Want to learn more about The Cosmic Conflict Between Christ &
Satan? Use these Bible Studies for personal devotion, group Bible studies, or teaching a church class. Below are links to the lessons in this 13-part series.
Do you find it hard to trust God? Have you seen
situations that are simply unfair? Not too long ago, I was asked to
be a guest Bible teacher at a church. One of the members of the
church asked me to come to her home to meet relatives. When I got
there, the relatives were a married couple. I was told their parents
and children were riding together in a car when they had an accident
and all were killed. In one day this couple lost their parents and
their children. I had been invited to the home to explain how a God
who would allow this was both loving and trustworthy. Our lessons
this quarter explore this issue of how an evil world can exist when a
loving God is in charge. Let’s jump into our first lesson!
Last week we discovered that pride (wanting to be like
God) was at the root of Satan’s sin and fall from heaven. We also
found that pride (wanting to be like God) was the cause of the entry
of sin into our world. Since this is the way in which the war between
Jesus and Satan began, how does this play out in our daily lives? My
daughter sometimes says that she has “issues” with me. Just what are
these “issues” between God and Satan in which we are now combatants?
Let’s dive in and find out!
Have you ever watched a boxing match? When I have seen
world championship matches on television, they tell us how much each
contestant weighs, how tall he is, the length of his arms and how he
has done in prior matches. To give us some kind of idea of what kind
of person the boxer is, they generally do some sort of interview.
This week our lesson looks at the two contenders for the championship
of our world: Christ and Satan. Since we learned that we are part of
the battle between good and evil, this fight is personal. So, let’s
jump in and see what we can learn about each of these contenders!
Have you heard the old joke, “Question: Why do you beat
your head against the wall? Answer: Because it feels good when I
stop!” Sometimes we get so used to things we do not realize how life
could be otherwise. For example, there are areas of the world in
which war has been going on for decades. War just becomes part of
life. In the U.S., war has not existed on the mainland for over 100
years. This extra-ordinary period made the shock of September 11 that
much greater. Have we become so used to the war between good and evil
that we no longer really notice? Do we accept evil as a usual part of
life – a usual part of our life? Let’s jump into our lesson and see
if we can sharpen our senses!
There is nothing like a academic discussion of sin. No
need to make the discussion of sin too personal, right? So far in our
lessons this quarter we have discussed the general conflict between
good and evil. Let’s bring it closer to home this week. How is the
conflict between good and evil going in your life? This week we look
at how the battle influences the lives of individuals. Maybe you
will see yourself in some of these stories. Let’s jump in!
Last week we discussed real people who were caught up
in the cosmic conflict between good and evil. In the cases we studied
(David, Samson, Elijah) we found people of faith who gave in to
sinful impulses. This week we look at real people who suffered
through no apparent fault of their own, but remained faithful. Let’s
jump in.
How did Jesus deal with sin when He was here? In Lesson
2 of this series, we studied Satan’s open and direct attempt to get
Jesus to sin when they were in the wilderness. This week we move
beyond the direct approach to see how Jesus was tempted by His
friends, neighbors and followers. Let’s jump in!
Jesus used parables, what I call “word-pictures,” to
teach the lessons of the Kingdom of Heaven. This week we turn our
study to a few of these parables that better help us to understand
the controversy between good and evil. Let’s dive in!
Miracles have been an important part of the historic
conflict between good and evil. Consider when Elijah called fire down
from heaven. Consider the flood and the rainbow. These were rather
dramatic points in the conflict against evil. Why don’t we see
dramatic miracles like that any more? Jesus performed a number of
miracles, including raising the dead to life. We don’t see people
being raised from the dead today. Why don’t we have such dramatic
evidence of God’s working today? I think the answers to these
questions are hidden in some of the more unusual aspects of Jesus’
miracles. Let’s jump into our lesson and find out!
The ultimate battle in the great controversy between
Jesus and Satan took place during the time frame when Jesus died on
the cross and was resurrected. With His life, death and resurrection,
Jesus won the battle over sin. The question is whether we will join
the winning side. Let’s plunge into our study of Jesus’ sacrifice for
us which allowed us to accept His the victory over death!
Last week we learned that at the cross Jesus won the
conflict between good and evil. His victory gives us the opportunity
to choose between good and evil, life and death. How are you
choosing? Restoring our choice means that the conflict is still to be
decided in our life. Let’s explore how that conflict played out in
the lives of two of Jesus’ disciples.
How important is the church to Christian living? How important is it to regularly meet with fellow believers? In my religious freedom litigation, I generally have to prove the sincerity of my client’s religious beliefs. Over the many years of litigation I have noticed that those Christians who regularly worship with other
Christians are the most sincere. Most of my “sincerity” problems arise from individuals who worship on their own. My conclusion is
just an observation and not a scientific poll. What does the Bible
teach us about the importance of the church in the controversy
between good and evil? Let’s dive in and find out!
This quarter we have been studying the conflict between
good and evil. In our last lesson, we turn our attention to the
final events that wrap up the great controversy. What are the key
issues in the final conflict? Are they the same as they have always
been? Where do we fit into those issues? Will Jesus win in the end?
Let’s jump in and find out!
