We’re in a message series called “Spiritual Warfare.” Our warfare is a battle between obeying God and obeying Satan. Behind every significant decision in your life is a choice to obey God or the devil.

How does this play out? As a believer, God is speaking to you through His Spirit as you ponder a decision in life. But there is something else going on with every decision. Satan is seeking to inject his direction and ideas into your mind. He can do that in a number of ways.

Satan can directly tempt you in your mind. Or he may use something that you read or watch. Or he may use a friend or relative to tempt you to follow his guidance. Oftentimes, the obvious choice is the wrong one, the one that Satan is pitching to you. He’s hoping that you don’t take the time to pray and find out what God is saying. So, it comes down to a choice. A choice to follow God and reject the temptation. Or a choice to follow Satan and reject God’s direction.

When you choose to follow God’s direction, the result is blessing in your life. When you choose to follow Satan’s direction and sin, the result is curses upon your life.

1 John 2:16 (NIV2011)  For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.

December 7, 1941 started as a peaceful Sunday morning, but at 7:55 am, Pearl Harbor was attacked by 200 Japanese aircraft. People often say that the attack was without warning, but that’s not the case. In the months leading up to the attack, the Pearl Harbor commanders were warned three times to prepare for war, as negotiations had ceased. Little was done to prepare. On the morning of the attack, a decoded Japanese message indicated that war was at hand. Four hours before the attack a Japanese submarine was sighted, but no report was made. On the morning of the attack, radar operators saw a large blip which they considered a squadron of aircraft approaching Pearl Harbor. Their report was not heeded. As a result of ignoring the attack warnings, 2300 Americans were killed, 1300 injured and 1000 were missing.

Today, we begin at new message series called “Spiritual Warfare.” The Bible warns us repeatedly to prepare for spiritual warfare. However, many ignore those warnings and as a result, Satan’s attacks kill, injure and lead astray friends, relatives and neighbors.

In this series, we’re going to look at questions, such as:

• Who is our real enemy?
• What is their plan of attack?
• How can we defend ourselves in battle and be victorious?

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.