The following outline is from the message presented on November 17, 2013. The suggested answers below in the Message Based Discussion Questions are provided to stimulate thinking, not prevent it. Please use for any discussion group.

How do you wage warfare?

1)    Rely on Scripture in your warfare 1:18

• The past
• The present: launches you to wage warfare
  • Commit – “_put alongside, entrust_____”
  • Prophecies –
  • 1 Tim. 4:12; 5:23
  • The future: wage _good_____warfare
    • 1 Pet. 5:7; Ps. 46:10

2)    Rely on faith and a good conscience in Jesus Christ 1:19 

• Having and __holding_____ faith –1 John 5:5; Rom. 12:1
• __good_____  conscience = __beneficial to others____. [Rom. 2:15]
• Reject it. Put, push aside.
  • 2 Tim. 1:15; 4:4; Jam 1:6; Eph. 4:14, 17-19; 1 John 5:16;            1 Cor. 5:5; Jam. 5:19-20
  • Rejection leads to shipwreck – Titanic
    • They did not consider the danger.
    • They did not think it would happen to them.
    • They did not take precautions.
    • They saw that day as any other.

3)    Pray for those who reject Truth 1:20

• Hymen and Alex (2 Tim. 4:14) who caused Paul “much trouble”  Delivered to Satan (1 Cor. 5:1-5)
• Blaspheme –making _light________ of who Jesus is what He can do
• The closer to the truth, the harder it is to see the difference.            2 Cor. 11:13-15
  • The devil is brilliant and has more experience than anyone.
  • He distracts without firing a shot.
  • You are in warfare.
• So, rely on Scripture by faith to wage warfare. How do I learn?
  • Home group – learn to disciple and disciple others
  • Lead your family – devotions, television has something for everyone, but little hope. Spend your time declaring Jesus at home.
  • Some people will depart because they will not rely on Scripture.

 Wage good warfare through His Word by faith!

• Satan is fighting for your heart. Rely on Scripture as Jesus did  Luke 4:5,8,10. Satan wants your relationships, your marriage, your children and your church.
• You must take the charge and wage good warfare. Lifelong. Resolving everyday conflict.
• The stakes are life and death. Are you on alert, training? Are you asking God to “steel” your mind? This is not a walk in the tulip garden. Christ’s reputation is at stake and He directs His Spirit to strengthen you through any battle.

Message Based Discussion Questions

1)    Do you have any relatives who served in the military?  Did you learn about life from their experiences?

• My dad and grandpa were both in the Navy and I learned of their basic training a Farragut Naval Training Based experience. They told me how they did a great deal of swimming and jumping off a high platform into water.
• They told me of their training with weapons and attention to details. They told me about living away from home and serving while the country was in war.

Digging Deeper:

2)    What did Paul need to know that Timothy was going to carry the baton into the next generation (1 Tim. 1:18) _prophecies____   How would they be made regarding Timothy (cf. Acts 13:1-3)?  Remember to think of this dispensationally and the answer becomes very simple.

• As in the Acts 13 passage, the Holy Spirit spoke through men for God’s guidance. God addressed Timothy as a leader, especially for the future.
• Prior to the completion of the Bible, the canon, prophecies like this were necessary to understand God’s complete will.
• After the completion of the Bible, God addressed all that Christians need in Scripture.
• Dispensationally, the spiritual gift of prophecy was provided in the transition of the beginning of the Church until the Bible was completed, after which the Bible was sufficient to guide.

3)    Paul commits Timothy to wage the __good_ warfare (1 Tim. 1:18).  What does Paul teach about soldiering in 2 Tim. 2:3-4 (cf. Phil. 1:6)? What does that look like?

• Christians need to endure hardships. There is no tulip garden type living. The hardships are not for misery, but for proving the sufficiency of Scripture.
• Soldiering is a good thing.
• The Christian soldier belongs to Jesus Christ.
• The Christian soldier must avoid the distractions of the world.
• His purpose is to please the Lord Jesus.
• Jesus enlisted the Christian, the Christian needs to submit to the Lord’s authority.
• It looks like a soldier who pushes forward in the midst of battle, listening to and obedient to the orders of the commander, who does not give up until the battle is done.

4)    When a person becomes a Christian, do they make good decisions for the rest of his life? _no, they struggle with the flesh____ What do the following passages teach that is similar (2 Tim. 1:15; 4:4; Jam 1:6; Eph. 4:17-19; 1 John 5:16; 1 Cor. 5:5; Jam. 5:19-20)?

• 2 Tim. 1:15 -Some Christian friends will turn away from you.
• 2 Tim. 4:4 -Some Christians will turn from doctrine and desire only fables.
• Jam. 1:6 – Some who doubt will be tossed about.
• Eph. 4:17-19 – Some who walk like unbelievers will spiral down.
• 1 John 5:16 – Some will enter the Sin Unto Death (SUD).
• 1 Cor. 5:5 – Some who reject must be delivered to Satan (SUD) for the destruction of their flesh.
• Jam. 5:19-20 – Some will turn from truth into the SUD and multiply sins

Making application of the message to life:

5)    In what areas of the Christian life do many Christians have trouble waging warfare? How about in discipleship?

• Relationships with others – we are impatient and do not take the time to listen. When we listen, we jump to conclusions, because we don’t realize our filters hear what we want to hear and sometimes don’t hear what we should hear.
• Lack of discipleship – we are not practicing spiritual disciplines, so we are more dependent on circumstances than the hope of Scripture. We don’t see immediate “success,” so we remain loners or just learn for ourselves. Sometimes teachers teach, but do not ensure people are learning.
• Relationship with Jesus – we are focused on circumstances that the relationship with Jesus is not as real and there is little joy. Christians often have a hard time coming up with things to praise His name for in group meetings.
• Sharing faith – we are less concerned with others, because we are focused on our own circumstances.

6)    What would God have you strengthen in your life to wage good warfare or be prepared for spiritual warfare?

• Spiritual disciplines – of silence and meditation
• Patience with the lack of motivation in others and lack of others to pursue discipleship.
• A life of bursting forth declaring Jesus more often.

7)    How would you exhort brothers and sisters around you to be better equipped for warfare and how to avoid shipwreck?

• Spend regular devotion time with the Lord.
• Join a home group and ask to become involved in leading.
• Keep your eyes on Jesus in the valleys.
• Keep trusting the Lord for the opportunities to see His empowerment in action.
• Hold onto Scripture by faith and slow down if needed to continue walking forward.