“Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” (Ephesians 6:10)
Study Questions
From Last Week
Part III: Steps to Receiving a Spiritual Breakthrough
- Just before Paul listed the elements of the “armour of God,” with which we can “stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11), what did he urge believers to be? (Verse 10)
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The power of God in the area of spiritual warfare is called “might.”
KEY DEFINITION: The word “might” in Ephesians 6:10 is translated from the Greek word ischys, meaning “forcefulness.” In addition to “might,” ischys indicates “ability,” “power,” and “strength” (STRONG, G2479). This concept of might can be compared to the military strength and resources of a great nation. A “spirit of might,” or “breakthrough anointing,” uses the strength of the kingdom of heaven and its almighty God, whose arsenal, strategies, and advance forces are deployed to destroy the enemy’s plan of containment and to extend the territory of God’s kingdom on earth. A breakthrough anointing enables us to increase, multiply, expand, or enlarge what God has given us.
REFLECTIONS ON SPIRITUAL BREAKTHROUGH
If we are to possess everything that Jesus won for us, we must fight the enemy in the power of God’s might, expanding His kingdom by spiritual force. To receive a spiritual breakthrough, we have to be militant in exercising kingdom principles. This is a spiritual matter, and it applies to all of us – whether our natural personality is to be assertive or quiet. Passivity will leave us spiritually wounded instead of securing our breakthroughs. We must be ruthless with the enemy – he wants to destroy us! Demonic strongholds will tremble and fall away as we push against them in God’s power. By the strength of the indwelling Holy Spirit and His supernatural weapons, we are enabled to break through the enemy’s containment. In the process, we grow stronger to fulfil our role in the kingdom.
The purpose if a spiritual breakthrough is the expansion of the kingdom.
Let us now explore the steps to receiving a spiritual breakthrough.
- Refuse to Tolerate the Situation
- (a) Since our enemy “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour,” what preventive actions should we take against his schemes? (I Peter 5:8a)
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(b) How should we respond to Satan when he attacks our health, our finances, our marriage, or anything else in our lives? (Verse 9a)
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(c) What did Peter pray that God would do for believers in such circumstances?
Complete the following:
I Peter 5:10: “But may God of all grace… after you have suffered a while, _____________________, ______________________, __________________________, ________________ ________________________ _________________.”
When a spiritual breakthrough takes place, our mentality of limitation changes to a mentality of expansion.
- Be Filled with Righteous Indignation
- What spiritual instruction did Paul quote from Psalm 4:4, which we should follow when exercising righteous indignation against evil? (Ephesians 4:26a NIV)
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- When David was filled with righteous indignation against Goliath, what did he say about this enemy of Israel? (I Samuel 17:26b)
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- (a) What was Paul’s attitude toward the evil spirit who had possessed the Philippian slave girl, causing her to follow Paul around and make a commotion wherever he went? Complete the following:
Acts 16:18a: “And this she did for many days. ____________ ________________, _____________________ _______________________…”
(b) What action did Paul take in his righteous indignation against the evil spirit? (Verse 18b)
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To establish your authority in any place, you must always declare the name of Jesus.
- Exercise “Spiritual Violence”
To be spiritually violent means to fight against the devil and his demons – not to become angry with God or other people, and not to become physically violent. Otherwise, our violence will neither be from God nor be holy. Spiritual violence is to be exerted against injustice, sickness, poverty, depression and all the other works of the devil.
- (a) As we learned in the previous study, what statement did Jesus make about being “violent,” or forceful, against the kingdom of darkness? (Matthew 11:12b)
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(b) When discussing how to defeat the enemy, Jesus compared Satan to a “strong man.” What did He say we must do first in order to enter this “strong man’s” house for the purpose of plundering his goods, or taking back territory Satan has gained on earth? (Matthew 12:29a)
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- Offer Glorious, Spontaneous Praise to God
An important way of invading the kingdom of darkness is to sing songs under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit – and to continue to sing them until a spirit of might comes upon us and we experience a supernatural breakthrough.
- (a) In Psalm 40, what did David say God had put in him? (Verse 3a NIV)
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(b) What did David say would happen when people saw (and heard) him expressing it? (Verse 3b NIV)
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(c) When did the writer of Psalm 96 encouraged us to “sing to the LORD a new song!” (verse I), what else did he encourage us to proclaim and declare? (Verses 2b-3)
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(d) In Psalm 98, what did the psalmist state as his reason for singing a new song to the Lord? (Verse 1)
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(e) What three kinds of songs did the apostle Paul encourage believers to sing as a way of spiritually edifying one another? (Ephesians 5:19a; Colossians 3:16a)
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(f) What were believers to do in their hearts? (Ephesians 5:19b)
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When you have an experience with the power of God, it will transform you within and without.
Part IV: Demonstrate the Kingdom of Power Here and Now
- (a) For what reason did Jeus choose and appoint us for the kingdom? (John 15:16a)
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(b) What will God the Father do for us as we fulfil this appointed role? (Verse 16b)
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- What promise and command did Jesus give us in order to establish and expand His kingdom government throughout the world? (Acts 1:8)
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- What message of kingdom expansion did God give His people through Isaiah? (Isaiah 54:2-3)
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- (a) What proclamation did Isaiah make about the increase of King Jesus’ government and peace? (Isaiah 9:7a)
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(b) With what will Jesus’ government be ordered and established forever? Complete the following:
Isaiah 9:7b “… to order it and establish it _____________ ___________________________ _______________ _____________________ from that time forward, even forever.”
- (a) To sum up this Bible study course, what message are Jesus’ followers to proclaim to the world? (Matthew 10:7b)
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(b) What evidence of the kingdom are we to manifest as we do this? (Verse 8a)
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Conclusion
Through this Bible study course, you have been equipped with the revelation of God’s kingdom of power here and now. As you diligently seek God and yield your life to the Holy Spirit, you will receive God’s empowerment and baptism of fire, igniting you to manifest His kingdom wherever you go – ruling over sickness, sin, demons, poverty, and death.
God created us to go into the world with all the gifts, abilities, and blessings He has bestowed on us so that we can extend and multiply His kingdom on earth. As we do, He will increase our faith, power, and blessings, enabling us to continue to enlarge His kingdom in the world. To extend God’s domain, the church as a whole must function like a kingdom embassy to people in every town, city, and nation as we go to every tribe, race, and ethnic group in the world. We are to start new churches, ministries, businesses, and other ventures that demonstrate God’s supernatural power and multiply the gifts He’s given us, so that we can win souls, make disciples, heal the sick, deliver the oppressed, and help others who are in need. We cannot wait for the enemy to assault us before we take action against him. Instead, we are to be in permanent “attack mode,” bringing forth great breakthroughs by God’s spirit of might.
God’s heart is for the whole world, for the globalization of His gospel. Are you willing to push forward in the power of the Spirit so that you may enter into greater dimensions of anointing, glory, power, authority, revelation, provision, and more? Are you willing to expand the influence of your family, ministry, business, or organization for the sake of the kingdom of God? Decide today—the challenge of bringing His kingdom to earth is here and now!
Prayers of Activation
If you have not yet received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I want to give you another opportunity to do so right now. Pray the prayer found in the “Prayer of Activation” section at the end of study 1. You will not be able to receive breakthroughs and expand the kingdom if you are not yet a citizen of the kingdom. Don’t wait any longer!
If you have just prayed to be born again and enter the kingdom of God, or if you have previously accepted Christ but have not yet received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, pray the following so that you may be filled with the Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. Remember that the purpose of being baptized with the Spirit is to receive supernatural power to overcome sin, temptation, sickness, poverty, demons, and death, and to have victory in any other adverse circumstance of life.
Heavenly Father, we are Your children, and we ask You to fill us with Your precious Holy Spirit. As the Spirit gives us utterance, we now start speaking in other tongues.
Continue praying with the expectation that, right now, you will speak in a heavenly language.
If you have already received Jesus and been baptized in the Spirit but want God to use you in ever-increasing ways for His kingdom, pray the following:
Heavenly Father, we are Your beloved children. We are kings and priests under Your authority who rule over our territories in Your kingdom. We are warriors, having Your spirit of might to break down Satan’s walls of containment and receive Your breakthroughs for the greater expansion of Your kingdom. Live in us today, and let Your Spirit move in our lives. Let our hearts always be receptive and obedient to Your purpose and will. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven—in the here and now, and for all eternity. Amen and amen!
Action Steps
- If we do not establish God’s authority in our lives and submit to His superior rule, we have no legal right to exercise His power. When the enemy doesn’t see God’s government in us, he challenges our authority and refuses to leave. Perhaps you have granted Satan the legal right to remain in your situation because you have not been yielded to God and His delegated human authorities. If you have been resisting God and living in rebellion, then repent and submit to Him and the people whom He has placed in authority over you. Receive God’s forgiveness and then move forward to advance His kingdom with authority and force!
- Each of us needs to seek God earnestly to discern our “territory” and fulfil our particular assignment from Him. Sometimes, our assignment will involve being in full-time ministry; however, God calls believers to many fields, such as law, government, education, the arts, science, and engineering. If your life is not bearing fruit for God, or if your ministry is ineffective, ask yourself questions such as these: “To what territory, or sphere of influence, have I been assigned by God?” “Why am I in my present territory? Did I let circumstances lead me here? Did I come by my own choice? Or did God plant me here?” “Is my purpose connected to this territory?” “Who is my delegated authority—for example, my pastor or apostle? Am I allowing him to train, disciple, and guide me according to God’s Word?” “Am I bearing the kind of fruit that lasts?” Pray about these questions, respond to what God tells you, and ask Him to confirm the territory and assignment He has given you. Once they are confirmed, ask God to fill you with His passion for kingdom expansion. Then, step out in faith to extend the kingdom in your territory.
