HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 117
page A115
How can I combat and confront evil?
• 1 J O H N 4 :4 | The Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
• 1 J O H N 5 :4 | For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory
through our faith.
• E PH E SI A NS 6 :1 6 | Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.
Your first line of defense is to draw strength from the fact that God is more powerful than
your problems and your enemies. Your faith in God is like a shield that protects you from
the temptations and criticisms hurled at you every day. Without strong faith, the weapons
of Satan and the “arrows” shot at you by your enemies would pierce and defeat you. So
even when life seems overwhelming, hold tight to your faith like a shield and you will withstand the dangers and discouragements sent at you. And rejoice that you know God has
already won the ultimate victory over sin and evil.
• R O MA NS 1 2 :9 | Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
Resolve to hate everything that is sinful and evil.
• R O MA NS 1 3 :1 4 | Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And
don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.
Surrender yourself to Christ’s control. Make sure that you don’t put yourself in situations
where you know your resolve for righteousness will be tested. The closer you walk with
Christ, the harder it is to be caught in the snare of evil.
• E PH E SI A NS 6 :1 0 -1 1 | A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all
of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
Your own strength is insufficient to combat evil. With the armor that God gives you (which
you learn about in the Bible) you can find the strength and protection to win the battle.
• R O MA NS 1 2 :2 1 | Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
• G A L AT I A NS 5 :2 2 -2 3 | But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Combat evil with goodness. This is a difficult thing to do, but ultimately it is the only thing
that will work, because righteousness is stronger than evil.
It often seems that evil is winning; can this really be?
• J O H N 1 6 :3 3 | Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because
I have overcome the world.
It will appear at times that evil has the upper hand. But the Lord’s power is supreme and
he will win the final victory.
• R E VE L AT I O N 2 0 :1 0 | Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery
lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented
day and night forever and ever.
When Jesus returns to usher in eternity, he will eradicate evil forever. No matter how bleak
things may seem now, if you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you are on the winning side!
What authority do I have when confronting evil?
• R O MA NS 8 :1 5 -1 7 | Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own
children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that
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Stop giving in to temptation. God’s Word makes it clear that sin always hurts you because
it separates you from him (your source of mercy and blessing) and puts you in the clutches
of the enemy. Giving in to temptation puts you right in the middle of the road where evil
hurtles toward you at high speed. Being run over by the consequences of sin will cause
great distress in your life. The next time you find yourself moving toward something you
know is wrong, get off the road of temptation before the consequences of sin run you over.
God has promised to give you the strength to resist temptation.
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• 1 C O R I NT H I A NS 1 0 :1 2 -1 3 | If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The
temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful.
He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted,
he will show you a way out so that you can endure.