b. We are afraid of God and others.c. We no longer fully trust others.

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5. Adam and Eve (and all people since then) have lost the complete significance,security and acceptance they once had in the Garden of Eden. Instead, peopleare plagued by a sense of emptiness, meaninglessness, weakness, fear, and

rejection. This is life in Adam and is evidence of spiritual death and great

bondage.

I denti ty Development Apar t F rom Chr ist

MindLies

WillStrategies

EmotionsFears

Significance Worth is beingperfect orsuccessful

PerformanceSuccess

Failures

Acceptance Love is basedon performing

or conforming

Pleasingeveryone

Rejection

Security I must be incontrol or I'ma victim

Controlling orwithdrawing

Uncertainty orabandonment

Reflect ions ~

Take a break from Adam and Eve's story and ref lect on what i t means to y ou a

you answer the fol lowing qu est ions:

1. What wrong methods have you used in the past to try to justify yourself beforeGod? ______________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Which of the following futile methods for gaining significance are you most likelyto fall back on at times?

_____a) physical appearance_____b) performance_____c) prosperity_____d) prestige and popularity

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Reflect ions ~

3. Just as sin damaged Adam and Eve's relationship, it damages our relationships.Describe one situation where your failure (sin) has damaged relationships.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4. If you sense that you are in bondage to anything right now, describe what youbelieve you are in bondage to. _________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5. Is who you are determined by what you do, or is what you do determined bywho you are? _______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Second Adam - Paradise Regained

A. To rescue us, God sent the Last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Jesus lived a perfect life in total dependence upon the Father (John 5:30; John14:10; 1 Pet. 2:21-23).2. Where Adam and Eve failed, Jesus was victorious (Matt. 4:1-11).3. Because of Jesus perfect life, His death was the perfect sacrifice needed to buy

us back from the bondage of sin and death (2 Cor. 5:18-21; 1 Pet. 2:24-25; Cor.

15:55-57).

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B. Through trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we receive life and a

new identity in Christ (1 John 5:11-13; 2 Cor. 5:17).

1. Our sins are forgiven (Eph. 1:7; Col. 2:13-14).2. We have eternal life (John 5:24).3. Our old man was crucified with Christ so that we are now dead to sin and alive

to God in Christ Jesus (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6).4. We are adopted into Gods family and we are His children! (Eph.1:3-6; 1 John3:1-3; John 1:12)

C. In Christ we recover the acceptance, security and significance that we lost in Adam.

Who God says we are is who we really are! (Gal. 3:29;Col. 3:11)

God's Solution:

Life in Christ - Eph. 2:4-10

In Adam . . . In Christ . . .

we were dead and werechildren of wrath.

we are alive and are nowchildren of God.

You were dead in yourtrespasses . . .

but God made us alivetogether with Christ.Eph. 2:2-10

For the wages of sin isdeath

. . . but the free gift of God iseternal life in Christ Jesusour Lord Rom. 6:23

He who does not have theSon does not have the life . . .

. . . he who has the Son,has life. John 5:12

The following verses compare the "before" and "after" effect

of personal salvation:

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Who I WAS Before Christ (came into my life)...

My mind was set on what my sin nature wanted (Rom. 8:5; Eph. 2:3).

Because my mind was set on the flesh, that was death. I was locked into an existence separate

from God (Rom. 8:6; Eph. 2:12; Col. 1:21).

My mind was blinded by Satan, and I was unable to see the truth of the gospel of Christ (2 Cor.

4:4; Eph. 2:2). My mind was hostile to God (Rom. 8:7).

I was an enemy of God (Rom. 5:10; Col. 1:21)

My mind was rebelliousunable and unwilling to submit to God. (Rom. 8:7).

I was unable to please God (Rom. 8:8).

I was a slave to sin (Rom. 6:20-21).

I was a captive slave to Satan (2 Tim. 2:26).

I used to follow the sinful ways of this world and the ways of Satan (Eph. 2:2).

I was spiritually dead in my sins (Eph. 2:1).

Even my best efforts at doing what was right and being a good person were horribly corrupted by

my sinful mind

(Isa. 64:6; Titus 1:15).

I was separated from God (Isa. 59:1-2; Eph. 2:12).

I was under the wrath of God, and had no hope (Eph. 2:3; John 3:36; Eph. 2:12).

-Rich Miller, Freedom in Christ Ministries

Who I AM Now...

Because I am in Christ...

I am salt for other people on earth (Matt. 5:13).

I am light for the world (Matt. 5:14).

I am a child of God (John 1:12).

I am part of the true vine, joined to Christ and able to produce lots of fruit (John 15:1-5).

I am Christs chosen friend (John 15:15).

I am chosen by Christ to bear fruit (John 15:16).

I am Christs personal witness sent out to tell everybody about Jesus (Acts 1:8).

I am a slave of righteousness who pleases God (Rom. 6:18).

I am enslaved to God. This makes me holy and gives me eternal life (Rom. 6:22).

I am a son of God; I can call Him my Father (Rom. 8:14-15; Gal. 3:26; 4:6).

I am promised an inheritance and will share in the glory of Christ (Rom. 8:17).

I am a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. His Spirit and His life live in me (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19).

I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19).

I am a part of Christs body, a member of His family (1 Cor. 12:27).

I am a new person, my past is forgiven and everything is new (2 Cor. 5:17).

I am at peace with God and He has given me the work of making peace between Himself and

others (2 Cor. 5:18-19).

I am a son of God and one in Christ with other Christians (Gal. 3:26 -28).

I am Gods child and will be given the inheritance He has promised (Gal. 4:6-7).

I am a saint, a holy one (Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2).

I am Gods masterpieceHis building projectmade new in Christ to do His work (Eph 2:10).

I am a citizen of heaven with the rest of Gods family (Eph. 2:19)

I am a prisoner of Christ, so I can help others (Eph. 3:1; 4:1).

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I am righteous and holy (Eph. 4:24).

I am a citizen of heaven seated with Christ in heaven right now (Phil. 3:20; Eph. 2:6).

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).

I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life (Col. 3:4).

I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved, one of His special people (Col. 3:12; 1 Thess. 1:4).

I am a son of light and belong to the light and not to darkness (1 Thess. 5:5).

I am chosen to be part of Gods heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1). I am part of Christ; I share in His life (Heb. 3:14).

I am one of Gods living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:5).

I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for Gods own

possession (1 Pet. 2:9).

I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live (1 Pet. 2:11).

I am an enemy of the devil (1 Pet. 5:8).

I am a child of God and I will be like Christ when He returns (1 John 3:1-2).

I am born of God, and the evil one, the devil, cannot touch me (1 John 5:18).

I am not the great I am (Exod. 3:14; John 8:24, 28, 58); but, by the grace of God, I am what I am

(1 Cor. 15:10).

Since I am in Christ, by the Grace of God...

I am now acceptable to God (justified) Im completely forgiven, I live at peace with Him

(Rom. 5:1).

I am no longer a slave to sin; the person I used to be died with Christ, and now sin has no rule overmy life

(Rom. 6:1-6).

I belong to Jesus and wont be punished; Im free from all punishment (condemnation) that my sin

has brought on me (Rom. 8:1).

I have been placed into Christ by Gods doing (1 Cor. 1:30).

I have been given Gods Spirit to dwell in me so I can recognize the blessings that God has givenme (1 Cor. 2:12).

I have been given the mind of Christ; I can understand what He is thinking (1 Cor. 2:16).

I have been bought with a price; I am not my own; I belong to God (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

I am Gods possession, secure in Him (sealed) because I have been given the Holy Spirit as apromise guaranteeing me that I will receive all that God has stored up for His people (2 Cor. 1:21-

22; Eph. 1:13-14).

I have died with Christ, therefore I no longer have to live for myself. I can live for Christ (2 Cor.

5:14-15).

I have been made acceptable to God (righteous) (2 Cor. 5:21).

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I

am now living is Christs life (Gal. 2:20). I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in heaven through Christ (Eph, 1:3).

I was chosen in Christ before the world was created to be holy and without blame before Him

(Eph. 1:4).

I was chosen by God (predestined) to be adopted as His child (Eph. 1:5). I have been bought out of

slavery to sin (redeemed) and forgiven, and I have been given His awesome grace (Eph. 1:7-8).

I have been made alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:5).

I have been raised up and seated with Christ in Heaven (Eph. 2:6).

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I have direct access to God through the Spirit (Eph. 2:18).

I may approach God with courage, freedom and confidence (Eph. 3:12).

I have been rescued from the dark power of Satans rule and have been brought into the kingdom

of Christ (Col.1:13).

I have been forgiven of all my sins and set free. The debt against me has been canceled (Col.1:14).

I have Christ living in me, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).

I am firmly rooted in Christ and am now being built up in Him (Col. 2:7). I have been made complete in Christ (Col.2:10).

I have been buried, raised and made alive with Christ (Col.2:12-13).

I died with Christ and I have been raised up with Christ. My life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Christ is now my life (Col.3:1-4).

I have been given a spirit of power, love and self-control and not a spirit of fear (2 Tim. 1:7).

I have been saved and set apart according to Gods plan (2 Tim.1:9; Titus 3:5).

I have been made holy, and have been set apart (sanctified) into Christs family; thats why He is

not ashamed to call me His brother/sister (Heb. 2:11).

I have the right to come bravely before the throne of God. I will be treated with kindness, and I

will find help (Heb. 4:16).

I have been given great and awesome promises so that His nature would become part of me (2 Pet.1:4).

Adapted from: Neil T. Anderson, Victory Over The Darkness(Ventura , CA: Regal Books, 1990), p.57-59.

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HOW TO BE SURE YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD

The Bible clearly states that either you are a child of God or you are a child of Satan. There is

no other choice. And yet Gods Word tells us that it is easy to be deceived into thinking you area child of God when you are not! (1 John 3:7-10).

There are many misconceptions as to what it takes to become a child of God. Perhaps you have

thought that you become a child of God by:

Growing up in a Christian country Growing up in a Christian family Attending church services or Mass regularly

Taking communion Being baptized

Keeping the Ten Commandments Trying hard to be a good person Going to confession Performing some act of great sacrifice Praying fervently or reading the Bible faithfully

Most of us seem to have within ourselves the idea that if we just work hard enough, then surelyGod will accept us into His heaven. Consider, however, what Paul wrote to the church at

Ephesus:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithand this not

from yourselves, it is the gift of Godnot by works, so that no one

can boast

(Eph. 2:8-9).

Let's explain a few things from these verses that should make Paul's words quite clear.

What is grace?Grace is the free gift of eternal life and reconciliation with God thatcame as a result of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

How do you receive Gods grace?You receive Gods free gift through faith.

What are works?Works are the good things we do to try to earn Gods forgiveness orsalvation.

Can good works save you (gain eternal life for you)?No, salvation is clearly an

undeserved gift from God that we receive through faith.

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Although it is clear from Eph. 2:8-9 that good works cannot save you from paying the penalty

for your sins, it is not clear why trying to work your way to God doesnt work. Fortunately,though, Paul gives us the answer in his letter to the Roman Christians:

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died

for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man; though

for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But Goddemonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners,

Christ died for US (Romans 5:6-8)

Reflect ions ~Answer these quest ions b ased on Rom ans 5:6-8:

1. How does God feel about us? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. What are the three words God uses to describe us? ______________________

__________________________________________________________________3. In what way are we "powerless? _____________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4. What does ungodly mean? ________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________5. What does it mean to be a sinner? __________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6. What did Christ do to show that He loves us? ___________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We are almost at the heart of the question of how to become a child of God. But we still have toanswer one more question. One more Scripture from Paul should tie it all back together for us.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life inChrist Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23)

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Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, hegave the right to become children of God--children born not of naturaldescent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

(John 1:12,13)

To read more of the benefits of your salvation turn to Appendix A.

Reflect ions ~Take one of the scr iptures from this lesson and rewr i te i t as a prayer back

to God.

For example: 2 Cor. 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a newcreation; the old has gone, the new has come!My prayer: Jesus, I thank you that I have a new nature in me. Thank you fordelivering me from the sins, the failure and the pain of my past. Help me, Lord, toforget the old ways and allow your "newness" to fill my mind and my life. Amen

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Write 2 Cor. 5:17 in the blank below and be able to say it from memory.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

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Look Up!

Lesson TwoWHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?

To see that t rust ing God and His Word is the only way to l ive

f ree in Chr is t and n ot be co nformed to the wo r ld.

KEY VERSE:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformedby the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2a)


A large, thick wall surrounded my heart and guarded me from other people. I was afraid that ifI let them know me, they would see the darkness within, be shocked, repulsed, and reject me.

I was raised in a Christian home, and came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior at the young

age of four. I grew to have a close relationship with the Lord, a deep faith, and prayer life, butdarkness was also always present. I heard negative voices and had foul, inappropriate

thoughts. I would confess and ask for forgiveness, but it never went away. A war was alwaysraging inside of me.

After years of marriage, five children, and hiding, the Lord brought a friend into my life that I

could trust. She was transparent with me about her own sin and failures, so I had the courageto reveal my own. She encouraged me to go through the "Steps to Freedom"* because the Lord

had used them to change her life.

One weekend, we went on a prayer retreat together. Seven steps and seven hours later, I was

literally jumping up and down shouting, "I'm free! I'm free!" The darkness that I had lived with

for so long was gone and so were the voices and the war. My husband and children could

instantly see the change in me when I returned home.

The "Steps to Freedom"* helped me recognize and renounce the areas in my life that were

strongholds of the enemy. I was finally free to love God, my husband, my children, and other's.I was free to be the child of God I was created to be. I learned how to reject the lies the enemy

had always told me, about myself, about others, and about God. I learned to believe the truth,

and take every thought captive in obedience to Christ. My mind is now a peaceful place forGod and me alone.

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* "The Steps to Freedom in Christ" are in the back of this study, and will be explained in

depth later. They were developed by: Dr. Neil T. Anderson, founder of "Freedom in Christ

Ministries", and author of many Christian books that deal with our identity in Christ andspiritual warfare.

When you are alone outdoors on a moonless night gazing into a sky that is alive with the

twinkling of millions of stars, it's hard to imagine that the One who spoke the Milky Way intoexistence is the same One that is longing to speak to you. Just as He knows every feature of

every star; He knows every one of your features as well. He is a very "Intimate Infinite." He is

very much involved in the "here and the now" not just in the "there and then".

He speaks to us in many ways; through His creation, through His Spirit, through His people,

and through His Word (the Bible). God reveals Himself to us specifically and intimatelythrough this book. To truly know and understand the Bible is to know the God of the Bible.

One of the Bible's primary story-lines is God's love for his fallen creatures (you and me). The

Bible is many things, but it is certainly a love letter that beckons us to be intimate with God. It

invites us to an enduring and growing relationship with God, based on the eternal sin-sacrificeof Jesus' death on a cross to redeem you and me from the power and penalty of our own sin and

to free us from Satan's yoke of bondage.

Reflect ions ~Let's take a hard look at the Bible for a few moments. Revelationis defined as theact of revealing; a dramatic disclosure of something not previously known orrealized. Man has always contemplated the possibility of knowing God. Our worldand our universe hint at such a possibility. With its elaborate design, delicatebalance and immense beauty, it urges us to acknowledge a creator rather thanmarvel at mere chance. But apart from special revelation, we lack specificinformation, e.g. who the creator is and how we relate to Him. Alone in our search,we are left in a "dilemma of guesses" about God and eternity. God Himself mustreveal the specifics about Himself, otherwise they cannot be known. The Bibleclaims to be this special revelation from God. The Bible consists of 66 bookswritten by approximately 40 authors over a period of 1,500-2000 years. Over2,600 times the writers of the Old Testament felt compelled to remind us themessages they were recording were not their words but God's words.

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Reflections co nt. ~

Look up the following verses and then record the specific ways God chose toreveal Himself to man:1. Genesis 28:10-16 _________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Ezekiel 1:1-6, 2:1-5 _______________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. Numbers 12:5-8 __________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4. Revelation 1:1-2 __________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Galatians 1:11-12 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6. Inspiration is defined as a supernatural influence that fits those who come underit to receive divine truths and communicate them to others. Doesn't the fact thathuman instruments are recording it raise the possibility of error? How could merehumans perfectly record the special revelation? Look up 2 Timothy 3:16 and writeit in the space below. ________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________7. God not only chose to reveal Himself to these writers, but He also inspired themto write down these divine disclosures for us. Inspiration is the means God hasused to record revelation through human personality without error. Read 2 Peter1:20-21 and explain how this passage supports what has been stated aboutinspiration. _________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Reflections co nt. ~

8. Authent icat ionis defined as proving or demonstrating the genuineness ofsomething. The fact that the writers of the Bible claimed to have received specialrevelation from God is not much proof that they did. The greatest evidence of thesupernatural origin of the Bible is fulfilled prophecy. No book can approach theBible's record in this regard. The biblical writers frequently demonstrated theircredibility by prophesying events over which they had no control. Let's look at acouple of examples:

Fill in the blanks from Zechariah 9:9then turn and read Lu ke 19:28-44for theliteral fulfillment of the prophecy over five centuries later.

See your __________ comes to y ou , _______________ and h aving

________________, gentle an d r id ing on a donkey .

One of the most profound statements of faith in the entire Bible was written byJob (who was not a Jew). In the midst of intense suffering and personal disaster,he blurted out these words inJob 19:23-27 approximately 2,000 years before

Jesus would promise a bodily resurrection (John 11:25) and then die to redeemJob as well as you and me (Hebrews 9:26-28). Fill in the blanks from Job 19:23-27:

"Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, that theywere inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever? I know thatmy _______________ lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the

__________. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see__________; I myself will see him with my own ______ - I, and not another. Howmy heart yearns within me!"

Job's redeemer (Jesus) did come to earth and by faith we can relate to Him and hear his voice.Jesus is often referred to as a shepherd and we are His sheep. His sheep listen to His voice and

He knows them and they follow Him. He calls to Himself those He wants -- His chosen ones --

that they might be with him and He sends us out to preach this "good news", and gives usauthority over the rebel prince of darkness (Satan).

Often God's voice is quiet, like a gentle breeze in the pines. The busy, preoccupied, hurriedand harried traveler sometimes will not hear Him. He wants to speak to you -- to lead, to guide,

to protect, to empower. Are you listening? Will you follow the quiet, unseen, unhurried

Shepherd and Guardian of your soul? The gentle, humble Jesus invites you to join Him on a

journey of faith. It is a walk on the path of truth and an adventure on the road of freedom.

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A. Everybody lives by faith. (Prov. 3:5-6; Prov. 28:25-26)

1. Faith is trust in, reliance on, or dependence upon someone or something.(biblical faith: Heb. 11:1)

2. Our faith is only as beneficial as the object of our faith is reliable. (Jer. 17:5-8)

B. God and His Word are the only reliable objects of faith. (Ps. 62:5-8)

1. Faith in God comes from believing that He is there and that He is a rewarder ofthose who seek Him. (Heb. 11:6)

2. Faith in God grows as we get to know Him better. (Ps. 9:9-10)3. God puts us in situations where we can learn that He is reliable. (Mark 4:35-41)

Reflect ions ~1. Define faith in your own words. _______________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Read Hebrew s 12:1-6 for yourself and summarize it. ______________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. What is keeping you from really trusting God with every detail of your life?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

C. Sometimes we struggle in our faith in God.

Some individuals know in their mind that god loves us and can be trusted, but struggle

believing those same truths emotionally. Michael Wells in his book, Sidetracked In The

Wilderness says, it is what we think or feel about someone or something at a difficult time that

shows our true beliefs.

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Reflect ions ~

Take this simple test but don ' t answ er on the basis of what you k now , but on

how y ou feel about God at your wo rst mom ents.

1. When I think about being with God, I feel_______________________________________________________________________________________________2. When I have to trust God, I feel_____________________________________

__________________________________________________________________3. When I think about God, I wish_____________________________________

__________________________________________________________________4. Sometimes I get angry with God when_______________________________

__________________________________________________________________5. The one thing I would change about myself to please God is...______________

__________________________________________________________________6. Sometimes I wish God would______________________________________

__________________________________________________________________7. I can really depend on God for_____________________________________

__________________________________________________________________8. In my relationship with God, I'm always sure that He will..._________________

__________________________________________________________________9. One thing I'm afraid God will do____________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Sometimes we are greatly hindered from walking by faith in our Heavenly Father because of

lies we have believed about Him. Often these lies are the result of our relationship with ourearthly father or authority figure while growing up. The following exercise will help break the

chains of those lies and enable you to begin to experience that intimate "Abba, Father"

relationship with Him.

Work your way down the lists, one-by-one, left to right on the next page. Begin each one with

the statement in bold print at the top of that list. Read through the lists out loud.

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MY FATHER GOD

I renounce the lie that my

Father God is . . .

1. distant and disinterested

2. insensitive and uncaring

3. stern and demanding

4. passive and cold

5. absent or too busy for me

6. never satisfied with what I do, impatientor angry

7. mean, cruel or abusive

8. trying to take all the fun out of life

9. controlling or manipulative

10.condemning or unforgiving

11.nit-picking, exacting or perfectionistic

I joyfully accept the truth that my

Father God is . . .

1. intimate and involved (Ps. 139:1-18)

2. kind and compassionate (Ps. 103:8-14)

3. accepting and filled with joy and love(Rom. 15:7; Zeph. 3:17)

4. warm and affectionate(Is. 40:11; Hos. 11:34)

5. always with me and eager to be with me(Heb. 13:5; Jer. 31:20; Ezek. 34:11-16)

6. patient and slow to anger(Ex.34:6; 2 Pet. 3:9)

7. loving, gentle and protective of me(Jer. 31:3; Is. 42:3; Ps. 18:2)

8. trustworthy and wants to give me a fulllife; His will is good, perfect andacceptable for me

(Lam. 3:22-23; Jn. 10:10; Rom. 12:1-2)

9. full of grace and mercy, and He gives mefreedom to fail

(Heb. 4:15-16; Lk. 15:11-16)

10.tender-hearted and forgiving; His heartand arms are always open to me

(Ps. 130:1-4; Lk. 15:17-24)

11.committed to my growth and proud of meas His growing child

(Rom. 8:28-29; Heb. 12:5-11; 2 Cor. 7:4)

I am the apple of His eye

Deut. 32:9-10

From: Young Adult Steps to Freedom in Christ developed by Neil T. Anderson and Rich Miller

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Reflect ions ~Take this "Personal Worth Ap praisal" :

Low High

1. How successful are you? 1 2 3 4 5

I would be more successful if:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. How significant are you? 1 2 3 4 5

I would be more significant if:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. How fulfilled are you? 1 2 3 4 5

I would be more fulfilled if:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. How satisfied are you? 1 2 3 4 5

I would be more satisfied if:__________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. How happy are you? 1 2 3 4 5

I would be happier if:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. How much fun are you having? 1 2 3 4 5

I would have more fun if:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Low High

7. How secure are you? 1 2 3 4 5

I would be more secure if:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. How peaceful are you? 1 2 3 4 5

I would have more peace if:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Adapted from: Neil T. Anderson, Victory Over The Darkness(Ventura , CA: Regal Books, 1990), p.125.

D. Once we learn that God loves us and can be trusted, we must develop our identity and

belief system around His Word (Rom. 12:1-2).

Some key concepts that He wants to reprogram into us are as follows:

1. SUCCESS- The key idea is Goals

Accept Gods goals for your life and by His grace develop Christ-like character.

(Josh. 1:7-9; Phil. 3:3-14; 2 Pet. 1:3-11)

2. SIGNIFICANCEThe key idea is Time

What is forgotten as time passes is of little significance; what is remembered for

eternity is of great significance. (2 Cor. 4:16-18; 1 Tim. 4:7-8; 1 Cor. 3:10-15)

3. FULFILLMENTThe key idea is Gifts

Discover your own uniqueness in Christ and use your God-given gifts and talents tobuild His kingdom and glorify the Lord. (1 Cor. 12:4-7; Rom. 12:1; Matt. 25:14-30;

Eph. 4:11-16)

4. SATISFACTIONThe key idea is Quality

Satisfaction comes from seeking to raise the quality of your relationship with God

and others as well as raising the quality of the things you do in life. (Matt. 5:4; Ps.63:1-5; Prov. 18:24)

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5. HAPPINESS The key idea is Contentment

Happiness is wanting what you have, not having what you want. (Phil. 4:11-13;

Eccl. 5:18-20; Heb. 13:5-6)

6. PLEASURE The key idea is Freedom

The secret is to do what pleases God without being concerned about pleasingpeople. (Gal. 1:10; Jas. 4:17; 2 Sam. 6:14-16; 20-23)

7. SECURITY The key idea is Dependence

Security comes from not depending on temporal things that we have no right or

ability to control, but letting God take care of us. (Heb.12:26-29; Heb. 11:24-26;

John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:31-39)

8. PEACE The key idea is Righteousness(being in a right relationship with God)

Peace comes when we are right with God and this has already been provided for us

through Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:1) As we live out this right relationship through

prayer and obedience, we experience the supernatural peace of God. - (Phil. 4:6-9)

Adapted from: Victory Over The Darknessby Neil T. Anderson

E. We must renounce the lie that our sense of worth and value comes from getting other

people to like us or do what we want. This is bondage! We must instead walk in the

truth that our worth and value come from our identity (who we are in Christ) and our

growth in character (who we are becoming in Christ). This is freedom! (1John 3:1-3;

2 Pet. 1:3-11)

God's desire is to change our lives and that begins by changing the way we think about

ourselves. He wants to reprogram us to become "independently dependent" on Him foreverything. He wants to change the way we think, speak, and act. He wants to tear down

Satan's strongholds in our lives and use us to help tear down the devil's work in our culture

and in the lives of those we love.

The day-to-day activities of life for most of us are simply the motions or habits that we

develop (intentionally or unintentionally) over a period of time. All of these habits orroutines, big and little, good and bad, together over time make up our "life." They define us

and shape our destiny. To change our lives, we must, therefore, change our routines and

habits. The Christian life also consists of routines, habits and disciplines.

Think for a moment what would happen if you were to spend 30 minutes a day for the rest

of your life practicing something or doing the same thing, e.g. a sport, learning to play a

musical instrument, or getting to know a certain person. If you were faithful for the rest ofyour life, what would be the result of your endeavor? Most certainly you would become

extremely proficient at what you set out to do or to learn.

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The Christian life can only be lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. We participate with theHoly Spirit through a commitment to a consistent time alone with God in prayer, application

based Bible study, and listening for His voice.

Reflect ions ~

1. Tough times in life reveal the true object of our faith. When you are "up againstthe wall," to whom do you turn? Think of a recent example. __________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Look back to the "Personal Worth Appraisal." What are one or two areas inwhich you clearly need to adopt God's definition instead of the world's? Takesome time to pray about these areas and try to gain God's perspective on yourweaknesses. _______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. Look over the "God, the Father I've Always Needed and Wanted" list (followingthis Reflections section). Which description of God's fatherly roles is mostmeaningful to you right now and why? ___________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Turn to Appendix B "Encouraging Words From Jesus to Me" and write out thethree most encouraging statements from the list. ___________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Write Romans 12:2a in the blank below and be able to say it from memory.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

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GOD, THE FATHER IVE ALWAYS NEEDED AND WANTED

Faithful ProviderAnd my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory inChrist Jesus. (Phil. 4:19 NAS)

Strong Protector"Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; will set him securely onhigh, because he has known My name. (Ps. 91:14 NAS)

Wise Counselor"All this comes from the Lord Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent

in wisdom. (Isa. 28:29)

Compassionate HealerBut they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of

human kindness, with ties of love." (Hosea 11:3-4 NAS)

Merciful ForgiverTheir sins and lawless acts I will remember no more. (Heb. 10:17-22)

Righteous Disciplinarian

The Lord disciplines those He loves. (Heb. 12:5-11)

Ever Present EncouragerSo do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will

strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.(Is. 41:10)

Patient TeacherI will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel youand watch over you. (Ps. 32:8)

Loving Daddy

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have

received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba! [Daddy!]

Father! (Rom. 8:15 NAS)

-Rich Miller, Freedom in Christ Ministries

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Wise Up!

Lesson ThreeWHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?

To see the batt le that is going on fo r our m inds throu gh the

inf luence of f leshly st ron gho lds and demonic d ecept ion.

KEY VERSE:We demolish arguments and every pretense that sets itself up against the

knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to

Christ (2 Cor. 10:5)


"Looking for love in all the wrong places...looking for love in too many faces..." the lyrics to

this country song could have been the theme of my life. Being raised in a godless home with ademanding, unloving father, left a thirst for love in me that couldn't be quenched.

Looking for love, I became sexually active at the age of thirteen. Even after I became a believerin Junior High, and grew in my relationship with the Lord, the wrong thoughts, habits, and

behaviors persisted. Strongholds were formed that would plague me for twenty years. I would

beg for forgiveness, repent, try hard, and promise the Lord that it would never happen again,but it did.

Marriage was a hard adjustment in some ways. All of my dating experience, had taught me

how to quit when the going got tough or boring. When my relationship with my husband didn'tsatisfy what I thought were my needs for love, the enemy made sure that another lover was

available, and I took the bait again. I didn't believe that God could meet my needs. After a

devastating adulterous affair, my life, marriage, and ministry were like a million slivers of

glass strewn across the dirt. Had it not been for my love for my two children, I would havetaken my life to escape the pain and shame. I was so confused. How could this happen to

someone who knew God and loved Him?

Desperate for hope and the thought that God could change me, a friend gave me the book,The Bondage Breakerby Neil T. Anderson. I remember weeping as I read it, "Finally someone

is speaking the truth about this struggle in my life". I prayed through the Steps to Freedom,and I was set free from the strongholds and familiar spirits that had been attached to me

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through my sin and the sin of my parents. I learned how to win the battle for my mind. I was

forever changed, and I now live in freedom.

Not all stories have a happy ending, but this story does. My marriage is better now than it has

ever been. God has healed us. Gone are the broken slivers and His forgiveness and love now

shine through the window of my life.

Why is the Christian life such a battle at times? We may feel like we're taking two steps

backward for every three steps forward. What we need to realize is that all of us are born intothis world without God's presence or power, so we grow up learning how to cope and survive

on our own. When Christ came into our lives He forgave us completely, but He didn't push the

"clear" button on all our lifetime of sinful habits. We all developed very deeply ingrainedpatterns of thinking, feeling and behaving, many of which still remain after we come to Christ.

This self-centered way of life is called the flesh.

When particular sins and defense mechanisms become a part of our very personality, we refer

to them as strongholds.

Some Common Defense Mechanisms:

- denial - fantasy - compensation- regression - emotional insulation - rationalization

- projection - displaced anger - identification

It would be simpler if these strongholds were only the result of all the garbage we programmed

into our minds early in life. If that were the case, all we would need to do is reprogram our

computer brains. And, as a matter of fact, that is a big part of breaking down strongholds, sincewe are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2).

But that is not the whole story. We must battle the world, the flesh, and the devil. In a sense

we are being "triple-teamed" in our spiritual lives. But this is no game like "Wheel ofFortune"; it is more like "Saving Private Ryan". It is all-out war! Satan acts like a computer

"virus", trying to gum up the whole works. His plan for your life is utter devastation. He wants

to ruin your life, and he has an army of demonic beings to assist him. But as a Christian, youhave incredible power to resist the devil, tear down the strongholds, and destroy his work in

your life.

A. Strongholds are deeply ingrained, destructive habits of thinking, feeling, and acting.

Another definition says, "A stronghold is a mindset impregnated with hopelessness

that causes us to accept as unchangeable that which is known to be contrary to the will

of God." (2 Cor. 10:3-5) ~Ed Silvoso

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1. Strongholds can form slowly over long periods of time.2. Strongholds can form quickly through traumatic experiences.3. Strongholds can exist because of generational sin.

B. Strongholds usually start with a temptation to meet legitimate needs in an illegitimate

way; they are unique for each person (Matt. 4:1-11).

1. Temptations can come from our flesh as well as from the devil and the world (Jas.1:13-15).

2. To be tempted is not to sin; to be tempted is to be human! (Heb. 4:15)3. We must recognize that the way of escape is at the threshold of our minds (1 Cor.

10:13; 2 Cor. 10:5). We must stop the lie or temptation at the door before it enters

in.

4. God alone can give us the strength to resist temptation (Heb. 4:16; Gal. 5:16-18).

C. When temptation attacks, we naturally weigh our options (Gen. 3:6 vs. Gen. 2:15-17).

1. We can be deceived into thinking we have no control over our emotions and actions;we can blame circumstances for our wrong feelings and behavior. We can't control

our emotions directly, but we can control them indirectly by our thoughts andactions (John 13:17; Rev. 1:3). Consider the examples in the following chart. How

would the opposite mental reactions change the emotional responses?

3.My spouse asked I 'm Not Loved! Rejectionfor a divorce

2. I didn' t get the I 'm No Good! Worth lessnessPromotion or rai se

SO I RESPOND

BY FEELING:

MAKE ME

THINK:

LIFE

SITUATIONS:

1. My children are rebel- I t's My Fault! Guiltli ous and rejecting God

2. If what we believe is not true, then how we feel will not reflect reality and how weact will not be right! In other words, your thoughts affect your feelings and whatyou think and feel determine what you do.

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3. We have two basic options: God's way or our way (Prov. 3:5,6). "You cannot servetwo masters", Jesus said (Matt. 6:24), so eventually either God's "High Road" oryour "Low Road" will win out. Even a slight commitment to one road weakens

your commitment to the other. This works both ways, as the following diagrams

illustrate:

COMMITMENT TO MY WAY COMMITMENT

2

COMMITMENT TO MY WAY COMMITMENT

D. The choice is up to us.

E. We act upon our choice.

F. Repeated "Low Road" actions become bad habits -- research tells us that usually

takes about six weeks.

G. Over time, our bad habits can become strongholds -- a part of our actual personality

(e.g. "I can't help it if I worry all the time; that's just the way I am!") as illustrated in

this diagram:

?

FINDS JOY IN

GIVING

COMPLIMENTS

CRITICAL

PERSON

HIGH ROAD

LOW ROAD FIRST TIME I

FIND SOMEONE

LOWER I PUT

THEM DOWN

REPEATEDLY

PUTTING

OTHERS DOWN

I CHOOSE TO

ACCEPT THEWAY GOD

CREATED ME

OR

PUT OTHERSDOWN TO

MAKE MYSELF

LOOK GOOD

FIND MY

OWN WAY

TO FEEL

GOODABOUT

MYSELF

Some examples of strongholds are: anger, fear (of rejection, failure, death, etc.), anxiety (over

health, future, finances, etc.), insecurity, laziness, alcoholism, work holism, sexual bondage,

depression, bitterness, pride, rebellion, deception, obsessive thoughts, compulsive action, eating

disorders, etc.

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Reflect ions ~

1. Think of an area in which you are frequently tempted. What is thelegitimate need that you are trying to meet in an illegitimate way? What isGod's way of having that need met? __________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Satan always wants us to focus on the "benefits" of a particular sin whileforgetting its consequences. Looking at that same area of sin (that you focusedon in Question #1), what are the possible "benefits" of giving in to thattemptation? What are the consequences? _____________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. Habits take about six weeks to develop. That includes good habits as wellas bad ones. What can you begin doing today to start developing a good habitin an area in which you have wanted to change? ________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

H. The devil reinforces our fleshly strongholds by deceiving us into believing his lies (Acts

5:1-4).

1. If we are not wise to his schemes then he is able to implant thoughts into our mindsin such a way that we are convinced they are our own ideas or God's.

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Some examples from scripture:

"And supper being ended, the devil having already put into the heart of JudasIscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him..." (John 13:2 NAS).

"But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy

Spirit and keep some of the price of the land?' (Acts 5:3 NAS).

"Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel" (1Chr.

21:1 NAS).

How does Satan do this? Does he sit down face to face and say, "Now this is what Iwant you to do, David...?" Do we believe that David would have numbered Israel if he

thought it was Satan's idea? Of course not! This was David's idea, or at least he

thought it was.

The point is that Satan is capable of putting a thought in our minds in the first person

singular. We actually believe the thought is our own. Hence, there is the necessity totake every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

2. He gains access to our minds through a fleshly weakness or sin (Eph. 4:26,-27;1 Chron. 21:1-4).

3. One of his main deceptions is that your condition is hopeless so you might as

well give up and give in (e.g. the lie that a person is born homosexual and thatit is a part of their genetic code).

4. His desire is always that we turn away from following Christ (2 Cor. 11:3).

I. To defeat the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil, we must learn to takeevery thought captive in obedience to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5), and choose instead to focus

on the truth (Phil. 4:3).

1. Understanding our thoughts - (noema)

Paul admonishes us to take every thought (noema) captive to the obedience of Christ (2Cor. 10:5). Since nothing has meaning without context, how does Paul use the word

noema in his writing?

a. Unforgiveness, Satan's greatest access to the Church (2 Cor. 2:10-11); "schemes"(noema)

b. Satan blinds the minds of the unbelieving (2 Cor. 4:3-4); "minds" (noema)

c. Keeping our focus on Christ (2 Cor. 11:3); "minds" (noema)

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2. Who will decide what we think about? Dr. Neil Anderson gives the followingillustration:

If I were to come to your house tonight and knock on your door, you would first

come to the door to see who is there, and then you would have a choice to make.

You could open the door to allow me to come in, or you could close the door to denyme access. In the same way, when the enemy tries to invade your mind with lies and

accusations, you have a choice to make. You can choose to allow those thoughts to

come in, or you can deny them access. To "open the door" to the enemy's lies, yousimply remain passive. You let him set the agenda for your thoughts. To "close the

door," you take your thoughts captive; you decide what you choose to believe.

J. To tear down strongholds we must practice the following:

1. Realizethat our strongholds are sinful patterns of the flesh and that they can bechanged by God's power (Jer. 32:17, 26; Eph. 3:20).

2. Repent of that sin by confessing it to God and turning away from it (1 John 1:9; 2Cor. 7:1).

3. Renounce(a formal verbal declaration of rejecting) any lies you have believed andbe done with any objects or relationships that tie you to that sinful behavior (Prov.

28:13; 2 Cor. 4:2; Acts 19:17-20).

4. Renewyour mind with the Word of God giving yourself time to change.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies asliving sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God---this is your spiritual act of worship.

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 willis---his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1-2)

a. Read God's Word (out loud and with others around, especially if you havetrouble concentrating by yourself) (1 Tim. 4:13).

b. Study God's Word (2 Tim. 2:15).

c. Meditate (think about) God's Word continually (Ps. 1:20), letting the word ofChrist richly dwell within you (Col. 3:15-16).

d. Obey God's Word (Jas. 1:22-25).

5. Relyupon God and His weapons of warfare to do battle.

a. A spiritual war requires spiritual weapons. "The weapons we fight with are notthe weapons of this world, they have divine power to demolish strongholds" (2

Cor. 10:4).

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b. Some spiritual weapons are prayer, praise and worship, the truth of Scripture,the gospel, our testimony, the blood of Christ, fasting, love and grace,

encouragement, church discipline, spiritual gifts, and the armor of God.

6. Respondcorrectly to God's discipline in your life. God disciplines us in love in

order to break fleshly strongholds.

a. God's discipline is the loving yet often painful process by which God revealsthe bankruptcy of living by the flesh, so that Christ may become our source of

life (Heb. 12:5-11).

b. Brokenness is a result of God's discipline. Brokenness involves surrender notdedication or rededication of our lives. Brokenness is when I yield my stubborn

will fully to Christ's rule, and I give up the fleshly desire to be in control (Ps.51:17; Isaiah 66:2).

c. The broken person gives up all personal rights to God. With our lives yielded toGod, we can choose to walk by the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh(Gal. 1:10).

Some rights to be relinquished, as we stop demanding things and learn to

receive from the Lord's hand whatever He would choose to give us, are asfollows: self-rule; self-protection; physical strength; health; long life;

circumstantial happiness; reputation; popularity; vocational success; the

pursuit and fulfillment of dreams and ambitions; power and influence; materialcomfort; ease or prosperity; stress-free relationships; a nice home; nearness to

family or friends; marriage; children; children who cause no pain; job security;being loved, accepted and understood by people; respect and admiration

d. Unwillingness to surrender to God will result in severe consequences. (Heb.12:12-13; 1 Cor. 11:28-32; Heb. 2:21-23; Eph. 4:26-27).

7. Refuseto be discouraged, because the truth will set you free (John 8:31-32), and ifJesus sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36)!

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Reflect ions ~

1. Ask the Lordto reveal to your m indat least one or two strongholds in yourlife. Then ask Him to show you what lie(s) you have believed from the devil thathas kept you locked into that area of sin. As the way(s) in which you have beendeceived becomes clear to you, renounce that lie out loud. What is the biblical truththat you can believe in place of that lie? (e.g. Lord, I renounce the lie that I amunable to forgive, and I choose to believe the truth that I can forgive because youhave forgiven me and commanded me to forgive others.)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Reflect ions con t.~

2. Prayerfully consider: If there is an area or circumstance in your life where youfeel that the Lord may be trying to discipline you? (Be careful here, you do notwant to allow our enemy, the great "accuser of the brethren" to bring anycondemnation on you as you think about this. Romans 8:1 says that there is nowno condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.) ________________________

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THE ONE WHO THINKS HE CAN

If you think you are beaten - you are.

If you think you dare not - you dont.

If you want to win but think you cant,Its almost a cinch you wont.

If you think youll lose, youve lost.

For out of the world we findThat success begins with a fellows will;

Its all in the state of mind.Lifes battles dont always go

To the stronger or faster man;But sooner or later the man that wins

Is the one who thinks he can.

Adapted from: Neil T. Anderson, Victory Over The Darkness(Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1990), p.114.

The poem above contains a lot of truth by expressing the power of positive thinking. But thehuman mind is limited. We cannot make something true simply by thinking positively about it.

The Christian, however, has a far greater potential in the power of positive believing. Beliefinvolves the mind but is not limited by it. Belief or faith goes beyond the limitations of the

mind and involves the world of the unseen but not the unreal. With the infinite God of the

universe as the object of Christian faith, what can stop the Christian if God wants anythingdone? (Romans 8:31) Someone has said that success comes in cans and failure in cannots!

What follows are the Twenty Cans of Success:

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Twenty Cans of Success(The following verses are from NAS)

1. Why should I say I cant when the Bible says I can do all things through Him(Christ)who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)?

2. Why should my needs not be met knowing that My God shall supply all my needsaccording to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19)?

3. Why should I fear when the Bible says that "God has not given me a spirit of fear, but ofpower, and of love and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7)?

4. Why should I doubt or lack faith knowing that God has allotted to each a measure of faith(Rom. 12:3)?

5. Why am I weak when the Bible says The Lord is the strength of my life (Ps. 27:1) andPeople who know their God will display strength (Dan.11:32)?

6. Why should I allow Satan to have supremacy over my life, for Greater is He that is withinme than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4)?

7. Why should I accept defeat when the Bible says Thanks be to God who always leads us inHis triumph in Christ (2 Cor. 2:14)?

8. Why should I lack wisdom when Christ became to us wisdom from God (1 Cor.1:30) andGod gives wisdom generously and without reproach to all people who ask Him for it

(Jas. 1:5)?

9. Why should I be depressed when I can recall to my mind and therefore have hope thatThe Lords loving kindness indeed never fails, for His compassions never fail. They arenew every morning; great is Thy faithfulness (Lam. 3:21-23)?

10.Why should I worry and fret when I can Cast all my anxiety upon Christ, because Hecares for me (1 Pet. 5:7)?

11.Why should I ever be in bondage, for Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2Cor. 3:17) and It was for freedom that Christ set me free (Gal. 5:1)?

12.Why should I feel condemned when the Bible says There is no condemnation for those

who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1)?

13.Why should I ever feel alone when Jesus said I am with you always, even to the end of theage (Matt. 28:20) and I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5)?

14.Why should I feel accursed or the victim of bad luck when the Bible says that Christredeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us in order that in ChristJesus we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Gal. 3:13,14)?

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15.Why should I be discontented when I, like Paul, can Learn to be content in whatevercircumstances I am in (Phil. 4:11)?

16.Why should I feel worthless when God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on ourbehalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21)?

17.Why should I ever have a persecution complex, for If God be for me, who can be againstme (Rom. 8:31)?

18.Why should I be confused? God is not the author of confusion, but of peace (1 Cor.14:33). And, Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from

God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God (1 Cor. 2:12).

19.Why should I feel like a failure when, In all these things we overwhelmingly conquerthrough Him who loved us (Rom. 8:37)?

20.Why should I let the world bother me when Jesus said, In the world you have tribulation,

but take courage, I have overcome the world (John 16:33)?

Adapted from: Neil T. Anderson, Victory Over The Darkness(Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1990), p.115-

117.

Reflect ions ~

Pick out one of the "Twenty Cans of Success" and rewrite them as a "thank you toGod. (e.g. #19: "Lord, I am struggling today with feeling like a failure. I thank you,Father, that I am not a failure but a conqueror in all things through you. Thank you

for that truth and for your love.") ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Write 2 Cor. 10:5 in the blank and be able to say it from memory.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Open Up!Lesson Four

WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?

To face the pain in o ur l ives and make the tough cho ice to

forgive f rom the hear t those who have hur t us and to seek

forgiveness f rom and reconci l iat ion wi th tho se that we have

offended.

KEY VERSE:Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in

Christ God forgave you. (Eph. 4:32)


One Wife's Perspective:

God brought the "Steps to Freedom" into my life when my marriage and sanity were on the

brink of destruction. I had not dealt with things that had been done to me by others long ago. I

had tried to "stuff" those offenses, pretend that I had forgiven others, and forgotten the past,but now the unresolved issues of not forgetting had consumed me. All the pent-up anger was

erupting from me in fits of rage to the point that I was despairing of life. Even though I wantedto stop myself, the anger, jealousy, and bitterness were in control. I would vent this rage onmy husband, and after I calmed down would ask for his forgiveness. Even though he would

forgive me, I wouldn't forgive myself. Satan would heap condemnation on me and then I would

spiral down into a deep depression, and then the whole cycle would start again. I was abeliever in Jesus Christand had loved Him for many years, but I still could not control the rage

inside of me.

Most of my anger was centered on my husband's unfaithfulness to me before we were married.

During our marriage of 25 years, my husband had been totally faithful to me so my jealousy

and bitterness were irrational. Even though he had repented of his behavior and begged for my

forgiveness, I had never truly forgiven him or the women that were involved. My unforgivenesswas how the enemy had gained a foothold or stronghold in my life.

After spending six hours going through the Steps to Freedom in Christ with two friends andbeing faithful to use the daily devotional, Walking In Freedom, God destroyed the stronghold of

unforgiveness and transformed my life and marriage into something more wonderful than it

was before.

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Her Husband's Perspective:

It was ten months from the time my wife's torment started until the time that she found her

freedom from the bondage. Our life during those ten months was a "living hell". I lived inconstant fear of the next eruption. I never knew what or who would set her off. We would go a

week or more without an attack, but often the attacks would come every 48-72 hours.

Sometimes, I would respond in anger; at other times, I would simply absorb the rage and hold

her until it was over. The depression that followed each outburst was worse than the rage. Iwas constantly afraid that she might take her own life.

Our marriage of 25 years had been wonderful and nothing we had experienced prepared us forthis crisis. It seemed the nightmare would never end. I wanted to find the "eject switch" but

there wasn't one. I knew I couldn't leave her even though I threatened to many times. Each

attack would leave me wounded and reeling from the blows, but God would miraculouslyrestore me within a day or two. Eventually, however, I started developing some stress-related

physical problems. As a pastor, I had to speak a lot and I had difficulty with concentration. I

struggled to control my emotions, and at times I even had problems with stuttering.

Both of us were praying fervently for deliverance. We had tried Christian counseling; she wastaking medication, we had friends praying for us, and she had taken up running to relieve the

stress. All of these helped to a degree, but nothing resolved the conflict until she went throughthe "Steps to Freedom in Christ".

Forgivenessis at the very core of Christianity. It is what allows us to have a relationship with

God and with one another. It is the essential ingredient in the recipe for "grace". As Christians,we are to be a "grace based" people. Jesus describes streams of living water that will flow from

within us. The source of that stream is the grace of God coming from His Spirit that has been

freely given to us as a gift or deposit when we become Christians.

He expects us to draw daily from the fountain of His grace and to pour out that grace upon

others. The primary way we do that is by forgiving those that have offended us.

Psalms 51 tells us that all sin is directed at God. Therefore, God takes our moral failures

personally, no matter how we intended them, but he has chosen to forgive us and has given usHis loving favor. Like Jean Val Jean in "Les Miserables" or the prodigal son, we have not

gotten what we deserve.

As Christians, we are also to live byfaithin the objective truth of what God says, as opposed tothe subjective reality of what our feelings tell us. Unfortunately, some Christians have taken

this practice to the extreme, and have chosen to deny their feelings and stuff their real emotions

deep down inside.

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God does not want us to suppress our emotions; neither does He want us to let them out

indiscriminately. The first extreme amounts to living a lie; the second extreme can do greatharm to those around you.

God wants us to be honest with how we are feeling, and admit to Him and to ourselves the hurt,anger and even hate that we feel toward people that have hurt us. We need to realize that God

can handle our emotions. He knows what they are anyway, so it is foolish and destructive totry to deny that they are there.

God wants you to be real with Him in order to be right. And until you are real with God

you will not be right with Him or others.

Perhaps Satan's greatest access to Christians is through unresolved anger and bitterness (Eph.

4:26-27). Until we learn how to get rid of our bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and

malice

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