Fighting The World, The Flesh, & The Devil
Pause & Reflect: The Flesh
by Gavin Bennett & Bethany Allen
Begin with prayer (5 minutes)
Gather together as a Community in a comfortable setting (around a table, on the couch, the floor of a living room, etc.). Have somebody lead a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide your time together.
Read this Overview
Taking time and space to pause and reflect is an integral rhythm in the life of an apprentice of Jesus. Doing so gives us better perspective into where we have come from and where we are going. With that in mind, we want to take time and inventory how the second part of this Practice—Fighting the Flesh—has changed us and to consider how we need to integrate its truths into the rhythm of our lives. With so much new information, it can be tempting to let truth wash over us without letting it transform us. The goal of our time together tonight is to call to mind those truths God revealed to us during this Practice, and distill them into actions that will help us in our journey of spiritual formation as apprentices of Jesus.
Do this Practice as a Community right now: (30-45 minutes)
1. Reflect On What You’ve Learned
Begin your time tonight with a discussion around some of the most impactful ideas that you have learned in the second part of this series. Work through some or all of following questions together:
- What is something new that you have learned about the flesh and the way it works against you in your discipleship to Jesus?
- In this part of the Practice, we explored the reality that the enemy’s primary weapon against us is deceitful ideas that play to our disordered desires. What is one “disordered desire” in you that you find deceitful lies playing to most often?
- The Practices for fighting the flesh were Fasting and Confession. Do you see the merit of these disciplines in your fight against the flesh? How have they aided you?
- What other Practices do you think could help you in your fight against the flesh?
2. Talk Through Next Steps
Next, break into smaller groups of 3 or 4 and spend some time discussing the following questions.
- In response to all that you’ve learned, what is one thing that you need to change in your life regarding your discipleship to Jesus?
- In tandem with the Holy Spirit, how are you going to make this happen? What help might you in need in order to make this happen (from God, Community, or other sources)?
3. Pray
Lastly, spend some time in your smaller groups praying for each other. Ask Jesus to continue to break off the lies that are holding us back, to reveal negative spiritual strongholds that we may not be aware of, and to give us the strength and discipline to put into place any changes we need to make in our lives, as revealed by the Holy Spirit.
Close in prayer (5 minutes)
