(Message 2) Who is Satan and where did he come from? Much of what we think about Satan in our culture does not actually come from the Bible. So it’s worth setting the record straight. Join us as we look into his backstory and his future as explained in the Bible. #angelsanddemons
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
James 4:6-8
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
Job 2:2
Start talking. Find a conversation starter for your group.
What is the most memorable movie you’ve seen that featured Satan as a character? How did it portray him? Was it accurate?
As a child, how did you picture Satan? The Biblical description of Satan states that he masquerades himself as an “Angel of Light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). How does this change your past view?
Start thinking. Ask a question to get your group thinking.
Have you ever felt afraid of Satan? What did you do about it?
How can we keep from treating the enemy lightly without giving him too much attention?
Have you ever said or heard someone say, “The Devil made me do it”? Is this an accurate statement? How does Satan tempt us?
Start sharing. Choose a question to create openness.
Why is pride such a bad thing?
Read James 4:6-8. Who is behind the pride that shows up in our thoughts and attitude? Why is humility important when resisting the enemy? How are you learning to resist the devil? In what areas do you need to humble yourself?
Read 1 Peter 5:6-10. What is the difference between humbling yourself and being humbled? What does God do for the humble? What are we to do with our anxieties/fears? What does Peter say the devil is doing? How were these believers instructed to respond? What means do you use to resist the devil? How can you be more alert to his schemes? Why do you think Peter used a lion to depict our spiritual enemy? What are some ways the devil devours people?
Start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.
In what areas do you need to humble yourself?
How can you be more alert to Satan’s schemes? What means will you use to resist him?
Start praying. Be bold and pray with power.
Have someone in your group pray through the requests in your prayer journal.
Ask God to equip you to resist Satan and come against the enemy’s schemes.
Start digging. For further study check out these articles and definitions.
Here are some helpful tips. Most Smart TVs have an App or Channel Store or a way to search for applications to add to your TV or device. You’ll need to install either the “Vimeo” App or the “Facebook Watch” App. In some cases, you may need to have a Vimeo or Facebook account when installing these apps on your TV (you do NOT need an account when watching on the web).
The Vimeo App is available on the following devices:
Amazon Fire TV: search for “Vimeo” Samsung Smart TVs (2015 or newer) Apple TV (4th generation or newer): search for “Vimeo” in the App Store Android TV: search for “Vimeo” in the Google Play Store Roku: search for “Vimeo” in the Channel Store
*some helpful tips for locating us on Vimeo: • try searching for “Generations Church” under “People” or “Channels” rather than “Videos • link: vimeo.com/channels/generations
The Facebook Watch App is available on:
Samsung Smart TVs (2015 or newer) Amazon Fire TV: search for “Vimeo” Apple TV (4th generation or newer): search for “Vimeo” in the App Store Android TV: search for “Facebook Watch” in the Google Play Store Xbox One Oculus TV Portal TV
*some helpful tips for locating us on Facebook Watch: • search for “Generations Church” or “Generations Church NC” • link: facebook.com/GenerationsChurchNC
Note: If you don’t have one of the listed compatible platforms or prefer not to install the apps, you can stream Vimeo videos and Facebook videos from your iPhone/iPad and Android device to a TV:
Make sure your TV is connected to a streaming device (example: Apple TV, Chromecast or Samsung TV) and is on the same Wi-Fi network as your mobile device or computer.
Open Vimeo or the Facebook app on your mobile device or computer and find the video you’d like to stream.
Tap the video to expand it to full screen mode.
Tap in the top right of the video.
Select the TV/device where you’d like the video to play.